HomeMy WebLinkAboutHist Pres Plan Sept 20009/18/00
ALBEHARLE COUNTY
HISTORZC PRESERVATION PLAN
III.
IV.
VI,
VII.
Page
INTRODUCTION · 1
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................3
Strategies: Major Recommendations .............................; ........................3
Strategies: Supporting Recommendations ..............................................8
HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY .......................................................9
Prehistoric Period ..................................................................................9
Historic Period ......................................................................................10
SURVEYS AND HISTORIC RESOURCES ...................................................13
Existing Historic Resource Surveys .........................................................13
Archaeological Surveys ..........................................................................
Survey Adequacy and Use ...................................................................
Historic Resource Listings ...................................................................16
Map of Registered Historic Properties .....................................................17
NATIONAL AND STATE RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION ...................... 19
National Government Organizations and Programs ..................................19
State Government Organizations and Programs ......................................21
Protection Provided by National and State Programs ...............................22
COUNTY RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION ...........................................24
Legal Basis ...........................................................................................24
Planning and Policy ...............................................................................25
Regulatory Measures .............................................................................28
Voluntary Measures and Techniques .......................................................34
The County as a Good Neighbor .............................................................39
Protecting Monticello's Viewshed .............................................................40
PRESERVATION INCENTIVES AND ECONOMICS .......................................43
Economic Benefits ..................................................................................43
Incentives for Historic Preservation .........................................................43
Heritage Tourism ...................................................................................48
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VIII. PRESERVATION AND EDUCATION.. ..................
Heritage Education and the School System ............................................
Adult Education ....................................................................................53
APPENDICES:
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Details of History of Albemarle County ......................................................A-1
Resource Listings .......................................................................................B-1
State Enabling Legislation for Historic Overlay District .............................C-1
Albemarle County Population & Dwelling Increase, 1940-1997 ...............D-1
Preservation Organizations ......................................................................E.1
Details of Past Regulatory Protection Attempts ........................................F-1
Sources for Additional Information ............................................................G-1
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I. INTRODUCTION
GOAL: Protect the County's natural, scenic, and historic resources in the Rural Areas and
Development Areas.
GOAL: Protect the County's historic and cultural resources.
OBJECTIVE: Continue to identify and recognize the value of buildings, structures,
landscapes, sites and districts which have historical, architectural, archaeological or cultural
significance.
OBJECTIVE: Pursue additional protection measures and incentives to preserve Albemarle's
historic and archaeological resources in order to foster pride in the County and maintain the
County 's character.
This Historic Preservation Plan is a component of the Comprehensive Plan, and establishes a general
framework for future historic preservation efforts in Albemarle County. It is intended to further the
Comprehensive Plan goal of protecting Albemarle County' s historic and cultural resources by defining
specific implementation strategies. It was prepared at the request of the Board of Supervisors by the
Historic Preservation Committee, appointed by the Board on May 3, 1995.
Historic preservation is generally considered to be a component of rural conservation in areas such as
Albemarle County, where an agrarian economy predominated during much of its history. The older
surviving historic buildings and structures typically relate directly or indirectly to agricultural pursuits.
Accordingly, a rural setting is an important part of the contribution by these historic resources to the
County's heritage. Many historic resources are also located within the Development Areas. Within
these areas, choices about growth and change should include the preservation. of historic buildings and
structures. Adaptive use may be a practical approach to preserving these important historic resources.
The plan contains a summary of the prehistory and history of Albemarle County to illustrate that the
County' historic and archaeological resources are not only visible examples of architectural history, but
are also tangible links to the cultural heritage which undergirds our sense of community. Our historic
resources are important in the context of people, their stories, and their buildings, which shape the
community's cultural heritage and contribute to a sense of continuity and belonging. It is important
to protect a broad spectrum of historic resources, so that the sense of community continuity and
belonging will be meaningful to all our citizens.
Two recent public events acknowledge this community connection: (1) A 1994 survey of Albemarle
County residents in which 91% of the respondents said that the County should develop an ordinance
for the protection of historic buildings and structures; and (2) Enthusiastic public response to a 1995
historic architectural survey of twelve villages in the County. This evidence of support from citizens
of the County, together with the unanimous passage by the 1996 General Assembly of the State
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Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program for the benefit of homeowners, and continuing pressure from
growth, clearly articulate that now is the time to provide effective protection measures for the County' s
historic resources.
