Historic preservation has served a central role in American history, and over the past 30 years, it held an increasingly relevant role in preserving sites of Black history in Greensboro. Non-profit and non-governmental organizations such as Preservation Greensboro can help to develop approaches to social equity and advocate for public and private funding to raise…
Once abandoned and occupied by squatters, the Margaret and Thornton Brooks House, located at 415 Sunset Drive in Irving Park, has been approved for designation as a Guilford County Landmark by the Greensboro City Council. Currently owned by Ashley and Sam Simpson, the elegant French Eclectic residence is a rare example in North Carolina. It…
On October 15th 2019, the Greensboro City Council designated the Groome-Shevel Building at 532-534 South Elm Street a Guilford County Landmark property. Landmark designation means the community recognizes the property is worthy of preservation because of its special significance in local history. Any substantial changes in design, materials, and appearance to the property is subject…
On September 15, 1875, the Greensboro Patriot newspaper announced “Mr. Eugene Morehead has tendered the city the right of way for several beautiful streets over his lands on the South-Western limits of the city. This is right and soon we may expect to see houses going up in that quarter. The city has had the…
Long recognized for aesthetic and cultural impact, an important study has been completed to document the economic impact of historic preservation in Greensboro. The study, entitled The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Greensboro, NC, was prepared by Martha Canipe during her internship at PGI as part of earning her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Historic Preservation…
The Gate City and the Motor City enjoy some similarities in terms of history and architecture. Today, the Gate City might benefit from a few lessons to learn from Detroit as it reinvents itself using its Twentieth-century industrial heritage. The Motor City is legendary as a manufacturing center. In the 1890s the city was known…
Greensboro’s earliest buildings rarely soared to dizzying heights due to low market demand and frugal financial capital. Traditional building materials such as wood and brick generally limited construction height to three stories, except for an occasional courthouse cupola or church spire. Early images of Greensboro’s skyline show structures peeking around treetops, with rare architectural features…
Ten years ago, the Preservation Greensboro Development Fund found new footing. Since that time, the Fund has been involved in a series of notable projects ranging from relocating bungalows, rescuing fire-damaged houses, and reviving a nineteenth century saloon. In doing so, it has forged creative partnerships with neighborhoods, local governments, private foundations, businesses, individuals, and…
Greensboro’s preservation community gathered on February 7th 2018 to celebrate the past year, and to hear insights on history and architecture by O.Henry Editor Jim Dodson. The group met in a new historical venue – Color Works Meeting Space at Revolution Mill. The meeting was the 52nd Annual Meeting of Preservation Greensboro Incorporated. During a…
Vigilant denizens and fans of Fisher Park have noticed the unthinkable in their neighborhood. An historic Eugene Street cottage was razed and is being replaced with new construction…without any design review through the Historic Preservation Commission. What’s going on here? Fisher Park is thought to be one of the most restrictive communities in the city…
Greensboro, once considered a bastion of new construction and sprawl, has emerged as North Carolina’s Preservation City. A diversity of preservation projects are currently underway or planned in every quarter of the city, representing more than $200 million of private investment in Greensboro. Seven of the projects, including the largest, leverage state and federal historic preservation…
A concerned citizen notified Preservation Greensboro staff that a demolition permit had been issued on May 3 for the former Christian Advocate Publishing Company Building (now owned by an entity controlled by Greensboro’s Masonic Temple) at 429 W. Friendly Avenue downtown. This discovery set into a motion a frantic rush to avert demolition of the…