In an effort to continue preservation of Hillsborough’s historic district, the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office has issued a $20,000 grant to assist the town with updating its Historic District Design Guidelines. These guidelines are in place to oversee and maintain the integrity of future development and changes in the district.

The town has matched $10,000 of the $20,000 grant and will be working through August to improve the design guidelines of the district.

Hillsborough’s historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features more than 100 homes, churches and buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Right in the middle of downtown, the area contains the town’s commercial core and several residential neighborhoods.

(Photo via the Town of Hillsborough)

Hillsborough Mayor Jenn Weaver recently told 97.9 The Hill the design restrictions are meant to “preserve the historic character” of the area, and that it’s time for an update.

“This is an opportunity to be sure the historic district is in compliance with state law and up to date with the best current practices for historic districts,” Weaver said.

The Historic District Commission is an advisory board responsible for approving changes to Hillsborough’s Historic District. Members of the commission will work to update the design guidelines with the Town Planning Department staff as well as two consultant groups the town has contracted: Hill Studio of Roanoke, Virginia and Benchmark Planning of Charlotte, North Carolina.

While the public is invited to provide input on the updated guidelines via a future online survey, questions and comments about the updates should be directed to Town Planner Justin Snyder through the Historic District Commission’s Contact Form. The public meetings can be watched on the town’s YouTube channel and the current Historic District Design Guidelines and associated documents can be found on the Historic District Commission’s webpage.

Lead photo via Town of Hillsborough. 

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