There's a Thomas Day Movement Afoot

Being a historic properties Realtor with a love for older homes by the antebellum woodworking artist Thomas Day, I was thrilled to be able to meet Dr. Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll, professor of interior architecture at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, during this weekend’s Preservation NC conference in New Bern.

Leimenstoll has a new book on Thomas Day coming out this spring and she announced during Friday’s presentation that there will be a concurrent Thomas Day exhibit in May at the NC Museum of History. Plus, I learned that two of the houses featured in her book are listings that I have either listed or sold: the Garland-Buford and the Woodside-Richmond houses.

Leimenstoll said Saturday that she was able to identify at least 80 properties known to have Thomas Day’s woodworkings, with at least 40 in Caswell County, NC; and 20 or more on the Virginia side of the Dan River. But she narrows her focus for her book to six historic homes including one of the houses I currently have on the market: the Woodside-Richmond.

Each of the six have common architectural themes: a center hall and formal parlor, artistic newell posts that vary in appearance as light levels change throughout the day, three-dimensional stair brackets, stair-landing friezes that serve both an artistic and architectural purpose, and four basic mantle types.

The author also announced that her book will feature exquisite color photography by noted architectural photographer Tim Buchman of Charlotte. But before Leimenstoll’s work can be published, PNC must raise $30,000 to cover the cost of the photography. To date, nearly $11,000 has been committed to this Thomas Day project.

While I was at the conference, I spoke with Shannon Phillips about becoming a sponsor of Leimonstoll's publication. Sponsors with tax-deductible gifts of $500 or more will be acknowledged in the book’s foreword and will receive an autographed copy. Commitments must be received by Dec. 1, 2009. For more information, contact Phillips at sphillips@presnc.org or call 919-832-3652.

Anyone looking to own their very own Thomas Day home may contact me at ljanes@markthomasrealty.com or 919-423-3463 for a personal tour of the Woodside-Richmond house at 1939 Hwy. 57 in Milton. This renovated and updated 1838 Greek Revival manor on the National Register of Historic Properties is a magnificent Thomas Day home. Beautifully furnished with five bedrooms, three full baths, five half baths, and a large commercial kitchen, this income-producing property is currently being used by clients of the nearby Virginia International Raceway; and for weddings, retreats, workshops and special events. Listed for $499,000, this price does not include the sale of the furnishings.

With the publication of Leimonstoll’s new book and the concurrent exhibit scheduled at the state museum of history this spring, there is an exciting Thomas Day movement afoot. And as more and more Thomas Day properties and furnishings are identified across North Carolina and Virginia, the ownership of his works will be more highly desirable.

Holding Off on Historic Tax-Break Decision Gives Durham More Time

Preservation has been one of the key forces for economic development in Downtown Durham. But now City Council members are looking at tightening eligibility requirements for a tax-break program for historic landmarks, fearing revenue loses for the city. Council voted 6-0 last night to wait until May to decide whether to designate six properties as historic landmarks.

“The delay is supposed to buy time for city/county planners to come up with potential changes to the landmark program that could tighten eligibility requirements facing property owners," according to Ray Gronberg of the Herald-Sun.

In today's Durham paper Gronberg cited City Manager Tom Bonfield as saying that "it's possible the effort could take longer than six months, as there's ‘quite a bit of staff work’ facing officials in the City/County Planning Department.

“Council members signaled their intention to postpone debate on the applications before giving preservationists and downtown business leaders a chance during Monday night's meeting to speak on the idea.

“Once they did, it became apparent the move had opposition. Critics said the council shouldn't back away from a well-considered policy that has helped draw investment into troubled neighborhoods.

“Even downtown, ‘it's obvious that historic preservation has been the driving tool for economic development in this community,’ said John Compton, executive director of Preservation Durham.

“Another critic, Gary Kueber of Scientific Properties, noted that landmark-driven property tax breaks helped make his employer's renovation of the Golden Belt business center on East Main Street possible.

