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Historic Preservation Commission

Orange County · Historic Preservation Commission
Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Regular meeting Historic preservationCivil rights and nondiscriminationContracts and procurementEnvironment and sustainabilityFaith and cultural communitiesFarmland and open spaceIntergovernmental agreements

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

Orange County's historic preservation commission had three decisions on March 25, all of them about Montrose or the nation's 250th anniversary. It evaluated Montrose for landmark designation and started the process of an interlocal agreement with the Town of Hillsborough to designate it, which is needed because the property sits in Hillsborough's extraterritorial jurisdiction. It also decided whether to join the statewide Landmark Tree project.

Under updates the commission took a proposed memorial marker honoring the enslaved community associated with St. Matthew's Church, progress toward National Register listing for Moorefields, and the donation process and timeline for the Harvey's Chapel cemetery.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

Orange County's Historic Preservation Commission found that Montrose qualifies for county landmark status, scoring the property 56.25 on its evaluation scale. Members reviewed the site's history, which dates to the early 19th century and includes a law office built for Gov. Alexander Graham, and began working with the Town of Hillsborough on the interlocal agreement the designation needs, because the 61-acre property sits inside the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The commission decided a statewide Landmark Tree project, tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, falls outside its jurisdiction. It will pass the idea to Hillsborough's Tree Board instead. It also found the design and inscription for a proposed memorial marker honoring the enslaved community linked to St. Matthew's Church appropriate; the church's own committee will proceed without county funding, since the county's own marker program hasn't started. The state's National Register Advisory Committee approved Moorefields for listing on February 12, sending the nomination on to the National Park Service for final action.

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Agenda items (9)

Discussion item · 5Staff or committee report · 3Minutes approval · 1
  1. 4 Approval of Minutes: January 28, 2026
    Minutes approval
    Minutes from the January 28, 2026 meeting.
  2. 5.a Landmark Evaluation for Montrose
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    An evaluation of Montrose for local historic landmark designation.
  3. 5.b Interlocal agreement with Hillsborough to designate Montrose
    Discussion item Contracts and procurementHistoric preservationIntergovernmental agreements
    Starting the process of an interlocal agreement with the Town of Hillsborough to designate Montrose a landmark, needed because the property lies within the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction. The process was still running in June and August.
  4. 5.c Participation in the statewide Landmark Tree project
    Discussion item Environment and sustainabilityHistoric preservation
    Whether the county should take part in the statewide Landmark Tree project as part of activities marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
  5. 6.a Scheduling a tour date for Montrose site visit
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    Scheduling a commission site visit to Montrose.
  6. 6.b Field trip to the Henry Calvin Andrews farmstead
    Discussion item Farmland and open spaceHistoric preservation
    Scheduling a field trip to tour the Henry Calvin Andrews farmstead.
  7. 6.e (updates) Proposed memorial marker for enslaved community at St. Matthew's Church
    Staff or committee report Civil rights and nondiscriminationFaith and cultural communitiesHistoric preservation
    A proposed memorial marker honoring the enslaved community associated with St. Matthew's Church.
  8. 6.b (updates) Moorefields National Register progress
    Staff or committee report Historic preservation
    Progress toward National Register listing for Moorefields.
  9. 6.a (updates) Harvey's Chapel cemetery donation process
    Staff or committee report Historic preservation
    The process and timeline for the donation of the Harvey's Chapel cemetery.

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

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