Grant will help city create plan for preservation

Linda Carlisle, secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, announced historic preservation grants for Salisbury and nine other cities at the Salisbury Depot. Photo by Karissa Minn, Salisbury Post.

By Karissa Minn

kminn@salisburypost.com

The city of Salisbury will receive $15,000 from the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to help create a citywide historic preservation plan. Matching funds of $8,000 will be provided by the city.

The money is part of $92,000 in Historic Preservation Fund grants from the Department of Cultural Resources given to nine historic preservation projects in counties around the state.

Linda Carlisle, secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, announced the grants during a statewide press conference Thursday at the Salisbury Depot.

"What these grants do is to lay the foundation for the kind of work that will result in increased historic preservation in all of these localities," Carlisle said. "This depot is obviously a wonderful example of that kind of preservation."

Built in 1908, the Salisbury Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Restoration efforts in the 1980s allowed it to re-open.

"State historic preservation grants help us to assure that the vital heritage for our communities — communities like Salisbury — is cared for, is preserved, and is available for you and for us to share with others," Carlisle said.

She said the grants were awarded as part of National Preservation Month.

Four of five city council members attended the press conference — Paul Woodson, Maggie Blackwell, Brian Miller and Mayor Susan Kluttz.

"We are so excited that N.C. Department of Cultural Resources and Secretary Carlisle chose our city," Kluttz said during the press conference. "We think it's very appropriate, because we do know we're a leader in historic preservation."

After the announcement, Kluttz said that anytime someone asks her about Salisbury, the first thing she talks about is historic preservation. Now that much of the area's manufacturing has shut down, she said, the city's historic assets are what make it unique and attractive.

"When this started in the mid-'70s, people seemed to believe in either historic preservation or economic development," Kluttz said. "Over the years in Salisbury, we've understood that historic preservation is economic development."

The citywide plan is the "next step" for Salisbury in historic preservation, she said.

Janet Gapen, the city's senior planner, said the process would start with a request for public input. Citizens will be given the opportunity to share their ideas about where historic preservation is going in Salisbury.

The city then will examine its current historic preservation activities and create a plan for the future.

"It will be used as a guide for the city, looking at the Historic Preservation Commission and other activities that the city's involved in," Gapen said. "It would provide a future direction, set priorities and set some short-term goals and some long-term goals."

Carlisle said Salisbury has long been a leader in historic preservation in North Carolina. It established the state's first National Register Historic District in 1975. Now, 10 districts are listed there along with several properties. Five historic districts have been locally designated.

"Historic preservation helps to retain the unique character of the cities and towns," Carlisle said. "Sometimes, it's much easier to think about new construction. But what really matters in the long term is maintaining those elements of our cities and our communities that represent our history — what makes each individual locale unique, special and different."

Cities and towns in eight other North Carolina counties received grants.

Funds will be used in Craven County to help develop a historic preservation plan, in Henderson County to sponsor a wooden window restoration and energy efficiency workshop, in Moore County to conduct part of a cultural landscape report, and in Wake County to help update design guidelines for locally designated historic districts.

Grants also were given to cities in Alamance, Buncombe, Iredell and Mecklenburg counties to fund National Register nominations for historic districts.