“Given that city officials tout the Golden Belt project as one of the signature efforts in the comeback of downtown and North-East Central Durham, it's ‘not consistent in my mind to damage the programs that have made [that] success possible,’ Kueber said.

“The delay came after council members and County Commissioners alike raised questions like month about the program, which gives owners of council-approved landmarks a 50 percent break on their property taxes.

“For both board, the worries about the program are financial. The six pending applications would cost the two governments a combined $41,902 in revenue each year.

“Some officials fret that given how many old homes still exist in Durham, the revenue loses could mount as more people take advantage of the program.

“But Compton noted that being a landmark isn't all benefit for a building's owner. The label in addition to a tax break means giving up some future redevelopment rights, and submitting plans for exterior renovations to a veto-wielding city/county Historic Preservation Commission.

“City Councilmen Mike Woodard and Howard Clement, who were among those who questioned the program last month, both said Monday they don't want to end it.

“Woodard agreed with preservationists that it's likely tax-break fueled repairs to some properties have actually boosted the local tax base. But he said he wants to see documentation of that, perhaps even as part of the process for reviewing applications.

“He also said the city's Office of Economic and Workforce Development perhaps deserves a role in the review process.

“The full council Monday. The vote went in the books as a 6-0 because Councilman Farad Ali abstained. Ali is co-owner of a house on North Mangum Street that's on one of the pending applications.”

Based on an article by Ray Gronberg
gronberg@heraldsun.com; 419-6648

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation

Special thanks goes to Mitch Wilds of the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office who shared with us the 10 standards that every older-home owner needs to know if they are ever planning to submit an application to one of the city, state or federal historic preservation programs.

In the United States, the Secretary of the Interior sets the standards for national preservation programs with its “Standards for Rehabilitation.” The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for establishing standards under departmental authority and for advising Federal agencies on the preservation of historic properties listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Standards for Rehabilitation, a section of the Secretary’s Standards for Historic Preservation Projects, addresses the most prevalent preservation treatment today: rehabilitation. Rehabilitation" is defined as "the process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions and features of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural, and cultural values."

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation

“The Standards that follow were originally published in 1977 and revised in 1990 as part of Department of the Interior regulations (36 CFR, Part 67, Historic Preservation Certification). They pertain to historic buildings of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy and encompass the exterior and the interior, related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction.

“The Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.

1. “A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. “The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. “Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. “Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. “Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

6. “Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

7. “Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. “Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. “New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10.” New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

“Note: To be eligible for Federal tax incentives, a rehabilitation project must meet all 10 standards. The application of these standards to rehabilitation projects is to be the same as under the previous version so that a project previously acceptable would continue to be acceptable under these standards.

“Certain treatments, if improperly applied, or certain materials by their physical properties, may cause or accelerate physical deterioration of historic buildings. Inappropriate physical treatments include, but are not limited to: improper repointing techniques; improper masonry cleaning methods; or improper introduction of insulation where damage of historic fabric would result. In almost all situations, use of these materials and treatments will result in denial of certification. In addition, every effort should be made to ensure that the new materials and workmanship are compatible with the materials and workmanship of the historic property.

“Guidelines to help property owners, developers, and Federal manager apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are available from the National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Offices, or from the Government Printing Office.”

For more information, write:

National Park Service
Preservation Assistance Division – 424
P.O. Box 37127
Washington, DC, 20013-7127.
http://www.nps.gov/hps/TPS/tax/rhb/index.htm

Tax Benefits of Residential Rehabilitation

Applications are up across the state this year in terms of the number of owners of non-income producing historic properties submitting proposals for tax credits, according to Mitch Wilds of the state Historic Preservation Office. Wilds spoke on the “Tax Benefits of Residential Rehabilitation” during Preservation North Carolina’s Annual Conference Oct. 29-31 in New Bern.

