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State preservation office outlines steps for Blowing Rock to seek National Register or local protections
Summary
State Historic Preservation Office staff told Blowing Rock officials the National Register listing is honorary and recommended a local study list application; local designation provides the strongest legal delay for demolition and can enable tax incentives when properties also meet federal criteria.
The North Carolina Historic Preservation Office (HPO) briefed the Blowing Rock Town Council on July 8 on how the town could pursue historic listings and local protections, urging town staff to file a study list application to clarify a proposed district's boundaries.
Christy Brantley of the HPO and Sarah Woodard, the HPO's architectural survey and National Register branch supervisor, told the council that the state maintains three primary designation pathways: National Historic Landmarks, the National Register of Historic Places and local designations. "The National Register is honorary," Woodard said, adding that local designation is the mechanism that gives communities regulatory tools.
Why it matters: National Register listing alone does not stop demolition, the presenters said; local designation does not outright prevent demolition either but allows a locally adopted delay (up to 365 days under the statute cited) while alternatives or mitigations are explored. That delay and an adopted certificate‑of‑appropriateness review make local programs the strongest commonly used protection at the municipal level, they said.
What was presented: The HPO team reviewed the technical differences between National Register and local designation, the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) process used by local preservation commissions, and the Section 106 review that applies when federal funds or permits are involved. Woodard outlined the nomination pathway for a district, noting a typical review timeline that includes a period of state review, submission to the National Register Advisory Committee and a final 45‑day review by the National Park Service.
Blowing Rock specifics: HPO staff showed a draft map based on a January 24 walking survey and noted the town was put on the HPO's study list in 1982 without a clearly defined boundary. "Blowing Rock would need to come in and do a study list application," Woodard said, describing the application as a straightforward first step that the HPO would carry forward to its advisory committee.
Incentives and grants: Presenters described potential tax incentives if properties pursue rehabilitation tax credits (federal 20% commercial, state 15% residential/commercial with potential additional state incentives in certain county tiers) and noted certified local governments can apply for CLG grants. They also warned that CLG funding is contingent on federal appropriations and that the Historic Preservation Fund's availability had recently been uncertain.
Next steps: Town staff said they would make HPO materials available to the public and post the HPO PowerPoint on the town website. The HPO offered to email resources and to answer follow‑up questions, and staff agreed to provide contact information at town hall for residents who want to pursue a study list application or learn more.
The presentation concluded with a question‑and‑answer period for council and residents; residents were told property‑owner notification and opportunity to object are part of the nomination process.
