Organizations Encourage Historic Preservation

The Brevard Historic Downtown Walking Tour Guide
is available at the Transylvania County Library and the
Transylvania Chamber of Commerce.  It is also available
online to download and print.

In 1973 the National Register of Historic Places established May as Preservation Month to encourage heritage tourism by promoting historic places across the country. 

There are several organizations in Transylvania County that actively work to preserve historic places and our local cultural heritage. The “Our History” page on Transylvania County’s website provides information about some of the groups dedicated to protecting our history for future generations and sharing Transylvania’s story with visitors and local residents.

The Joint Historic Preservation Commission (JHPC) is a county advisory board that works to designate landmarks and educate the public about the importance of historic preservation. The JHPC website features 21 buildings throughout the county that are locally designated as architecturally and historically significant and two national historic districts in Brevard.

Last year JHPC partnered with the Heart of Brevard and the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room of the Transylvania County Library to produce the Brevard Historic Downtown Walking Tour Guide highlighting eighteen historic buildings in the Main Street National Historic District.  This brochure provides tidbits of history while you stroll through downtown.  For more detailed information on these buildings visit the website at www.transylvaniacounty.org/departments/planning-and-community-development/history or the Local History Room at the Transylvania County Library.

The Local History Room is the repository for the photographs and notes of nearly 500 properties included in Transylvania’s architectural survey undertaken in the early 1990s, as well as hundreds of additional photographs and resources available to research Transylvania’s people and places.

The Transylvania Heritage Museum conducts guided walking tours in Brevard’s downtown area on the second Saturday of each month from April to October.  Visit their website, www.transylvaniaheritage.org, for more information about specific tours.

By starting at Transylvania County’s “Our History” website, www.transylvaniacounty.org/our-history, users can access the information featured in today’s Picturing the Past article.  Next week’s article will cover historic properties open to the public.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs. For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.