Historic Preservation Master Plan, City of Salisbury, North Carolina

Arnett Muldrow and Associates

From introduction: "Salisbury’s Historic Preservation Master Plan seeks to establish a unified preservation vision, strategic goals and outcomes, and specific tasks to achieve these goals. The plan has been a community driven process, where Salisbury, its preservation organizations and concerned citizens have worked together to craft the master plan and its recommendations. The document begins with an overview of the historic preservation practices and programming for the City of Salisbury as well as its independent preservation partners. This is followed by a plan vision statement, strategic outcomes, and plan recommendations. Due to the vision and guidance of a few pioneers, Salisbury is a respected leader in historic preservation in North Carolina and beyond. These visionaries recognized the importance of Salisbury’s culture, architecture, and history. More importantly, they realized the need to establish tools to preserve these assets for generations to come. In doing so, they planted deep roots for a strong preservation ethic that continues to this day. Founded in 1972, the Historic Salisbury Foundation has led the way. Working with the City of Salisbury, it helped to establish one of the earliest locally zoned historic districts in the state. Nearly 40 years later, roles and responsibilities have grown, and the Foundation continues to lead the preservation movement in Salisbury. Salisbury’s success over time has also brought increasing challenges. While the community has great neighborhoods and historic architecture, it has a large, aging housing stock. Some neighborhoods are protected while others are not, and all neighborhoods struggle with livability concerns. The community has enjoyed continued economic development, and its historic downtown is a testament to the importance of history and preservation. However, this growth often puts pressures on Salisbury’s historic architecture and its history. Many feel that while the preservation ethic runs deep here, there is a growing apathy and general lack of understanding of the importance of preserving Salisbury’s past. Finally, Salisbury is challenged in terms of sheer scale, with a tremendous amount of historic architecture and neighborhoods, and broadbased preservation programming. Because of this, the City and its partners have increasing challenges related to financial and staffing resources." Project funding was provided in part by a 2010 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Salisbury(project number NC-10-012) administered by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 37-10-21940) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Salisbury, North Carolina is a Certified Local Government

Historic Preservation Master Plan, City of Salisbury, North Carolina

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