Preserving the Past for a Healthy Community: Online historic preservation seminars
Contact: Mary Beth Navarro, 704-576-1858
PRESERVING THE PAST FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Online historic preservation seminars set for Oct. 20 – 22
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Oct. 8, 2020 –The Charlotte Museum of History and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission will host a virtual preservation seminar series during the lunch hour on Oct. 20, 21 and 22. Anyone considering rehabilitation or preservation of a historic property could benefit from attending one or more sessions, including homeowners, business owners and real estate developers.
Seminars will be broadcast live on the museum’s YouTube channel and recordings will be available after each program. Each one-hour program begins at noon and is followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. Registration is free at charlottemuseum.org/events.
“Preserving the past, including the built environment, is essential in a healthy community,” said Adria Focht, president and CEO of The Charlotte Museum History. “Our historic buildings provide so many benefits to our city, including supporting economic development, providing affordable housing, enhancing our quality of life and giving us a tangible connection to the past so that we can learn from it.”
Seminar topics include local historic landmark designation, national register listing and tax incentives. All presenters are preservation experts from the State Historic Preservation Office, Preservation NC, Preserve Mecklenburg, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission and the Charlotte Historic District Commission.
“The Historic Landmarks Commission is honored to partner with The Charlotte Museum of History to bring our community this comprehensive look at the importance and impact of historic preservation,” said Jack Thomson, executive director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. “From neighborhood revitalization to the
adaptive reuse of industrial sites, preservation is the cornerstone of sustainable communities and the bedrock of good, authentic place making.”
Each day’s topics and expert speakers are:
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Noon to 12:30 p.m.
How to identify community character in a neighborhood: What local government organizations can (and cannot) do to protect historic properties. Kristi Harpst, Charlotte Historic District Commission program manager.
12:30-1 p.m.
Overview of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks program. Jack Thomson, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission executive director, and Stewart Gray, preservation planner. A look at the benefits and challenges of designation and the success of the Landmark Commission’s revolving fund in permanently protecting historic properties.
1-1:15 p.m.
Q&A
Wednesday, Oct. 21
Noon to 12:30 p.m.
Preservation North Carolina Overview. Ted Alexander, Preservation North Carolina regional director, western North Carolina. This session includes reasons people preserve historic properties, identification of properties for preservation and placement of preservation easements.
12:30-1 p.m.
Preserve Mecklenburg Inc. Overview. Dr. Dan Morrill, Preserve Mecklenburg consultant. Morrill will explain the group’s role as a private, nonprofit agency that cooperates with property owners in finding economically viable ways to preserve historic places.
1-1:15 p.m.
Q&A.
Thursday, Oct. 22
Noon-12: 30 p.m.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Overview. Sarah David, SHPO survey and National Register branch supervisor. A look at the National Register designation process, including steps for having a property listed, criteria and definitions of “significance” and “integrity,” as well as what listing on the National Register does – and does not – do.
12:30-1 p.m.
SHPO Economic Incentives Overview, Brett Sturm, SHPO restoration specialist. A review of economic incentives offered by federal and state government and their eligibility requirements, plus recent examples of successful tax credit projects in the region.
1-1:15 p.m.
Q&A.
How to register:
Registration is free. Donations are welcome and will support the museum’s ongoing preservation work, including the Mad About Modern home tour, the Save Siloam School Project and ongoing care for Charlotte’s oldest home, the 1774 Alexander Rock House. Online registration by Oct. 16 is encouraged at charlottemuseum.org/events.
About The Charlotte Museum of History
The Charlotte Museum of History exists to save and share the Charlotte region’s history, helping create a better understanding of the past and inspiring dialogue about the future. The museum is the steward of the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Rock House and homesite, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest home in Mecklenburg County. Visit charlottemuseum.org and follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The museum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
About The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission The Historic Landmarks Commission protects properties in four fundamental ways. First, it recommends the designation of individually significant properties as historic landmarks. Second, it buys and sells endangered historic landmarks through its revolving fund and places preservation covenants in the deeds when the properties are sold. Third, it administers design review over intended material alterations of historic landmarks. Fourth, it educates the general public about the significance of historic landmarks.
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