Agenda - 04-01-1997 - 9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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House had been built. The T.L. Oliver House and the Tolar House, in their current forms,were also 17 standing. Before the end of the century,the Eno Presbyterian Church had been completed and the Arthur Finley House was built. Additionally, Cedar Grove possesses historical significance well into the early years of the twentieth century, because it reflects the effects of the automobile in opening up new markets and increasing the convenience of travel (Carter and Peck, p. 44) While automobiles and quality roads have resulted in the abandonment of many crossroads communities,those that have survived have become stronger. (Lefler, Oranoe County 1752-1952, p. 260) Indeed, Cedar Grove retains a sense of community consciousness. Two distinctive churches anchor the community and serve as gathering places for its residents. Pender General Store remains in business over 90 years after it first opened. The store,which contains the original fixtures and hardwood floors, now offers gasoline for sale. On one side of Pender Store, a post office operates and on the other side is located an automotive mechanics garage;which, quite ironically, stands on the site of the old blacksmith's shop and is run by descendants of the same family. Many substantial homes remain, including the John Paisley Hughes Home and the Dr. C. M. Hughes Home. Even a non-contributing commercial building that houses a beauty salon enhances the sense of community possessed by the village of Cedar Grove. The crossroads community of Cedar Grove represents a pattern of social interaction that was once common in rural agricultural areas of North Carolina. After the advent of the automobile, crossroads communities with viable business activities have become relatively rare. Fortunately for us,that pattern still survives in at least one comer of Orange County. As such, it is worthy of listing with the National Register of Historic Places. References Branson, Levi,ed. Branson's North Carolina Business Directory. Raleigh: Branson House, 1889. Carter,Jody and Todd Peck. Historic Resources of Orange County. Unpublished manuscript, 1993. Councilman, David H. Postmaster of Cedar Grove, North Carolina. by the author, 1981. Johnson, Guion Griffis. Ante-Bellum North Carolina: A Social History. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1937. Lefler, Hugh and Paul Wager.Orange County 1752-1952. Chapel Hill:The Orange Printshop, 1953. U.S. Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington,D.C.:Government Printing Office, 1991. Attachment#4