Accordingly, the most important recommendation of this plan is that Albemarle County should adopt
a historic overlay district zoning ordinance to ensure protection, to the fullest extent allowed under state
law, of its outstanding collection of historic and cultural resources. The recognized core of this
collection currently includes more than sixty sites and districts on the Virginia Landmarks Register or
the National Register of Historic Places, four of which are National Historic Landmarks, and two of
which are on the World Heritage List. Many additional important historic County resources are not yet
recognized on the state or national registers. And, unfortunately, such listing provides little or no
protection for the historic resources so honored- local historic district zoning is the primary means by
which government can provide legal and effective protection for historic resources and their settings.
An enduring and equitable program of protective measures, however, should balance regulation with
voluntary techniques, education and incentives. This plan, therefore, evaluates a wide range of
preservation tools and techniques, discusses the recent state historic rehabilitation tax credit incentive
and possible local incentives, and draws on a 1995 study by the Preservation Alliance of Virginia which
documents the potential economic benefits of preservation to the County.
This Historic Preservation Plan highlights the importance of planning and education in the preservation
process, and emphasizes that a total community effort is required for success. It therefore necessitates
support from the public, private and institutional sectors of the community. There are three major
opportunities for educational programs: school programs, adult programs, and community events. The
plan also emphasizes the need to form partnerships which include individual citizens, businesses,
schools, government officials (County, City, and State), various interest groups, and preservation
organizations. The role of the County government in this parmership is to fully integrate historic
preservation into the planning and implementation process. Incorporation of this preservation plan into
the Comprehensive Plan will ensure that future public policy decisions reflect the value of historic
resources to our community.
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II. RECOMMENDATIONS
Specific recommended actions for implementing the Comprehensive Plan goal of protecting the
County's historic and cultural resources are listed below. These actions are the primary
recommendations of the Historic Preservation Committee, and each issue is treated in greater detail in
the text of this plan.
Strategies: Major Recommendations
Preservation Plan Implementation
· Create a full time Review Board staff position to assist in implementation of the Preservation Plan.
[Accomplished]
· Provide in the phone directory a number for Albemarle County historic preservation.
[Accomplished]
Make all Virginia Department of Historic Resources historic survey inventory data on Albemarle
County resources accessible at the County Office Building, either by maintaining paper copies or
by providing access to VDHR's Integrated Preservation Software (IPS) database. (Page 15)
Compile and maintain a current and comprehensive information base for Albemarle County's
historic resources. Implement a system using the County computers and existing computer
programs (to the greatest extent possible) to facilitate identification of historic properties by all
County departments. Identify all sites by tax map and parcel number. (Page 15)
Provide for the identification of historic resources and the integration of pertinent historic resource
information in the County' s GIS system, which is currently being implemented. Maintain archivally
stable photographic records of the County' s historic and archaeological resources. Utilize the digital
photographic records produced by other County departments for reference on historic and
archaeological resources. (Page 16)
Until an ordinance is adopted which requires documentation of proposed demolitions, all historic
resources to be demolished should be first documented by County staff as fully as possible. (Page
18)
· Create a permanent Historic Preservation Committee to provide assistance and advice concerning
the County's historic preservation program. (Pages 26, 35)
Make Design Planner comment regarding the potential impact of development proposals on historic
resources consistently available for pertinent Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors
deliberations. (Page 32)
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Examine existing zoning requirements to assure their consistency with the goal of historic
preservation. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow: more varied uses to encourage the reuse of
historic structures; greater flexibility in the application of existing zoning requirements; and
traditional development patterns that preserve the character of a historic district. (Page 32)
Encourage owners of historic properties to seek designation on the Virginia and National registers,
thereby attaining eligibility for financial incentives. Provide basic information to help initiate the
designation process and tax credit applications. Seek and coordinate the work of interns and
volunteers to assist in the completion of documentation required for nomination. (Page 34)
The County should encourage or actively seek designation on the Virginia and National Registers
of all potentially eligible villages (Advance Mills, Crozet, White Hall, and Yancey Mills) as
identified in the Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages. (Page 34)
· Initiate studies similar to the Southwest Mountains historic district study in other areas of the
County that include numerous register properties and potentially eligible properties. (Page 34)
· Promote historic and conservation easements and other voluntary measures. (Page 34)
Promote preservation by making available information regarding tax incentives and designation
procedures. (Page 34)
Historic Overlay District Ordinance
· Adopt a Historic Overlay District ordinance to recognize and protect historic, architectural,
archaeological, and cultural resources, including individual sites and districts, on the local level.
