HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Meeting Summary 04232025 Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Approved Meeting Summary
April 23rd, 2025
Bonnie Davis Center, 1020 US 70 West, Hillsborough
MEMBERS PRESENT: Eric Deetz, Todd Dickinson, Rob Golan, Carol Ann Lewald, Art Menius, Cecelia
Moore, Anne Whisnant
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator
GUESTS: Phil Mace, Upper Eno Heritage Association; Rod Mullen, interested citizen
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER: Chair Menius called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Staff wished to add an information item about
the upcoming Occaneechi Village volunteer workday coming up later in April and May.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for March 26th, 2025, meeting:
Deetz moved to approve, seconded by Golan; motion carried.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION: None
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Presentation on the History of Faucett Mill and its Property by Phil Mace: Staff
introduced guest Phil Mace, who has been active doing research and programs about the
history of the Upper Eno portion of the county, as part of the Upper Eno Heritage Group,
based in Efland. His mother was born in Efland, on the former Hartford plantation
property, so his roots in this part of the county go back to the 1700s. Members then
introduced themselves. Mr. Mace proceeded to provide a PowerPoint presentation
detailing the history of Faucett Mill and the surrounding properties, including the Faucett
House or Chatwood, to the east of the mill. Mace recounted the origins of research that
claimed this mill was built in the 18th century. He found that there were actually two mills
associated with different members of the Faucett family—an upper mill, above Hall's Mill
Road, built for Richard Faucett, and the lower mill, which is this mill, located where the old
Greensboro Road or Lebanon Road fords the Eno River, built in 1823. Early research by
Mary Claire Engstrom focused on the upper Faucett Mill, which was established in the
later 18th century. This research was mistakenly interpreted to apply to the lower mill, built
for/by James Faucett, which has created a lot of confusion about the dates. He found a
court record that documents that James Faucett obtained permission to build a dam on
Dry Run in 1823, documented in court records, giving us the start date for the mill
complex that also included a dam on the Eno. He relayed information that helped
establish that changes might have been made in the 1830s including raising the dam on
the Eno at least two times. The mill stayed in the Faucett family through most of the 19th
century. It was converted from a traditional 14' diam. water wheel to a turbine by the time
of the 1870 industrial census. Members discussed various aspects of the water power
systems, power line shafts and the possible locations of the water wheels and turbines at
varying times in the mill's history. Mr. Mace showed numerous photos and old maps to
help document the locations of the historic roads, the old ford and mill race. The HPC will
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be asked to advise on a future preservation and land conservation project, working with
the family to explore their options for how to best plan for the future for the land and the
mill. The owners have extended an invitation for the HPC membership to visit and tour the
mill on June 20. Members agreed that was a good date. Staff will confirm with the owners.
b. Landmark evaluation form: deferred until next meeting.
c. Old Courthouse Preservation Project: Phase I assessment: The county has signed a
contract with JKOA architectural firm, led by Joe Oppermann, to carry out the initial phase,
to assess the scope of the project and establish new, more accurate cost estimates. This
is a great accomplishment. Attachment 3 provides you with their cost breakdown for doing
this phase 1 work. Architectural photography Peter Aaslestad will begin the important
photogrammetry work to create rectified photos and CAD drawings, starting on May 7.
Discussion followed about when the county will decide on the future use, whether it will
continue to serve as a court facility or be adapted for a new use—all yet to be determined.
The overgrown bushes have been removed from the perimeter of the building. Staff wills
share updates as we make progress on phase 1.
d. Annual Review of HPC activities for CLG Program: The SHPO completed its annual
evaluation of our preservation program as per Attachment 4 and approved our activities
for 2024, thus maintaining our eligibility for future CLG grants.
e. Historical marker project: deferred to next meeting.
f. More options for HPC field trip: Staff outlined some possible site visits for the group to
consider. One idea is to visit two sites that are distantly related: the Henry Calvin Andrews
Farmstead, which includes a mid-191" century log house with numerous fine log and frame
outbuildings. The owner is considering donating a preservation easement on the
buildings, along with a conservation easement on the 10-acre parcel. Then we'd visit the
wonderful Modernist house built for Troy and Roberta Andrews, designed by Taliesin
student Franc Sidler. The owner of the Modernist house will have the house ready for the
National Register photography in early May, so that might be a good time for her. The
owner of the farmstead is travelling so no definite word on that tour yet. Staff will work with
the owners on dates and will get back up with membership to pick some dates. Another
tour to be thinking about is one that takes members to the Eagle Lodge and Dickerson
Chapel AME Church, both in Hillsborough. Moore noted that the Historical Society of NC
will be holding its fall meeting in November at the Eagle Lodge; she will extend an
invitation to the members later.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Dickerson Chapel AME Church Preservation Project: The church has been awarded a
$400,000 grant from the National Trust's Black Churches program, to carry out structural
repairs and install a new roof, electrical wiring and HVAC.
b. Occaneechi Village volunteer workdays: Staff extended an invitation for members to
participate in two upcoming volunteer workdays, to help with rebuilding the existing huts.
These will be on Sunday, April 27, and another on Sunday, May 11.
c. Andrews House National Register Nomination: no additional update.
d. Proposed grant program to preserve endangered historic resources: no update.
e. HPC Website content protect: deferred to next meeting.
f. Book Project update: deferred to next meeting.
g. Open airtime: None.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: Whisnant moved to adjourn; meeting adjourned at 8:22 pm.
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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