“Tax credits provide a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount of taxes owed with up to 30 percent tax credits available through the state for private homes or condominiums that are certified rehabilitation projects,” Wilds said. Although federal funds are not available for non-income producing properties, historic preservationists are hoping to see a federal equivalency approved in the near future.

To qualify for the state credit, private properties must be on the National Register of Historic Places or a contributing structure in a national historic district. All rehabilitation work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

The owner should begin taking the tax credit in the year the project is completed, he said. State tax credits may be taken in five equivalent installments. Any unused portion may be carried forward five years.

There is initially a two-step application process. In Part A of the process, the applicant should submit a description of the work before embarking upon the project to “resolve potential design and rehabilitation problems that could result in denial of the credits,” Wilds explained. The state Historic Preservation Office likes to see site plans, floor plans, possible elevation drawings and other renderings of the existing site, as well as a detailed of the proposed work. For part A of the application, there is a $250 application fee.

In Part B, the state will request certification for the completed work to determine if the final project has conformed to the standards for rehabilitation. Hard-copy photographs (no CD’s or emails) should be submitted showing both exterior and interior views of the building. Additional application fees must be submitted along with Part B of the application. There is a fee chart included with the paperwork that shows the amount required and is based upon the amount of the project. This fee can cost up to $1,000 for a $100,000 to $150,000 project, but can be included as one of the soft costs in your project.

If the homeowner decides to sell the property, the tax credits are fully transferable to the new owner.

Here are the guidelines that Mitch Wilds distributed from the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office:

State and Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits

* State tax credits are available for the rehabilitation of non-income-producing historic properties in addition to federal and state tax credits for income-producing historic properties. The present historic preservation tax credit measures provide:

* A 20% state tax credit for rehabilitation of income-producing historic tax structures that also qualify for the 20% federal investment tax credit. In effect, the combined federal-state credits reduce the cost of a certified rehabilitation of an income-producing historic structure by 40%.

* A 30% state tax credit for qualifying rehabilitation of non-income-producing historic structures, including owner-occupied personal residences. There is no equivalent federal credit for rehabilitations.

Non-income-producing properties

* Property owners of historic structures are strongly advised to consult with the State Historic Preservation Office before beginning a rehabilitation to resolve potential design and rehabilitation problems that could result in denial of the credits.

* Only certified historic structures will qualify for the credits. A “certified historic structure” is defined as a building that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as a contributing building in the National Register historic district, or as a contributing building within a local historic district that has been certified by the U.S. Department of the Interior. (There are only three of the latter in North Carolina. These are the Blount Street Historic District in Raleigh, the Goldsboro Historic District, and the Decatur-Hunter Historic District in Madison).

* A non-income-producing building must be a “certified historic structure” at a time the state credit is taken – that is, it must be actually listed in the National Register of Historic Places or it will not qualify for the state credit. Property owners must begin taking the credit in the year the rehabilitation project is completed.

* An owner may begin a rehabilitation project on a non-income-producing property prior to listing the property in the National Register, with the intention of having it listed in the Register by the time the project is completed. However, because listing of a property by a desired deadline cannot be guaranteed, owners are strongly urged to secure National Register listing of their non-income-producing property prior to beginning a certified rehabilitation.

* The rehabilitation of the historic structure must be substantial. For non-income-producing properties, the rehabilitation expenses must exceed $25,000 within a 24-month period, sometime during the project.

* The State Historic Preservation Office reviews rehabilitation work on non-income-producing historic structures. All rehab work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards of Rehabilitation.”

* The credits cannot be claimed against the cost of acquisition, enlargement of an existing building (additions), site work, or personal property. Only costs incurred in work upon or within a historic structure will qualify.

“A property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by a nomination, which is a research report prepared according to detailed state and federal guidelines. The final authority on the National Register listing is the federal Keeper of the National Register in Washington, DC. In its role as administrator of the National Register program in North Carolina, the NC State Historic Preservation is charged with ensuring that nominations forwarded by the State Historic Preservation Officer to the Keeper are complete and correct. The State Historic Preservation Office provides direction to preparers but does not write nominations. Most nominations are prepared by private consultants hired by property owners, local governments, or private non-profit organizations. The nomination process may take six months to two years or longer.”