(Page 31 )
Designate locally significant districts and sites as Historic Overlay Districts. Start with properties
already on the State and National Registers. Consider recommendations from Historic
Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages for additional districts. Establish procedures for
owner participation in the designation process. (Page 3 1)
The existing Architectural Review Board should serve as the review board for the recommended
Historic Overlay district ordinance. (Page 33)
· Add members to the existing Architectural Review Board. Change its name to "Review Board."
(Page 33)
Establish an advisory review by the Review Board of all rezonings, special use permits, site plans
and subdivision plats for proposals located within or abutting a locally designated overlay district
for the purpose of making recommendations to ensure that historic preservation considerations are
available as part of the decision-making process. (Page 36)
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Local Incentives Program
· Coordinate the Purchase of Development Rights/Acquisition of Conservation Easement Program
with historic preservation considerations by awarding additional points to properties that include
historic resources subject to the proposed historic overlay district ordinance. (Page 36)
Work with VDHR to develop ways for the County to benefit from the educational, technical, and
financial incentives provided by the CLG program, while following the recommended strategies of
this plan. (Page 45)
Obtain enabling authority from the General Assembly authorizing the County to establish a
revolving loan fund, or to contribute money to a private revolving fund to assist owners of historic
properties with rehabilitation and repair work. (Page 46)
Enact an ordinance with provisions for a partial local real estate tax exemption for the rehabilitation
of older properties, as enabled by the state code. Coordinate staff assistance for eligible property
owners through the Planning and Real Estate/Finance Departments. (Page 47)
· Establish a work bank program to aid owners of historic resources to maintain their properties.
(Page 47)
· Establish an expert advice program with a list of preservation professionals willing to occasionally
volunteer their time to offer advice to historic resource property owners. (Page 47)
· Support and actively participate in existing preservation awards programs or offer a County-unique
program. (Page 48)
Educational Programs
· Educate all components of the community about historic resources and preservation. (Page 50)
· Encourage community and neighborhood programs and events that celebrate the County's historic
resources. (Page 50)
Enlist the media to publicize community events and to promote preservation in the County. (Page
51)
· Make local history a stronger and more integral component of the County's school curriculum,
beginning with the elementary grades. (Page 51)
· Foster community pride, good citizenship, and stewardship of the County's historic resources
through heritage education programs. (Page52)
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Using existing resources, including the staff at Monticello, Ash-Lawn, the Albemarle County
Historical Society, and the UVA Library Department of Special Collections, develop field trips to
a wide range of historic sites throughout the County. (Page 52)
Create a traveling exhibit on local history and preservation, supplemented with books related to the
exhibition topic, to be viewed at the Virginia Discovery Mus.eum, the Albemarle County Historical
Society, and local school and branch libraries. (Page 52)
Use the Albemarle Resource Center as a depository for all types of information (primed and website
bibliographies, videos, workbooks, field trip information, local history references, speaker's bureau
listings, etc.) on preservation and heritage .education. (Page 52)
Utilize technical resources provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National
Park Service, the Center for Understanding the Built Environment (CUBE), and other established
organizations to support County heritage education activities. (Page 53)
· Institute programs that encourage students to practice historic preservation in the community. (Page
53)
· Create a notification program to educate owners of historic properties, especially new owners, about
the significance of their property and to suggest ways they might protect those resources. (Page 53)
· Enlist the assistance and support of existing citizen groups to organize and promote adult education
programs in historic preservation. (Page 54)
· Use a variety of tools (brochures, video, workshops, lectures) to educate residents about the
County's historic resources and its preservation policy. (Page 54)
· Seek citizen participation in County studies and other preservation activities. (Page 54)
· Make available to residents, property owners, developers, builders, realtors, educators, and students
an informative database on Albemarle County's historic resources. (Page 54)
· Capitalize on the popularity of the Intemet to educate the community about the County's historic
resources. (Page 54)
Heritage Tourism
· Support the concept of heritage tourism, which requires regional partnerships and cooperation
among the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, County and State officials, local
businesses, and community organizations. (Page49)
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Amend the zoning ordinance to encourage historic preservation activities that promote tourism.
