Jim Stephens of Pewter Construction Co. doing renovation on the historic Copeland House on North Main Street last week. (Bill Giduz photo)

State officials have approved the creation of a new National Historic District encompassing about 580 properties downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods. The designation follows several years of planning and a January public meeting.

For property owners it means properties in the district may qualify to receive tax credits for improvements. And it could prevent, or at least delay demolition of historic buildings.

The Town Board endorsed creation of the district at its Jan. 13 meeting. (See a report and background information in our Jan. 14, 2009 story, “Board OKs new sign rules, backs proposed historic district.”)

Download a PDF version of the Davidson Historic District map, click the image.

About 580 properties built before 1959 are included in the district, which now is listed in the U.S. Interior Department’s National Register of Historic Places.

Buildings would not be subject to any new restrictions on renovations or development, unless a project is using federal funds. Then it would be required to follow federal historic restoration guidelines.

Four old buildings in town already are listed individually on the National Register: Philanthropic and Eumenean halls at Davidson College, Chairman Blake House at 318 Chairman Blake Lane (behind the CVS) and Beaver Dam Plantation House, off Davidson-Concord Road.

The new district designation expands a small existing historic area covering about three blocks of Main Street. But it does not include the Davidson College campus.

At the January Town Board meeting, Planner Lauren Blackburn told the board the new district would be large for a town of Davidson’s size, though it is about half the size of the historic district in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte.

Ms. Blackburn said then that the town had reached an agreement with the college to exclude buildings on the interior of campus.

Are you in the district?

Download a map of the Davidson Historic District (1.8 mb PDF). CLICK HERE>

More about the historic district on the Town Website, http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/historicdistrict

TOWN PRESS RELEASE

Here’s the text of the Town of Davidson announcement about the new district.

SOURCE: Town of Davidson press release

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources recently announced that Davidson’s central core has been named a National Historic District and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, and culture.

It is estimated that North Carolina has 50,000 National Register properties.

The listing of a property in the National Register places no obligation or restriction on a private owner using private resources to maintain or alter the property. Tax credits are available for the rehabilitation of National Register properties.

The Davidson Historic District encompasses the well-preserved historically and architecturally significant town center. The historic district includes important Davidson College dormitory and debating society buildings which date to its beginnings in the 1830s and 1840s. Many of Davidson’s notable nineteenth century residences in the historic district were erected for college faculty, who formed a sizable professional class for our small town.

In terms of their stylistic sophistication and physical integrity, the nineteenth century educational and residential buildings clustered on North Main Street and Concord Road stand out among Mecklenburg County’s finest architecture. Brick, one and two-story commercial and industrial textile buildings reflect the town’s late nineteenth and twentieth century economic growth.

Davidson’s twentieth century neighborhoods are noteworthy for their collection of fine examples of Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Craftsman, and Modern style houses, in addition to the simple mill housing associated with the textile mills. The important contribution of the African American community is acknowledged by the inclusion of a historic residential neighborhood centered on a 1930s-1950s public school complex.

To see a map of the district visit www.ci.davidson.nc.us/historicdistrict.

For more information contact the Davidson Planning Department at 704 892-7592.