Agenda - 08-25-1997 - C2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A BRIEF CHRONICLE OF THE CEDAR GROVE RURAL CROSSROADS NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION PROJECT During an inventory of Orange County historical architecture conducted during 1992-1993, Cedar Grove was identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as a Rural Historic District. In July 1993, Cedar Grove was placed on the National Register Study List by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Inclusion on the Study List is the first step toward placement on the National Register. During 1995 a planning intern from the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Shannon Sexton, prepared a draft National Register nomination document as a student project. Ms. Sexton researched the history of Cedar Grove, conducted several interviews and site visits, and met with many residents of the crossroads area. At that time, many Cedar Grove residents expressed an interest in protecting the close-knit character of the Cedar Grove community. In May 1995 the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) held a series of community meetings to gather public comment on the County's Historic Preservation Plan, which is an element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan. (The meeting for northern Orange was held at Walnut Grove United Methodist Church.) Citizens attending these meetings were asked to identify places they felt were the most historically significant in the county. The Cedar Grove crossroads area was consistently cited as one of the County's most treasured historic resources because of its rural character and sense of place. In October 1995, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) conducted a field trip to the Cedar Grove Crossroads area as part of its annual historic preservation consultants workshops. The HPC held its October 1996 meeting at the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church. The Commission presented a proposal to residents to nominate Cedar Grove Crossroads to the National Register of Historic Places. Cedar Grove residents were provided with information about the National Register, as well as its meaning for property owners. In November, the Planning Department mailed a "straw poll" form to property owners within the proposed National Register Historic District to gauge interest in the nomination. Eighteen (18) responses were received. Twelve (12) responses were favorable toward the National Register listing, and six (6) were opposed. Two (2) petitions in favor of the National Register listing were received from the churches of the district. Based upon the response of the straw poll, the HPC selected a consultant to complete a National Register nomination report. The consultant selected was Kaye Graybeal, a historic preservation specialist with experience in rural historic districts. The June and July 1997 meetings of the HPC were also held in Cedar Grove, at the Cedar Grove Methodist and Eno Presbyterian Church, respectively. Kaye Graybeal presented the findings of her research and fieldwork in the area, and residents were provided additional information about the benefits of National Register listing.