NEWS

Stewart Gray (right), Castella Connor, and Patrick Parente at the Dedication of the Historic Lingle Hut.

We’re excited to announce that we have a new director and it’s none other than our very own Stewart Gray. Stewart has worked for the Historic Landmarks Commission since 2006 and chances are, if you’ve ever interacted with the HLC, you’ve met him. With his broad knowledge of preservation practices, architecture, and history, plus his friendly personality, we have no doubt Stewart will be a capable leader as the HLC continues to preserve Mecklenburg County’s history. Join us in congratulating Stewart on his well-deserved new role.

Our History – Created in July 1973 by joint action of the Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, the Historic Landmarks Commission derives all of its powers from State Enabling Legislation. The fundamental purpose of the Commission is to recommend the designation of properties (real and personal) for historic landmark designation and to secure the preservation of same through exercising design review and through buying and selling endangered historic landmarks.

Who We Are – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) is an agency of Mecklenburg County, and for budgetary purposes is a component of the County’s Asset and Facility Management Department. The HLC has 12 members. The Board of County Commissioners appoints six members. The Charlotte City Council appoints four members. The Mayor of Charlotte appoints two members. All are appointed for three-year terms and may be re-appointed for an additional three-year term. Read more about the functions and procedures of the HLC in its Rules of Procedure.

What We Do – The Historic Landmarks Commission protects properties in four fundamental ways. First, it recommends the designation of individually significant properties as historic landmarks. Second, it buys and sells endangered historic landmarks through its revolving fund and places preservation covenants in the deeds when the properties are sold. Third, it administers design review over intended material alterations of historic landmarks. Fourth, it educates the general public about the significance of historic landmarks.

The Commission has four committees:

1.  Survey Committee.  The Survey Committee formulates recommendations regarding the designation or removal of designation of historic landmarks and the conducting of surveys and inventories of the local historic built environment. The documentation for prospective historic landmarks is found in a Survey and Research Report.
2.  Projects Committee.  The Projects Committee formulates recommendations concerning the operations of the Commission’s revolving fund. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission has the largest, local, publicly funded historic preservation revolving fund in the United States.
3.  Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee of the Commission is composed of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Projects Committee Chair. The Executive Committee acts as the Personnel Committee and has the power to make decisions as directed by the Commission. All personnel decisions are made by the Historic Landmarks Commission meeting in closed session.  
4.  Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee selects a list of nominees for the elected officers of the Commission. Elected officers are: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.