Salisbury has been awarded a 2022 federal Historic Preservation Fund grant for Certified Local Governments from the National Park Service, administered by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) of the Office of Archives and History. The grant award is $24,900, and the City of Salisbury has contributed $17,500 for a total project budget of $42,400. The funds will be used to survey 400+ properties within and adjacent to the Salisbury National Register Historic District, which includes properties in portions of downtown, West Square, Chestnut Hill, and West End neighborhoods. The city has hired S&ME, a Mount Pleasant, SC based cultural resources consulting firm, to complete the project. Heather Carpini, Principal Historian with S&ME, is the Project Manager. The project will culminate in a brief final report that summarizes the project methodology and recommends future work within the existing historic district, if warranted.
The Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission will host a public kick-off prior to its regular meeting on Thursday, May 11, at 5:30 pm, at 217 South Main Street (Salisbury City Hall).
S&ME will be in Salisbury conducting fieldwork from mid-April to late July 2023. All fieldwork will be conducted from the right-of-way and residents can expect to see a two-person team taking pictures and notes.
For more information on the architectural survey, contact Emily Vanek, Planner for the City of Salisbury, at emily.vanek@salisburync.gov or (704) 638-5311 or Elizabeth C. King, Architectural Survey Coordinator for the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, at elizabeth.king@ncdcr.gov or (828) 250-3108.
HPC Presentation (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the survey?
The primary purpose of the survey is to document Salisbury’s historic properties with photographs, written descriptions, and oral and archival history. In addition to documenting properties, the survey team will identify properties that appear to be potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as districts, and thus potentially eligible for state and federal tax credits for certified historic rehabilitation.
How will the project affect my property?
If your property is not already located in a Local Historic District, this project will not change your property’s local historic status and will not cause you to need approval from the Historic Preservation Commission for exterior work, new construction, and demolition.
How can I review the results of the survey?
There will be a public meeting at the end of the project to share the results with the public. The meeting is projected to be held just before the October 19 Historic Preservation Commission at 217 South Main Street (Salisbury City Hall). Public access to the information will also be available through HPOWEB, the State Historic Preservation Office’s geographic information system, which is accessible online at
http://gis.ncdcr.gov/hpoweb/, after the conclusion of the project.
How can I get involved?
If you have information, photos, or documentation related to your property or other properties within the study area, the City and S&ME would love to see them. If you would be willing to let the City share your pictures and stories on City social media channels, please let us know as well.
Types of things that would be helpful:
- Information (names, occupations, etc.) about owners or occupants - especially the first occupant and long-term occupants
- Historic photos
- Information about architects and builders
- Dates of exterior changes to the property (additions, new garages/sheds, changes to building materials)
Salisbury National Register Historic District Study Area Map
Please send information to emily.vanek@salisburync.gov.