Happy National Preservation Month, Asheville. Here at AVLtoday, we spend a lot of time tracking growth and development in our city.
While growth has brought a lot of cool things to the city, part of responsible development is keeping one eye to the past, too, and doing what we can to preserve historical value within city limits. Which got us wondering… what are the local WNC and national orgs committed to preservation efforts?
Today, we dive into the behind-the-scenes process of preservation, including what the National Registry of Historic Places is, – and the places in Asheville that are considered historic.
DYK: Former First Lady Patricia Nixon delivered the keynote address at the first National Preservation Month luncheon in 1973. Here’s what she said:
“As the pace of change accelerates in the world around us, Americans more than ever need an awareness of our roots...on which to base our sense of identity in the present, and our directions for the future.”
We couldn’t agree more.
First up: The Historical Resources Commission.
🏢 Historical Resources Commission
After downtown almost became a giant mall in 1979, the Historic Resources Commission was formed to renew Asheville’s focus on preserving historically valuable places around town. Their first project was designating local historic districts with “specific ordinances adopted to protect each district’s buildings as well as the surrounding landscape.” The first three were the Biltmore Village Historic District, the Montford Historic District + Albemarle Park. Currently, 14 districts in Buncombe County are protected by the HRC.
Today, the municipal org is charged with preserving + protecting the cultural and architectural character of AVL and the greater Buncombe County area. Their responsibilities include:
- Reviewing proposed projects that affect locally designated historical places
- Local district + landmark designation
- Giving Certificates of Appropriateness (CA) permits. A CA permit is required for all proposed work on a building’s exterior and street + landscape alterations that could affect archaeological resources. It ensures that work is consistent with design guidelines in a historic district.
Here are the current historical districts in Buncombe County.
- Albemarle Park
- Biltmore Village
- Chestnut-Hill
- Clingman Avenue
- Downtown Asheville
- Grove Park
- Montford Area
- Municipal Golf Course
- Norwood Park
- Proximity Park
- Riverside Industrial
- Sunset Terrace
- West Asheville Aycock School
- West Asheville End of Car Line
If you want to get involved with the HRC, you can read their minutes or attend a meeting.
🏢 National Register of Historic Places
What do the Grove Arcade, the Biltmore, Asheville High School, and the Cathedral of All Souls have in common? They are all on the National Register of Historic Places. The registry was created in 1966 as a way to recognize and protect buildings, districts + objects that are significant to American history and culture. The Registry falls under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Of course, there are a lot more than just those sites - Buncombe County has a whopping 113 historic places listed in the register. Here are just a few…
The Cathedral of All Souls | 9 Swan St.
The Grove Arcade | 1 Page Ave.
Asheville High School | 419 McDowell St.
Ottari Sanitarium | 491 Kimberly Ave.
Riverside Cemetery | 53 Birch St.
Asheville Masonic Temple | 80 Broadway St.
The YMI | 20-44 Eagle St.
Listing in the National Register is the first step towards eligibility for National Park Service-administered federal preservation tax credits and grant programs like Save America’s Treasures. However, private property owners are not legally required to maintain or preserve their properties in any way. They can do anything they want with them (unless federal funds are involved). But if they do want to rehab the property, they are eligible for tax credits and funding for the project. Asheville has become a leader in historical preservation tax credit projects, according to the NPS.
DYK: Anyone can prepare a nomination to the National Register? Check out what else is on the registry.
🏢 Asheville Preservation Society
The Asheville Preservation Society of Asheville + Buncombe County was formed in 1976 to advocate for preservation. The Preservation Society offers three main services:
- Facilitating preservation easements, which are agreements between a property owner and qualified preservation organizations that restrict the use of privately owned properties.
- Offering the Griffin Awards, which recognize projects and individuals that further the goal of preservation within Asheville + Buncombe County.
- Regular programming including tours + lectures.
Most recently, the Preservation Society has worked with developer Phillip Woollcott on the (currently tabled) Flatiron preservation project.
🏢 Privately-owned organizations
A few other organizations are making waves in local preservation.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
This privately-funded nonprofit is committed to preserving diverse, culturally-rooted buildings across the country. They’re the organization behind efforts to restore Nina Simone’s childhood home in Tryon.
North Carolina Preservation Consortium
This independently-run nonprofit preserves collections in libraries, archives, museums + historic sites as well as monuments (like the Vance Monument downtown) + outdoor art. They provide information + advice on preservation and run workshops for collection institutions, students + faculty.