SPEAK OUT
People interested in commenting on the proposed relocation of three historic houses should send comment before May 15 to Lisa Talley, Area Specialist, USDA Rural Development Office, 2736 NC Highway 210, Smithfield, NC 27577.
Debra J. Henzey
Chatham County Manager's Office
PITTSBORO -- Chatham County has invited public comment through May 15 on the potential relocation of three historic houses in Pittsboro. The county will have to remove the homes due to the construction of the new Judicial Center.
The USDA's Rural Development is considering a county application for funding to help cover some costs of the Judicial Center and requires the county to get public input on the project's impact on these historic properties since they are located in the Pittsboro Historic District.
To reduce the potential impact on the Historic District, Chatham County will work with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources and the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure that any move of the homes is within the requirements of the Secretary of the Interior's standards. Final plans and specifications for the three homes will be submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office for review and approval.
The public is asked to comment on the following:
n The impact of the proposed relocation on the three homes.
n Possible alternatives sites or actions that would avoid or reduce impacts.
n Methods that could be used to reduce these impacts.
The three houses proposed for relocation are:
n "Yellow House" -- The oldest of the three structures was built by Patrick St. Lawrence in 1787 as a residence and inn that faced the courthouse square. A solid, two-story building with massive beams and an elegant stairway, its special feature is a wall that can be raised and hooked to the ceiling to form a ballroom. Moved about 1900 to the current site of the county's Agriculture Building, the house was again moved about 1950 to its present location. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
n Terry-Taylor House -- A two-story structure built in the early 19th century, it is the only surviving complete example of its type. The chimney has a stone foundation reaching the basement, which was the location of the original kitchen. Once used as a school, the house was sold by wealthy saloon-keeper A.P. Terry to Siewers Taylor, wife of jailer Harlow Taylor in 1901. Later brick additions kept the house from being placed on the National Register, and their removal would return the house to its original appearance.
n McClenahan House -- This is one of three surviving homes crafted by townspeople of modest means during Pittsboro's first period of settlement. Remodeled and enlarged at various times, it retains a high degree of historical integrity. The house takes its name from Sarah McClenahan, widow of wealthy doctor Spence McClenahan, whose death during the Civil War reduced the family to modest means.
