"Chapel Hill received an official nod as the 'Southern Part of Heaven' in a ceremony celebrating the town as a national tourism hub. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Chapel Hill as one of its 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations, which is based on strong downtowns, classic architecture and an unfailing commitment to historical preservation."

Read full story . . .

 Daily Tar Heel (2/16/2011)

"Just a bit down the road from Raleigh’s new transit facility in East Raleigh is Oak View Park. This public county park features an antebellum farm house, an older house (later kitchen) that dates to at least as far back as the 1820s, a cotton gin house, and goats, among many other artifacts pertaining to cotton farming in the south..."

Goodnight, Raleigh (2/22/2011)

"Davidson IB Middle School might be closing its doors for the last time in a couple of months, but town officials say they hope to still use the building to celebrate the town's heritage . . . Built in 1949, the Davidson building is considered historical, although it has never been designated as a historic landmark. Stewart Gray, a preservation planner with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, said it is up to municipalities to decide whether to designate buildings in their jurisdiction."

Read full story . . .

Lake Norman News (2/16/2011)

"Union County is refusing to approve plans for a marker to commemorate slaves who served in the Confederate Army, raising questions of how to appropriately honor men virtually ignored by history.

On the eve of the Civil War's 150th anniversary, amateur historian Tony Way led the push for a granite marker to be placed at the Old County Courthouse in Monroe next to a 1910 Confederate monument. The new marker would be for 10 black men, nine of whom were slaves, who served the Confederacy during the war and eventually got state pensions."

Read full story . . .

Greensboro News & Record (2/16/2011)