For more information on historic preservation certifications, contact:

David Christenbury

Preservation Architect/Tax Credit Coordinator Restoration Branch
N.C. State Historic Preservation Office NC Division of Historical Resources
4617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-4617
Telephone: 919-807-6574
Fax: 919-807-6599
email: david.christenbury@ncdcr.gov

For more information about the National Register of Historic Places and the requirements and procedures of listing, contact:

Ann Swallow, National Register Coordinator
Survey and Planning Branch
NC State Historic Preservation Office
NC Division of Historical Resources
4617 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-4617
Telephone: 919-807-6587
Fax: 919-807-6599
ann.swallow@ncmail.net

State Historic Preservation Office, Office of Archives and History, Division of Historical Resources, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/

County Reconsiders Historic Preservation Tax Break

Faced with potential revenue losses, Durham County Commissioners are taking a long-hard look at whether they wish to continue designating as many historic landmarks so owners will no longer be eligible for tax credits.

According to an article in today’s Durham ­­Herald-Sun, County Commissioners said Monday “they'd like to see a tax break for the owners of designated historic landmarks pared back, by putting a cap on applications or by lowering the credit that owners receive.”

Durham County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow told the Herald’s Ray Gronberg that “local officials should enlist the help of statewide trade groups for city and county governments to perhaps convince the N.C. General Assembly to make changes to the state law underlying the program.”

"’What's so magic about 50 percent?’ she said, referring to the discount landmark owners receive on the taxes once the city or county governments approve their application.

“The comments from Reckhow and fellow commissioner Becky Heron came four days after City Council members, facing half a dozen new applications, also signaled that they'd like to see changes.

“City and county officials alike said they're worried about cumulative revenue losses from the program.

“Among City Council members, a cap on the number of applications the City/County Planning Department processes each year and a one-year suspension of considering new applications were the two options that received the loudest support.

“‘Your counterparts on the council are on the same wavelength,’ City/County Planning Director Steve Medlin assured Heron on Monday when she suggested an application cap.

“The six applications the council is considering would cost the two governments a combined $41,902 in annual revenue. The county's share of that is $23,773 annual.

“Reckhow noted that the tax break - offered, in theory, to offset the higher costs of maintaining older buildings -- lacks a sunset provision."‘Once they get this abatement, it's available, conceivably, forever -- unless you stop the program,’ she said.

“She added that it might make sense to lower the property tax break to 25 percent or 30 percent, depending on how much it generally costs to maintain an old building and a cost-benefit study of the program.

“The commissioners got a chance to wade into the issue because Medlin and his staff were asking them to join the City Council in approving some changes to the local law the governments use in judging the merit of landmark applications.

“The main change was to say that officials can only label a property a landmark if it passes one of three tests:

- It's on the National Register of Historic Places or a national register study list;

- It's judged by officials in the State Preservation Office to have statewide historic significance;

- It's in relative terms still in its original condition with regard to ‘location, design, setting, materials and workmanship,’ and represents events, people, characteristics or architecture important to the Durham community.”

“The change also says officials won't label as a landmark any property that's actively under renovation, except if its owner has received state or federal preservation tax credits.

“Commissioners agreed to the change unanimously, echoing a vote the previous week by the City Council.“Planners said the change came in response to similar questions about the program that came up as officials were considering a set of applications that went through the council last year.

From an article by Ray Gronberg
gronberg@heraldsun.com; 419-6648

Potential buyers learn about East Durham historic properties

Whenever there's an old home tour, you can normally find me volunteering as a docent (a tour guide) in one of my favorite established neighborhoods when I am not doing an Open House for one of my own real estate listings.


