North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
Name	North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
Abbreviation	NCSHPO
Formation	1970s
Headquarters	Raleigh, North Carolina
Region served	North Carolina
Parent organization	North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office is the statewide agency charged with identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic properties in North Carolina. The office implements federal mandates under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and coordinates with the National Park Service, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and local governments including counties such as Wake County, Mecklenburg County, and Guilford County. It works alongside cultural institutions like the North Carolina Museum of History, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the State Library of North Carolina.

History

The office traces its institutional roots to the broader postwar preservation movement catalyzed by the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of the National Register of Historic Places. Early state preservation efforts intersected with campaigns to record Civil War sites such as Fort Macon, Revolutionary War landmarks like Moores Creek National Battlefield, and antebellum architecture in towns including New Bern and Wilmington, North Carolina. State-level action was influenced by figures and organizations such as Kathryn Morgan, local Historic Salisbury Foundation, and statewide networks connected to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Over decades the office expanded its inventory of listings, working with municipal preservation commissions in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville, North Carolina while responding to infrastructure projects like the expansion of Interstate 40 and the modernization of Camp Lejeune.

Organization and Responsibilities

The office operates within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and coordinates with the State Historic Preservation Officer designated under federal law. Staffed by architectural historians, archaeologists, and preservation planners, it liaises with entities including the National Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and tribal governments such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Core responsibilities include maintaining the state's historic properties inventory, reviewing nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, providing technical guidance to municipal preservation commissions in places like Chapel Hill and Wilmington, North Carolina, and consulting on federal undertakings subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act with agencies like the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Programs and Services

The office administers programs that support documentation, rehabilitation, and public outreach. Programs include historic resource surveys, architectural and archaeological investigations for projects associated with agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and tax credit certification for rehabilitation projects in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. Educational services engage museums and universities including the North Carolina Museum of History, the Bennett Place State Historic Site, and the Historic Salisbury Foundation through workshops, publications, and collaboration on preservation planning for districts like Raleigh Historic District and Old Salem.

Notable Projects and Preservation Successes

Prominent accomplishments include nominations and listings for sites such as Biltmore Estate, Manteo Historic District, Raleigh Historic District, and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. The office has supported rehabilitation of commercial corridors in Durham, North Carolina and Greensboro, North Carolina, preservation of plantation-era sites like Guilford Courthouse National Military Park for interpretation of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and archaeological stewardship at prehistoric locales associated with the Mississippian culture. Collaborative projects with organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation North Carolina, and academic partners at the North Carolina State University have guided adaptive reuse projects for structures related to industries including tobacco at sites like American Tobacco Campus and textile mills in Gastonia.

Regulatory Role and Compliance

Under federal provisions including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the office reviews federal undertakings by agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Highway Administration, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to assess impacts on properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It issues determinations of effect, negotiates memoranda of agreement with proponents such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation and utilities like Duke Energy, and enforces compliance with state statutes administered by the North Carolina General Assembly. The office also implements state-level protective measures for sites managed by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology and consults with tribal entities including the Coharie Tribe.

Grants, Funding, and Partnerships

The office administers federal and state grant programs, leveraging funding from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, state historic rehabilitation tax credits, and competitive grants from organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It partners with municipal governments like Wilmington, North Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina, nonprofit organizations including Preservation North Carolina and the Historic Salisbury Foundation, and academic institutions such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to deliver projects funded through programs tied to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and philanthropic foundations. These partnerships have supported stewardship of landmarks like Fort Fisher State Historic Site and preservation planning for coastal resources in the Outer Banks.

Category:Historic preservation in North Carolina Category:State historic preservation offices of the United States