HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Meeting Summary 03252026 Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Approved Meeting Summary
March 25t", 2026
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: Rod Mullen
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER: Chair Menius called the meeting to order at 6:30.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Staff wished to add the proposed memorial
marker at the enslaved burial ground at Blackwood Farm as a discussion item, and also
the following updates: new digital map project by Mark Chilton; solar project at the Cedar
Grove School, Outside Agency grant process; and Occaneechi Village volunteer workday.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for January 28th, 2026, meeting:
Moore moved to approve, seconded by Deetz; motion carried.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION:
a. Landmark Evaluation for Montrose: Staff explained the recent interest in having
Montrose designated as a county landmark, which would require working with the Town of
Hillsborough to develop an interlocal agreement that would allow such a designation
within the town's ETJ. Members received the National Register nomination which provided
a great deal of background information about the site, which has had a long history dating
back to the early decades of the 191h century. Members viewed a PowerPoint presentation
showing aerial views. The majority of the 61-acre parcel is under the protection of a
conservation easement held by the Triangle Land Conservancy. Our consideration will
focus on the 12-acre parcel that includes the house, the outbuildings and the modern
formal gardens. Staff showed views of the 1948 Colonial Revival main house, along with
the smokehouse/privy structure, barn and kitchen; most were built in the second quarter of
the 191h century for prior owner William Mercer Green. The property was later landscaped
and altered multiple times by three generations of the Graham family, including the law
office built for Gov. Alexander Graham. Much survives of the earlier landscape, along with
later changes from the 1940s period, including the present driveway arrangement. One
question was about the history of the enslaved residents of the site. Do we know where
they lived or if they might be buried on the property? Members then proceeded with the
landmark evaluation process, with considerable discussion about the scoring for the
various attributes. The final combined average score was: 56.25 and so the property does
qualify to be designated as a county landmark.
b. Participation in statewide "Landmark Tree" protect as part of NC A250: Staff
reported on a statewide project being undertaken by Buncombe County and the NC A250
program, to try to get each county to undertake a project to plant a commemorative tree
as part of each county's A250 celebration. They are asking participants to apply to be
enrolled in the program and to purchase and plant an appropriate native species in a
public setting where it can be fully maintained. Discussion followed. Members decided it
was a worthy project but did not really fall within the HPC's jurisdiction. Staff will share this
idea with the Town of Hillsborough's Tree Board to see if they might wish to participate.
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ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Scheduling a date for the HPC to tour Montrose: As the next step in this landmark
process, staff recommends taking a full tour of the site. The preferred weekend was April
17-19. Staff may have a conflict but will confirm or pick another date.
b. Scheduling a field trip to tour the Henry Calvin Andrews farmstead: Staff reported
that the owner won't be able to give us a tour until this coming fall due to travel plans for
the spring and summer. The owner will work with staff to set up a new date in October.
c. Memorial marker to be installed at the cemetery for the enslaved at Blackwood
Farm Park: Staff shared some images that show the general look and feel of a stone
memorial marker being proposed by the county's Human Relations Commission, along
with the draft text of the proposed inscription, adapted from the inscription at the African
Burial Ground site in NYC, with the Sankofa bird image. After some discussion, members
agreed that the proposed concept and text was appropriate.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Harvey's Chapel Cemetery donation process and timeline: The county's land
conservation staffer, Chris Hirni (runs the Lands Legacy program) is now working on a
package to put before the county manager and BOCC to initiate the process of accepting
the donation of the cemetery site. This process might take several months. We may need
to update the survey to resolve the boundaries with the surrounding parcel survey to
eliminate any potential discrepancies.
b. Moorefields National Register progress: this was approved by the state's National
Register Advisory Committee at their Feb. 12t" meeting, so it now will be sent up to the
NPS for final approval.
c. Book Project: The current challenge is to review and edit the drafts of the front matter,
which consists of the preface, acknowledgements and introduction. Staff would like to
share this with the book committee members. The other project is finalizing the photo
selections. In the last edit and page reduction effort, a number of photos were removed
from the essay section. Staff prefers a heavily illustrated essay, so that the essay is
enlivened by the photos. So they are working add more photos back into the essay.
d. HPC historical/cultural marker progress report: Deetz reported that the group met last
month to start the discussion. He agreed to create a Google Doc for a place to host all the
relevant links and documents, with notes from the first meeting.
e. Proposed memorial marker to honor the enslaved community at St. Matthew's
Church: Staff reported on the current long-term project at St. Matthews to create a
special memorial for the enslaved community since many of the early prominent members
of the church were large holders of enslaved workers. This committee has collaborated
with the Stagville descents community, and gotten good feedback from that group,
including a recommendation to install a marker out on St. Mary's Rd. There was interest in
having this be part of the proposed county marker program. But given that we haven't
started our program and don't have any funding, they were going to proceed on their own.
f. Membership: The county clerk's office has confirmed that Lewald was reappointed to
serve a full first term after serving a partial term following her initial appointment.
g. Outside Aqency application review: There is now a new system for reviewing these, so
the HPC will no longer be involved in the process.
h. Old Courthouse Preservation Protect: The architects have now delivered a pre-final
Phase I report with cost estimates now included; initial numbers are about$4.5 million.
i. Open air time: Staff noted that there will be an Occaneechi Village Workday this
Sunday. Also staff attended the pre-bid meeting for the Cedar Grove solar project.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: Whisnant moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Deetz. Meeting
adjourned at 6:55 pm.
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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