Presented for saving two historic buildings and contributing to the creation of a new Downtown Historic District in Snow Hill.
About the Award
Each year, Preservation North Carolina presents the Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting historic preservation.
The awards have been given since 1975 and are named for the late Dr. Gertrude Carraway of New Bern, a leader in the successful effort to reconstruct the state's colonial capitol, Tryon Palace, in New Bern.
The Greene County Museum complex has had a considerable impact on Snow Hill.
Consisting of three adjoining properties in the city’s downtown commercial district, the complex was acquired by the Greene County Arts and Historical Society in 2001, just months after the society was formed.
While such a massive endeavor was not anticipated in the society’s inaugural year, the opportunity to purchase these properties, which all came on the market within a month’s time, was an opportunity that members and officers could not ignore.
The significance of these properties was due in large part to their location -- in the heart of the commercial district. In addition, each of these properties had once served as the home of the Snow Hill Post Office. One building was constructed in 1961 to serve as a post office. Another, the Lassiter office building, served as the post office beginning in the 1930s. And the third property, a vacant lot, had been the site of the town’s first post office, circa 1900, which later burned.
Funding for the purchases came through loans, grants and government sources. A business incubator, Contentnea Development Partnership, also provided significant assistance with grant writing and securing of tenants for the Lassiter office building.
Under the direction of architect Mark Smith, the sensitive restorations included adapting the 1961 post office for use as a history museum. The 1930s Lassiter building was also restored, inside and out. The original tin ceiling and brick walls were revealed, while new plumbing and HVAC system brought the building into the modern era.
The vacant lot was hardscaped with a brick walkway, concrete patio and landscaped with sun-tolerant plants.
The impact of this project in Snow Hill is beyond estimation. The museum was instrumental in establishment of the Snow Hill Historic District and, in the eight years since the restoration, several additional buildings in the district have been rehabbed and adapted for reuse.
