Statesville council unanimously approves Garfield Green Street as National Historic District

Statesville — After a presentation by city staff and consultants and several supportive public comments, the Statesville City Council unanimously approved a motion to recognize the Garfield Green Street area as a National Register Historic District.

Marcy Sigman, the city’s historic preservation liaison, told the council the nomination is for a National Register listing — a federal designation administered through the National Park Service — which differs from a local historic district because national listing alone does not impose local design review or restrictions on property owners. Sigman said the nomination followed a citizen inquiry in October 2021, a state survey that placed the area on the North Carolina Study List and a grant-funded architectural and cultural study.

Historian Nick Linville, one of the consultants who prepared the nomination, described the research and fieldwork behind the nomination, including archival records, census data, newspaper reporting and three weeks of fieldwork during June–August 2024. Linville said the nomination argues the district is eligible under National Register Criterion A for its long record of African American life in Statesville and for its role in local civil‑rights history.

Consultant Susan Mayer presented the architectural inventory that underpins the nomination. Mayer said the survey covered 285 parcels, documented 198 primary buildings and identified 95 vacant lots. She highlighted public places and structures central to the nomination: Green Street Cemetery (first burial recorded in 1886; last burial 1949), Mount Pleasant AME Zion Church (built 1903 and already individually listed), Calvary Presbyterian Church (dating to 1973 and marking the end of the period of significance), and a variety of residences and small neighborhood businesses that illustrate the historic fabric.

Six people addressed the council during the public hearing, urging approval. Carolyn Templeton said Statesville must "tell the truth of our history" by including African American stories. Vivian Williams described attending demonstrations as a teenager tied to First Baptist Church and said the neighborhood’s civil‑rights history should be preserved. Saifullah El Amin recounted personal experiences dating to 1950 and criticized urban‑renewal-era displacement of Black neighborhoods, arguing Garfield Green Street remains particularly intact. Marva McKinnon, who served on the advisory committee, urged the council to move forward.

Council members asked staff whether a National Register listing alone would create burdensome local restrictions for low‑income or rental property owners. Consultants and staff reiterated that National Register listing itself does not create local controls; any local historic district with design review would require a separate process and city council approval. Sigman also listed potential grant and incentive programs to which property owners or nonprofit partners could apply and said city staff would assist with grant applications.

Councilmember Lisa Pearson moved to approve Garfield Green Street as a National Historic District; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously when the mayor called for the vote.

Next steps described by staff and consultants include submitting the nomination through the state review process and, if approved at the state level, forwarding it for National Park Service consideration, after which properties could become eligible for certain federal tax credits and grant opportunities. The council did not take separate local‑designation action at the meeting, and staff said any local historic district discussion would be a separate, publicly noticed process.