Committee Recommends Historic District

The National Register Advisory Committee has made a formal recommendation for the proposed Clayton Historic District.

The proposal now goes to the US Interior Department in Washington D.C. for a final determination. If it passes that final hurtle, the District will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"We're very pleased," said Downtown Development Coordinator Bruce Naegelen. "The preservation of our town's history is something that will benefit everyone in Clayton."

The federal agency is expected to make a determination by the first of the year. Naegelen said local officials are confident of approval.

The Advisory Committee made its recommendation at an Oct. 8 meeting in Raleigh. The proposal had previously gotten the blessing of the State Historic Preservation Office.

The expanded proposed historic district is bounded by Mulberry Street, West Barnes Street, Mill Street, South Lombard Street and Blanche Street. It includes 294 contributing buildings and sites and 102 non-contributing buildings. The proposed district’s period of significance is 1890 to 1960.

One of the tangible benefits for a property owner with a contributing building is the availability of a Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, a federal incentive program that is matched by the state.

Historic preservation encourages reinvestment in existing neighborhoods, enhancing property values and the local tax base. Experts believe historic buildings are an important element in a community’s quality of life, because those buildings provide a sense of community and identity that sustainable economic growth requires.

A copy of the District document is available for review at the Hocutt Ellington Library at 100 S Church Street and in the Town Clerk’s office at The Clayton Center at 111 E Second Street. It may also be reviewed online at www.townofclaytonnc.org. Click on "For Business," then click "Downtown." then "Business Development," and then the link for Clayton Historic District "Final".

For more information, please contact Naegelen at 553-1545 or via email at bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org.