When Herald-Sun reporter Cliff Bellamy visited the old Gardner House at 1817 Vale St. during Preservation Durham's East Durham yesterday, I tried to help him imagine what the house could look like after the vinyl siding had been removed, the broken windows had been repaired and the old baseboard heaters were gone. And I was pleased to open today's Herald-Sun and see that he had shared some of my comments with his readers:


East Durham Open House visitors get advice, eyeful


By Cliff Bellamy
http://heraldsun.com/bookmark/3725552


DURHAM -- "Some floorboards inside the two-story home at 402 Clay Street are buckled, showing signs of age and neglect. Upstairs, a window in one of the rooms has been removed, exposing the sturdy lathe wall construction -- this was decades before drywall -- of this 1900 house.


"It needs work, but looking at the house from across Clay Street, the house, with its wraparound porch, already shows initial signs of new life. Preservation Durham, which owns the house, has scraped the old paint, exposing wood siding in good shape.


"The Clay Street house was among five Preservation Durham houses that are for sale and were open for inspection Sunday during the East Durham Open House Event. In addition to Preservation Durham houses, visitors also could tour several homes owners have restored and now occupy, and several houses for sale by area Realtors.


"The first stop-off for the tour was 201 S. Driver St., the home of Kim Sage and partner Karen Sage. The purpose of the tour was to let potential buyers know about the historic district tax credits and loans available for restoring the historic properties, and to "dispel some misconceptions about the area," said Aidil Collins, a Vale Street resident. One misconception is that this part of East Durham is not family-friendly, when it fact many families live in the area and maintain homes.


"The Sages have been in their home since 1988, and did about 95 percent of the restoration work themselves, said Kim Sage. While the area had some tough times in the 1990s, in the last few years she has seen the neighborhood reviving house by house.


"'We fell in love with the house,' Kim Sage said. 'We wanted to live in an integrated neighborhood. We were looking at starting a family. ... We bought it.'


"Other organizers of Sunday's event were Up Lift East Durham, Preservation North Carolina and residents in East Durham.


"Potential urban pioneers received plenty of advice about fixing and financing. Over at 118 S. Driver St., Todd Hershberger, who works for Trinity Design/Build, was volunteering, and gave visitors a demonstration in window restoration. Hershberger, using pry bars, pulled moulding away from a window, revealing some water damage underneath. He explained that a major challenge in restoring old windows is getting them to work as originally intended, and an enemy of that is layers and layers of old paint.


"Legacy Green, a local organization that seeks to provide 'environmentally sensitive, economically inclusive housing options in traditionally underserved communities,' is fixing up 102 S. Driver St. for sale. Tiffany Elder showed visitors the vaulted ceiling revealed after a drop-ceiling was taken out. Elder told visitors the area she was standing in would be transformed into a commons and kitchen area with a high ceiling. Legacy Green had papers available explaining financing for someone who might want to buy the house when it is restored.


"Elder pointed to recent renovations in the Burch Avenue neighborhood and examples of Legacy's success. 'I believe that socio-economically mixed neighborhoods are the best neighborhoods," Elder said.


"The Gardener House at 1817 Vale St., also a Preservation Durham House, still has vinyl siding covering the original work, old baseboard heaters and a broken window. Volunteer Lisa Janes pointed out how a room near the entrance could be converted into a nice parlor, with another entrance that could be cut away from the wall. 'There's just so much potential,' Janes said."

***************
I spoke volumes, but my one sound bite in the article was "There's just so much potential," Janes said. It's funny what a reporter will pick up on! :D

The Loss of Two Giants

The loss of two giants…

In the past two weeks, our country has lost two giants, both from the same family, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Edward M. Kennedy. In this July 30,1983, file photo, Shriver is shown at her brother’s annual summer-time party at his home in Hyannisport, Mass. Shriver, who is also sister to President John F. Kennedy and founder of the Special Olympics, died Aug. 11 at age 88. Her brother Edward, the “liberal lion of the Senate,” has died after battling a brain tumor. His family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday (Aug. 26). He was 77.