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36 <br /> and most influential founding families of Orange County. It has also become part of <br /> the identity of this largely rural African American neighborhood. People living here <br /> remember playing in the House and the days spent picking vegetables in the <br /> garden. The site still contains those who lived and died there. Before his death in <br /> 21011 beloved UNC mascot keeper Rob Hogan placed a headstone in the <br /> vandalized cemetery there to make sure his family's story wasn't lost. The house <br /> has a shared past. <br /> Preservation of the home is important to remember the Hogan and Lloyd families <br /> who experienced the transition from colony to independent country; but also for <br /> who made the transition from slavery to freedom almost ninety years later. When <br /> Sam Rogers Jr. purchased the "big house" early in the loth century, it gave the <br /> home new meaning. It became a trophy to a generation that had been born <br /> property themselves. Along with other former slaves, like Morris Hogan, Rogers <br /> acquired land and sought to carve out a new life as a free man. A legacy that is <br /> evident in the road that bears his name and the sense of pride that resonates in the <br /> community today. <br /> The Preservation Society is advocating for the restoration of this historic home and <br /> adaptively reusing it as a clubhouse for the Rogers-Eubanks Road Neighborhood <br /> Association (RENA), a 501c3 non-profit that provides educational services for this <br /> community, as well as, a food bank for local low-income families. Preservation of <br /> this house, and its use as RENA's headquarters, would greatly expand their <br /> operational space and aid in the execution of their mission. <br /> Leveraging History As a Community Benefit <br /> Saving this historic home is important to this community who are fighting for their <br /> survival. For almost forty years, community leaders have battled against the toxic <br /> effects of Chapel Hill's landfill that has spoiled the land and its people. Through <br /> books, exhibits, and preservation of this house, the Rogers Road community has <br /> leveraged their history to attract attention and gain support. <br /> In 2009, RENA organized both a museum exhibit and published a book telling the <br /> story of this house and the community it represents. It was part of an effort by <br /> residents to avoid destruction by anonymity. The community has leveraged their <br /> history to try and control the landfill's spread. Just to the north of the Hogan- <br /> Rogers House are the remains of the Alexander Hogan Plantation, which has been <br /> 4 <br />