Group names Cape Fear area's most threatened historic sites

Staff photo | Ken Blevins Jeffrey Crow, deputy secretary of the N.C. Office of Archives and the state historic preservation officer, joins with the Historic Wilmington Foundation to announce the third annual list of the Most Threatened Historic Places in Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region Monday morning. Historic Wilmington released the list in front of the 620-622 N. Fourth St. buildings that were saved by Historic Wilmington after having been threatened with demolition. External Links: Click here for the Historic Wilmington Foundation's Web site Click here to visit the State Historic Preservation Office's Web site Click here to visit the Web site for Preservation North Carolina

The Historic Wilmington Foundation released its 2008 list of the region's most threatened historic places Wednesday, urging the preservation of the "humble and exalted" historic sites that make Southeastern North Carolina unique.

The list, which contains five new structures and four holdovers from last year's list, was presented at a news conference in front of the Southern Furniture Co. building at 620-622 N. Fourth St., one of the foundation's recent success stories.

The building was slated to be demolished, but interested buyers stepped in. The sale is expected to close Thursday, complete with a preservation easement that should save the building even if the new owners sell.

But North Fourth Street made it onto the 2008 list, which shows that lots of work still needs to be done, said George Edwards, executive director of Historic Wilmington.

"It doesn't seem to get any shorter," he said of the list. "One day it would be nice to stand up here and say there is no list."

The list was created through a public nomination process. Historic Wilmington received 11 new nominations this year from residents and the foundation's staff, and each nomination was reviewed and selected based on property type, historical significance, geographic distribution and degree of threat.

While Historic Wilmington has had some successes in the past few years - plans to renovate the Jaffe Building on Castle Street and the Sinclair Station on Market Street are still progressing - it had a major setback last year when the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church was demolished.

Here is the 2008 list of threatened places.

New to the list

Shallotte Point Community: Brunswick County, southeast of Shallotte

A historic coastal fishing village threatened by real estate development. The area was settled in the 1700s and contains historic homes and churches. It also contains a "historic tree canopy" and stronger tree ordinances are needed for its protection.

Moore's Chapel AME Zion Church: Brunswick County, off N.C. 133

"Moore's Chapel of the AME Zion Church is an evocative physical reminder of the role that the church played in the tumultuous lives of the region's black residents on the long journey from slavery to the present," according to the Historic Wilmington Foundation's list.

Snipes Academy: Wilmington, Chestnut and 22nd streets

Designed in the Art Deco Style by the Boney family, the Snipes School is architecturally and historically significant. In May, the school board approved a plan to demolish and replace all four buildings at Snipes.

North End of the Central Business District: Downtown Wilmington

The north side of downtown has seen a revival, but Historic Wilmington officials say residents and property owners must not sacrifice the area's historic character.

Northeast corner of 17th and Castle streets: Wilmington

A block of historic homes is in danger of being demolished for the expansion of the New Hanover County Alcoholic Beverage Control offices and parking lot.

Still on the list

The Glenn Hotel: Wrightsville Beach

"One of the last architectural links to the community's genesis as a breezy, sun-baked, informal tourist destination," according to the list.

Rosenwald Schools: Pender County

A number of small schoolhouses were built for black students in Pender County because of donations from Julius Rosenwald, a Chicago philanthropist.

The schools began disappearing after schools were desegregated, but they remain a visible link to the "American legacies of inequitable public accommodations."

Wilmington's humble historic homes: Wilmington

"Between the Civil War and the Great Depression, Wilmingtonians built cottages, bungalows, shotgun houses, and other modest domestic structures to house their families. These small frame structures continue to provide the bedrock of the city's historic identity." However, these homes are "being lost at an alarming rate to neglect, deferred maintenance and redevelopment."

Brunswick County: The entire county

Brunswick County currently does not have a comprehensive inventory of historic places, buildings and other assets. Meanwhile, redevelopment is running rampant in one of the nation's fastest-growing counties. A comprehensive survey is needed, and Brunswick officials have taken steps toward that goal, Edwards said.

Chris Mazzolini: 343-2223

chris.mazzolini@starnewsonline.com