Mayor Jackie Holcombe Talks Historic Preservation
The Town of Morrisville is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by preserving our past and protecting our future through a collective community partnership. By balancing responsible growth with core values, we embrace a sense of membership, communication, and support.
That's what Morrisville's Town mission statement says, and that's what Jackie strives to do each day as Morrisville's Mayor. "I strongly support historic preservation," Jackie stated. "Preserving our past really does enhance our future and our quality of life. I'm proud to be the Mayor of a town with such rich history".
Under Mayor Holcombe's leadership, Morrisville has achieved several recent historic preservation
accomplishments and honors:
- The James M Pugh House (pictured at right), one of Morrisville's most important historic structures, was relocated to 103 Page Street in January 2008. In 2012, exterior renovations began and are nearly complete today. Just last month,the Wake County Historic Preservation Commission recommended that the Pugh house be recognized as a historic landmark; our Town Council will consider thelandmark designation at our September meeting. Jackie was a leading supporter of the Town's 2012 investment in the house's renovation.
- The Historic Christian Church (pictured below) served as Morrisville’s first town hall and once housed the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce. A fire left the church unusable for many years until the Town renovated the building and it was returned to public use in 2011. The next year, the Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and became a Wake County historic landmark.
- The Shiloh Tobacco Barn (pictured above) was slated to be demolished until the Town stepped in to save it in 2012. The barn now stands proudly in the historic Shiloh community of Morrisville.
- Yardnique, located at 10014 Chapel Hill Rd, refurbished and re-purposed the early 20th-century Charlie Maynard store, which also had served as a pharmacy and post office, thus preserving another of Morrisville's historic gems.
- The Page House (pictured below) has been designated a Wake County Historic Landmark and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Preservation Morrisville is a newly established volunteer organization dedicated to the interior restoration of the Pugh House. The group is currently pursuing non-profit status.
Preserving historic structures is important because it helps us to remember the people and events that shaped our community. With our many recent achievements, Morrisville is now considered a leader in this aspect of municipal government.
Jackie notes, "Preserving Morrisville's rich history is a gift to future generations. We are fortunate to have many unique and valuable historic resources in our town, and I am pleased that our community can continue to benefit from public and private collaboration for historic preservation".
The Town's vision statement, which complements the mission statement, says it well:
The Town of Morrisville will be an innovative crossroads where cultural heritage meets the next generation nurturing vibrant communities of thriving families and businesses while preserving small-town values
Want to learn more? Check out Morrisville's
historic preservation strategies; the
video of the Shiloh barn relocation;
Jeremiah's Dream, a video story of Morrisville; and
Twilight of Sabers, a video about Morrisville in the Civil War.
