HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Meeting Summary 12132023 Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Approved Meeting Summary
December 13', 2023
Bonnie Davis Center, 1020 US 70 West, Hillsborough
MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Dickinson, Tom Loter, Art Menius, Cecelia Moore, Steve Peck, Anne
Whisnant
MEMBERS ABSENT: Paul Noe
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck
GUESTS: Chris Hirni, Land Conservation Manager, Orange County DEAPR
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 6:35 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
Staff asked to add a discussion item and possible vote about future plans for the
two historic cemeteries we've been discussing recently: Old Eno Quaker Burying
Ground and the historic cemetery at the site of the original Harvey's Chapel.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for September 27t", 2023:
Moore moved to approve the minutes; seconded by Whisnant, motion approved.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION:
a. Approval of proposed HPC Calendar for 2024: Whisnant moved to approve the proposed
calendar, with the adjustment that the vacation month should be in July; seconded by
Loter; motion passed.
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Lands Legacy Action Plan for FY 2024-2027: Chris Hirni presented an overview of the
Lands Legacy program and reviewed the recommendations made by the HPC back in
2018. The Action Plan update process that was started in 2020 but ended up being put on
hold during Covid and was never completed, so he is picking up that process where it left
off and proceeding for the coming three years. He reviewed the recommendations made
by the HPC in 2020: "continue efforts to acquire conservation easements to protect
important archaeological and cultural resources" and to "consider allocating funds to
support applications from high priority candidates for Historic Landmark and National
Register designation." For example, one of the current projects is to acquire an easement
on a portion of the Moorefields Historic Site. Staff noted that the Lands Legacy funding
was instrumental in helping the HPC accomplish a number of important projects, such as
the National Register nominations for the NC Industrial Home for Colored Girls, the Cedar
Grove School, the Schley Grange and now the Ridge Road School. It also supported the
landmark applications for our most recent landmarks including the Old Eno Burying
Ground, Harvey's Chapel AME Church and Cemetery, and the Davis Farm and Cotton
Gin. Discussion followed, with members concluding that the current language was
sufficient and appropriate, with the following adjustment: for the second bullet, change the
word "Consider" to "Continue." Members thanked Chris Hirni for his presentation and time.
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b. Preservation of our two Historic Landmark cemeteries: Staff provided an overview of
the current ownership and status of the Old Eno Quaker Burying Ground and the
cemetery at the first site of Harvey's Chapel AME Church. Now that these are landmarks,
our ordinance and state law allow the HPC to take ownership of sites like these if needed
for preservation purposes. For the Quaker Burying Ground, there is no owner of record,
so the first challenge is to clarify its ownership. To move it to county ownership, we will
have to undertake a new updated survey and then we'd have to work with surrounding
property owners to obtain quit claims deeds. Sometime in the future, we'll have to discuss
the matter of providing safe access to this, probably through an easement that we'd have
to purchase from one of the adjoining property owners. The Harvey's Chapel cemetery
has an owner and a current survey. There is access through the adjoining county-owned
land that's part of the Seven Mile Creek Preserve. The church has indicated that they'd
like us to take ownership so that they can be assured that it will be preserved for the long
term. We will need to pay for any survey and necessary legal work. These sites/landmarks
have great significance. There is a general consensus it should be possible and
appropriate to cover these costs with Lands Legacy funding as available. Discussion
followed. Staff noted that the county still needs to work on a Phase I Cultural and
Archeological Survey of the entire Seven Mile property. Dickinson moved to direct staff to
pursue future ownership of both these cemeteries working with Lands Legacy and
perhaps the Eno River Association; seconded by Whisnant; motion passed. Menius noted
that Rufus Jones may have mentioned this Quaker meeting in his major book on Quakers.
c. Annual Report and Work Plan for 2023: Staff referred members to the draft plan. The
areas of our focus are the yellow highlighted sections that address our current
accomplishments for 2023 along with our proposed activities for 2024. This needs to be
updated and submitted to the County Clerk by January 19t". A number of items relate to
our routine activities that don't change much from year to year. Staff walked members
through the document. Discussion followed about several sections. Some type of marker
program is still something that needs more work. There is the ongoing question of
physical or digital markers, or some combination of both. There is a cost of around $2,000
per marker. A full-blown marker committee will be needed to handle the questions of
accuracy, content and priorities. Whisnant offers to share information about some relevant
digital programs, like Clio and others. Perhaps the Orange County Museum or Visitor's
Bureau might be interested in this topic. There are many complex and sometimes
controversial issues related to a marker program. Peck noted that one of the big projects
for the upcoming 2501" anniversary is to highlight the "Race to the Dan," including highway
markers for this. He is on the state committee. There may be funding associated with that
program that could fund markers related to that era. In general, physical markers are
costly and require maintenance and repairs on an ongoing basis, and also need a safe
place for motorists to pull over. Maybe adjust wording to be more general, say "create
markers or a marker program." Any such program would have to be coordinated with our
municipalities. A marker program that would synergize with other HPC and local activities.
The overarching interest is in having some way to tell the untold story of the
underrepresented communities and their important leaders. For example, there could be a
marker about the Maroon community, without being site-specific to protect the resources.
d. County owned historic building updates: Staff provided a PowerPoint showing the
current state of the WPA-era stone paved sidewalks at the courthouse square and the
Cate Farm, which is owned by the County as part of the site for the future Twin Creeks
Park, on the east side of old 86 just south Eubanks Road. At the courthouse, we are
looking at getting ready to do advance planning and scoping for the bigger project,
perhaps use some of the existing professional funding to do the scoping and budget
development. The Cate Farm consists of a very intact complex of farm buildings mostly
dating from the 1930s and 1940s, all arranged around a very intact c. 1930 Craftsman
Bungalow-style house. The house and buildings were all restored and painted about 12
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years ago but are now being vandalized due to their siting far back from the road within
the 130-acre parcel that is being proposed for a future park, to be developed jointly by the
County and Carrboro. For the short term, the house needs to be boarded up. One goal is
to renovate the house to allow for a caretaker to reside on the property.
e. Follow up discussion about field trip to view stone mounds: Members agreed that it
was a very worthwhile field trip. The article that Beverly sent after the tour documented the
purpose for the mounds as written by an observer in 1698-99. For the future, we need to
think about what it should look like to help preserve and protect these.
f. Dates for Field Trip: Staff will have to go back to the Courts staff to get some new dates
for our proposed tour, to find times that don't conflict with the court calendar. Staff will
share these dates later.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Archaeological Project at Moorefields: We will postpone this until our January meeting.
b. Book Protect: Members of the book committee are now reading the various chapters and
providing comments and feedback. Staff is now in the process of arranging, organizing
and creating file folders on the county server for all of the 650+ photos that we need. We
still need to get permissions for a number of the images from places like UNC. For the
word count, we cut enough out in the last edit to get it within a reasonable range for our
copyediting budget. Moore generously offered to serve as another reader for this effort.
Staff will share the text with her.
c. Open air time: No information was shared in the interest of time.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: Moore moved to adjourn, seconded by Whisnant; meeting adjourned at
8:22 pm.
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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