Amendments to enable owners of certain historic properties (which are listed on the state or national
register, or which are contributing structures within a register district) to apply for a special use
permit to allow public tours of the property, and to allow greater flexibility in adaptive use of
historic resources, are recommended. (Page 32 and 49)
The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate creating a Heritage Area such as the
Jefferson, Monroe and Madison corridor (in cooperation with Orange County), or the Rivanna River
corridor (in cooperation with the City of Charlottesville and Fluvanna County). (Page 49)
The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate community events for Albemarle that
recognize our historic resources, to be coordinated with other statewide Heritage Tourism activities.
(Page 49)
Archaeological Program
· Maintain a map of potential prehistoric archaeological sites for planning purposes, to be consulted
during development review. (Page 33)
The County should seek available state and federal grant funds to conduct an archaeological survey
of designated historic period sites and/or districts, including photographic documentation as
appropriate, to evaluate their archaeological resource potential. (Page 33)
The County as a Good Neighbor
· Educate the various County boards and decision making bodies about the value of historic resources
to our community. (Page 40)
Educate County staff, including planners, engineers, inspectors, etc., about the County's historic
resources. Provide guidance on identification and treatment of historic resources as it relates to the
various departmental tasks and responsibilities. (Page 40)
· Keep the City of Charlottesville, the University, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and
other interested groups informed about County preservation efforts. (Page 40)
· Seek to create and strengthen partnerships among all interest groups to forward the cause of historic
preservation throughout the County and the Region. (Page 40)
· The County should continue to be a good steward of the historic resources under its control. (Page
40)
· The County should declare support annually for the statewide "Celebrate Virginia" promotion in
May. (Page 40)
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Protecting Monticello's Viewshed
· To help protect the Monticello viewshed, the Department of planning and Community Development
should:
(1) Use current technology to precisely delineate the Monticello viewshed. Make this
information available for use in development review.
(2) Enforce careful application of existing !and use regulations.
(3) Adopt a more forrealized procedure that which begins early in the planning process to
encourage cooperation between the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) and
developers of property within the viewshed. (Page 42)
Strategies: Supporting Recommendations
FUtUre Survey
* Update the Department of Historic Resources 1977-83 survey of historic sites in the County. Use
the DHR Survey and Planning Cost Share Program, augmented by volunteers, where feasible, to
determine the survival and condition of surveyed resources. Evaluate the surveyed resources to
determine eligibility for listing on the State and National Registers. Keep photographic records
updated, to the greatest extent possible. (Page 15, 16)
Maintenance of Historic Properties
· Rather than make a mandatory regulatory requirement for maintenance, educate the owners of
historic properties about the importance of voluntarily maintaining historic structures against decay,
deterioration, and structural damage to avoid possible loss of historic resources. (Page 31)
· Pursue the establishment of a financial program to provide funding for maintenance of historic
resources. (Page 31 )
Civil Penalty
· The Board of Supervisors should request enabling legislation which would allow Albemarle County
to impose a meaningful civil penalty for inappropriate demolition, razing or moving of any
designated historic resource. This enabling legislation should also authorize the County to use the
civil penalties collected to fund components of the County's historic preservation program. (Page
31)
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III. HISTORY OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY
Historic preservation is not just about architecture. The preservation and study of buildings and
structures is an important component within the broader context of Albemarle County's cultural
heritage and sense of community identity. The key ingredient of this broader context is the people of
the County. Their "sense of community identity," also known as "senseof place," can be defined as "an
awareness of simultaneous belonging to both a society and a place." It accrues slowly -- not through
grand pronouncements, but through small daily lessons, not only in our own lifetime, but also from
lifetimes across the ages.
