Historic Wilmington Foundation, Inc.

Program: A variety of educational programs

Program Description:

Historic Wilmington offers a variety of educational programs and workshops by local and regional historians and preservation experts including lectures, classes, demonstrations, tours and trips. The Foundation offers a highly successful plaque program which is overseen by the Foundation's Plaque Committee. Buildings 75 years and older located in New Hanover County and the region are eligible for a plaque. Visit the Foundation's website, www.historicwilmington.org for an explanation of the program and an application. The Foundation website also has a link to the on-line site for the entire plaque program (now more than 500 plaques). The research created for all plaque applications is on file at the Foundation's offices. Protective Covenants and Preservation Easements Program- A preservation easement is a legal agreement between a property owner and a preservation organization that protects the architectural and historic integrity of structures by imposing limitations on the type of alterations that can be made. Protective covenants and preservation easements provide a vehicle for the property owner to take an active part in the preservation of Wilmington and to be potentially eligible for certain tax benefits. Historic Wilmington holds  88 covenants and easements. HWF is aggressively moving to acquire more easements. Since 2007 HWF has acquired 17 easements on a major downtown commercial buildings and houses.  The success of the easements program has been accompanied by a major public relations thrust to raise community awareness of the value of easements. HWF provides information for problems common to historic structures,as well as maintains a preservation resources (professional in the field) network list. Provides speakers to address civic organizations on a variety of preservation topics. The HWF provides information on State and Federal historic rehabilitation tax credits and provides limited assistance in the completion of tax credit applications. In 2005 Historic Wilmington implemented it first public nomination process for an annual Most Threatened Historic Places of Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region. The first list was announced in 2006. See our website for the annual list, for updates, and for strategies to save threatened places. HWF initiated a new fundraising effort called IG40 in 2006 to raise funds for a small grants program, and assistance to moderate and low income home owners in the historic districts. The Foundation also reactivated its revolving fund to provide a loan guarantee on a construction loan for an historic church, and to make a short term loan to one of the 2006 threatened historic properties. The short term loan program requires a "do not demolish agreement" and the promise to grant a facade easement after the restoration of the property. using the revolving funds the Foundation purchased and rehabilitated an endangered shotgun house in 2007-08 for affordable income qualified buyers. In 2008 HWF purchased two commercial buildings that were facing demolition and after placing easements on them was able to resell the properties. 

Program Long-Term Success:

Since 1996, HWF has saved more than 100 homes and buildings from demolition with the use of creative preservation strategies, such as facade easements, a revolving fund, and moving buildings. In 2007 we continued these efforts to save historic resources with expanded advocacy and education. 2007 also marked the return of Repair Affair program to improve and stabilize housing for elderly homeowners and homeowners with limited income. The Repair Affair completes basic repairs for the house and repaints the house.

Program Short-Term Success:

Program Success Monitored by:

Program Success Examples: