Burlington honors preservation projects that revived historic buildings

Burlington used its latest preservation honors to spotlight something more practical than plaques: two older buildings that were kept from sliding into deterioration and put back to work. The Minetree Pyne Award went to Tom and Lynn Cowan for the mill house at 2451 Glencoe Street and to Jeff Wilkins for the remodeled storefront at 341 South Main Street, now home to Sursy, a houseplant boutique.

City council members recognized the winners at the meeting, and Brian Pennington, who chairs the Burlington Historic Preservation Commission, presented commemorative plaques. The projects fit a local pattern Burlington has been trying to strengthen, especially downtown, where restoration costs can be high and exterior work must meet preservation standards. Wilkins pointed to the city’s small-grants program as a key factor, saying it has been crucial for downtown projects and can be the difference between a project moving forward or stalling out.

The award itself carries Burlington history. The city says the Minetree Pyne Award was established in the early 1990s to honor property owners who show exceptional commitment to preserving the character and architectural heritage of Burlington. Pyne, a Burlington resident who lived on Fountain Place, is described by the city as the city’s first modern preservationist. In practice, the honor has become part of a civic message that older buildings are assets, not liabilities, when owners are willing to invest in them.

That larger strategy is also showing up in city planning. Burlington, working with the Historic Preservation Commission, the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office and hmwPreservation, has launched an Architectural Survey Update for the area bordered by South Church Street, Tarleton Avenue and West Webb Avenue. The survey is documenting properties built before 1970 and updating work done in 1982 and 1991. The city says the effort is meant to identify properties eligible for the National Register and help preserve access to state and federal tax credits.

The survey carries a $30,000 budget, funded by a $24,000 federal Historic Preservation Fund grant and a $6,000 city match. Burlington also says owners of historic buildings in North Carolina can request free technical advice from the Restoration Branch of the State Historic Preservation Office, and the city points preservation-minded owners to Preservation North Carolina as well. The Historic Preservation Commission meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 425 S. Lexington Ave., keeping the city’s preservation work tied to both neighborhood character and downtown reinvestment.