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062 <br /> CULTURAL AND SCENIC RESOURCES <br /> Historic Sites <br /> From the Spring of 1992 through the Summer of 1993, a comprehensive survey of Orange County's <br /> historic resources was undertaken in the unincorporated portions of the county.. Unlike other counties <br /> in the region, the majority of buildings recorded in Orange County represent a relatively narrow range <br /> of house types and building styles. This commonality of building techniques is representative of the <br /> overall character of a Waal county which has historically been comprised of small yeoman farmers. Of <br /> the 665 resources identified, only 49 are thought to date to before the Civil War. By far the greatest <br /> number of houses surveyed date from 1865 to 1943, illustrating the agrarian nature of a county which <br /> has persisted to this day. <br /> As part of the inventory,the consultants employed by the County recommended sites to the N.C. State <br /> Histonc Preservation Office for finther study and possible listing on the National Register of Histonc <br /> Places. The National Register is the nation's official list of buildings, structures, objects, sites, and <br /> districts worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, <br /> and culture. In total, 34 sites were recommended for the Study List, including two potential historic <br /> districts. However, seven other sites were added at the request of individual property owners. <br /> Combined, these sites included the following categories and eligibility criteria. Orange County sites <br /> which have already been listed in the National Register are also identified. <br /> • Log Houses: For a property to be considered for the National Register, it. must have <br /> "integrity" or retain enough of its historic physical character to represent its historic period <br /> and associations adequately. For a log house, there has to be minimal alteration to the exterior <br /> as well as to the interior of the house. Five log houses that have undergone little or no <br /> modification were placed on the Study List, including the Gosling (ca 1840), Miller <br /> (ca 1820), Neville (ca.1860), Reilly (ca 1870), and Sikes (ca 1860) houses. The Paisley-Rice <br /> log house is listed on the National Register. <br /> • Antebellum Farmhouses and Farmsteads: Due to the rarity of antebellum or pre-Civil War <br /> houses in the county, integrity thresholds for National Register consideration may be lower. <br /> Nevertheless, these houses should read as antebellum structures and retain enough exterior <br /> and interior fabric to document their age. Exterior siding may have been replaced and the <br /> interior modernized,but as long as the design, general plan, and majority of original materials <br /> are intact,the house would be eligible under architectural significance. <br /> When considering farm complexes for National Register listing, the property must be <br /> evaluated as a whole. A potentially eligible property would have many components including <br /> the domestic and agricultural outbuildings, and landscape features. Criteria for an agricultural <br /> complex are not as strict as guidelines for an individual house. For example, a farmhouse may <br /> have undergone significant alteration over time without jeopardizing the integrity of the whole <br /> farm. <br /> Three antebellum houses have been placed on the National Register. Chatwood (Faucette <br /> house and mill), Moorefields, and Maple Hill. Twelve antebellum farmhouses and/or <br />