Design Guidelines for the Chapel Hill Historic Districts

From introduction: "The purpose of these design guidelines is twofold. The design guidelines provide guidance to property owners within Chapel Hill's local historic districts as they plan exterior changes that are consistent with the special character of the districts. They also offer guidance to the Chapel Hill Historic District Commission as it reviews the appropriateness of all proposed changes throughout the districts. The Town of Chapel Hill has established three local historic districts encompassing a combined total of more than five hundred properties. The three districts are Franklin-Rosemary Historic District, the Cameron-McCauley Historic District, and the Gimghoul Historic District. Each district borders a different edge of the UNC campus and although primarily residential in character, each includes institutional buildings as well. Maps of the districts are included in the Appendices. The Franklin-Rosemary District, Chapel Hill's first local historic district, was established in 1976. Its long history and development are closely tied to the growth and development of the University of North Carolina since its opening in 1795. The single family homes, multi-family and fraternal residences, and institutional buildings in the neighborhood represent a broad complement of architectural styles spanning more than two centuries. Nineteenth century Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne buildings-as well as vernacular farmhouses-were joined by numerous bungalows and Colonial Revival style houses in the early twentieth century. Frame houses with deep and wide front porches are most prevalent but the district also includes several brick and stucco buildings. A mature tree canopy and low fieldstone walls unify the streetscapes. The district also includes part of the commercial area that developed along Franklin Street at the northern edge of the UNC campus. The Cameron-McCauley Historic District is situated to the west of the UNC campus. The neighborhood developed rapidly after its inclusion within the town's limits in 1851 and it continued to develop steadily through the 1940s providing housing for many university employees and faculty. The Cameron-McCauley Historic District is delineated by a harmonious blend of Chapel Hill gravel paths, sidewalks, and low stone walls along tree-lined streets. The neighborhood streetscapes are characterized by a relatively dense siting of houses set back from the street and shaded by a dominating tree canopy. The majority of houses in the district are bungalows and houses built in the nationally popular twentieth-century styles such as Colonial Revival, Craftsman, and Tudor Revival. Surviving from its earliest period, the district also includes a few Queen Anne buildings, vernacular I-houses, and triple-A houses with Greek Revival elements. Institutional buildings, such as the Carolina Inn, and several large fraternal residences are found in the district as well." Funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Chapel Hill administered by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Design Guidelines for the Chapel Hill Historic Districts

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