If you love looking at Charlotte’s old buildings, check out these 7 standouts nearby
If you love the charm and character that comes with historic properties as much as we do, you’ll be excited to see The Charlotte Museum of History’s annual Charlotte Preservation Award winners, announced Thursday night via a live-streamed ceremony (forgoing an in-person ceremony due to COVID-19).
“We wish we could have been together in person tonight. We got to party with about 200 of you at the museum at last year’s event,” Adria Focht, president & CEO of The Charlotte Museum of History, said during the ceremony.
“We were proud to keep the Charlotte Preservation Awards alive this year, despite these unprecedented times, and we are so pleased that the Charlotte community joined us online,” Focht said.
“Our region continues to grow exponentially, and we must shine a light on our unique historic buildings and neighborhoods now so that we can preserve these places for the future.”
The winners were chosen by an independent panel of local architects and preservation enthusiasts. This year, a new award category was added for preservation projects outside of Mecklenburg County. Buildings in Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties were eligible.
Here are the winners:
(1) Sloan-Porter House
Award with distinction — residential preservation
The Sloan-Porter House is one of the few remaining historic residences near Steele Creek Presbyterian Church. Brian Clarke purchased the abandoned home in 2015 and it had no running water, functional bathroom or kitchen and had rot and insect damage. He restored it along with his wife, Sarah Hammett Clarke.
(2) Sodoma Law/The Graham
Award with distinction — commercial preservation
The Graham was built in 1913 as home to the Western Newspaper Union. You’ve seen it when driving through Fourth Ward, but did you know it has survived at least two fires, including one which involved an airplane crashing into it in the 1940s? Doma Vida Inc. purchased the empty building in 2018 and spearheaded an extensive renovation. It’s now the home to Sodoma Law’s headquarters.
(3) Mooresville Historic Wall Sign Restoration Project
Preservation in a small or medium-sized community.
The first Coca-Cola sign appeared in downtown Mooresville in 1894. Several businesses painted signs advertising local goods and services. The signs faded over time and in 2019, the Town of Mooresville hired Brushcan Custom Murals to revive the wall signs. It took more than 155 hours to restore the signs.
(4) 429 West Park Avenue
Preservation residential
This Wilmore Historic District home was built in 1931. Sarah and Alex Wheat purchased the property in 2018 and restored the bungalow, keeping the footprint the same and reworking the interior. Original details were preserved, including windows, pine floors, exterior siding and a wraparound porch.
(5) 2322 Dunavant Street
Preservation commercial
This South End industrial building was built in 1961 in a midcentury modern style, uncommon for the time. Argos Real Estate Advisors began renovating it in 2016. It is now the home to The Dunavant restaurant and a office space.
(6) 208 Grandin Road
Historic neighborhood infill - residential
Construction began in 2019 at 208 Grandin Road in Wesley Heights, and the building was designed with an exterior that matches its historic neighbors. It was designed by Realtor Charlie Miller and Williams Farrow Builders. It could be mistaken for a 100-year-old home from the outside, but the interior pairs classic and modern elements.
(7) NC Modernist
Excellence in preservation
This volunteer group has documented more than 2,400 homes in North Carolina on its website, including 400 in Charlotte.
(8) Huntersville Town Jail
Excellence in Preservation — community history
The Huntersville Town Jail was built around 1935 and is the oldest municipal building in Huntersville. In 1963, the building was no longer used as a jail and fell into disrepair by the early 2000s. It has now been completely restored, and the Olde Huntersville Historical Society is developing programs for the property and working on an adaptive reuse plan for the grounds as a pocket park.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 9:24 PM.
