"Folks in these parts love their old buildings and houses. It’s a fact that is celebrated regularly through home tours, our museums and even in the buildings we frequent, such as Arts of the Albemarle’s Center.

But the organization that has played a vital role in helping preserve the Albemarle’s historic structures is currently in financial straits and may be leaving northeast North Carolina. Like many non-profits, the economy is severely pinching the coffers of Preservation North Carolina, says former board member George Jackson.

“It’s the same problem that all non-profits are facing,” says Jackson, an Elizabeth City resident and Elizabeth City State University professor. “In a slowdown economy, one of the first places people tend to cutback is their charitable giving.”

Jackson says Preservation North Carolina recently shut down its regional office in Greensboro as part of a cost-saving measure, and at the end of the year the office in Edenton is scheduled to close as well, unless money can be raised to keep it going."

Read full story . . .

Daily Advance (10/22/2011)