Montrose qualifies for Orange County landmark designation, commission finds

The Orange County Historic Preservation Commission determined March 25 that Montrose qualifies for designation as a county landmark after staff presented a National Register nomination and imagery and the commission completed a formal scoring exercise.

Peter Sandbeck, Orange County cultural resources coordinator, reviewed the property history and a PowerPoint showing aerial views and surviving buildings. He told commissioners that while most of the 61-acre parcel is protected by a conservation easement held by the Triangle Land Conservancy, the commission’s consideration would focus on a 12-acre parcel that includes the 1948 Colonial Revival main house, smokehouse/privy, barn and kitchen and later landscape changes. The staff presentation noted construction dates for several buildings in the second quarter of the 19th century and later alterations by the Graham family, including a law office built for Gov. Alexander Graham.

Commission members discussed questions about the history of enslaved residents on the site and whether burial locations were known. After scoring the property on the published landmark criteria, the commission’s final combined average score was 56.25, which the commission recorded as meeting the threshold to qualify the parcel as a county landmark. The commission discussed next steps, including a recommended full site tour and the requirement to work with the Town of Hillsborough to develop an interlocal agreement to permit a county designation within the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The commission preferred the weekend of April 17–19 for a site tour; staff said they would confirm or select an alternative date. The designation determination documents and the National Register nomination will be used in follow-up coordination with Hillsborough and in drafting the interlocal agreement language required for a formal designation.