Our historic resources are, therefore, meaningful not in isolation, but in the context of those people
across the ages, in the stories of those who built them, lived in them, and used them. This context of
people, their stories, and their buildings shapes the community' s cultural heritage and contributes to a
profound sense of continuity and belonging. The buildings which still exist are the only tangible
evidence of this contextual continuity which today' s County residents can directly experience by sight
and touch, and which visually remind us that this community is a place different from all others. It is
therefore important to protect a broad spectrum of historic resources, from large, impressive mansions
to modest dwellings and structures, so that the sense of community continuity and belonging will be
meaningful to all our citizens.
Knowledge of Albemarle County' s history is an important step toward gaining an appreciation of the
contextual relationships that characterize our community. To provide a historical perspective for later
sections, succeeding paragraphs of this section summarize a brief history of the County. Some
examples of surviving resources are listed for each time period. Appendix A gives additional details,
and Appendix G contains useful source material for a more thorough study of the County' s history.
Prehistoric Period (ca. 10,000 B.C.-A.D. 1607)
People have lived in Albemarle County for more than 12,000 years. The first inhabitants were Native
Americans, whose long history in the County is preserved in archeological sites which lie buried in the
floodplains of rivers and streams and in the surrounding mountains and valleys. These archeological
sites are highly variable, ranging from rare remains of the 12,000-year-old hunting camps of the first
inhabitants to the dense accumulations of pottery fragments that mark the former villages of the
Monacan tribe.
The 600-year period prior to the founding of a permanent European settlement at Jamestown in 1607
witnessed dramatic and relatively sudden cultural changes in the Native American population in the
Albemarle County area. Among the recognizable changes were an increase in population, an increase
in the size and permanence of villages, and the growth of an agricultural economy to augment
traditional hunting and gathering. Additionally, the Monacans established burial mounds where they
interred the remains of thousands of individuals. In the mid- 18th century, Thomas Jefferson investigated
one such burial mound between the forks of the Rivanna, an exploration later noted as the first
systematic archeological excavation conducted anywhere in North America.
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Historic Period
European Settlement to Society ( 1607-1750)
European settlement of the Albemarle County area began in the late 1720s, when three land patents
were successfully settled on land suitable for farming along the Southwest Mountains and the James
and Rivarma Rivers. Over the next twenty years more settlers arrived, and in 1744 Goochland County
was divided and its westem part became the new county of Albemarle.
The initial County boundaries encompassed a far larger area than present-day Albemarle, extending
southward to the vicinity of Lynchburg. They included the current counties of Albemarle, Amherst,
Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, and Nelson, as well as a portion of Campbell County. (See maps
at Appendix A, following page A-3;) The county seat was established at Scott's Landing on the James
River, about a mile west oftoday's Scottsville.
The early settlers were a mixture of tobacco planters from the Tidewater region with Scots-Irish and
German farmers moving east over the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Shenandoah Valley. The former
tried to transplant the slave-run tobacco plantation system to the southern and eastern parts of
Albemarle, while the latter operated family-run farms raising cattle and grain in the northem and
westem areas.
An example of a resource from this time period is the Buck Mountain Church.
Colony to Nation (1750-1789)
In 1761 the large area south of Albemarle's current boundary was split off, and that part of Louisa
County which extended to the Blue Ridge was added to become the northem portion of the now much
smaller Albemarle County. As a result, Scott's Landing was no longer a convenient location for the
courthouse. The town of Charlottesville was therefore established in 1762 near the new geographic
center of the County, adjacent to the Three Notch'd Road linking eastern Virginia to the Shenandoah
Valley. Albemarle County's current boundaries were attained in 1777, when Fluvanna County was
formed from the easternmost part of Albemarle.
During the American Revolution, Albemarle was spared the effects of major military campaigns,
although its citizens contributed both politically and in military service. By the close of the
Revolutionary War, the County had been transformed from a frontier settlement to an established
community. Its geographic and political boundaries had stabilized, its new county seat was developing,
and it had secured trading and communication links with the rest of the new nation.
Examples of resources from this period are Findowrie, Solitude, Everettsville Tavern, and the early
parts of Piedmont near Greenwood, and of Castle Hill.
Early National Period (1789-1830)
By the end of the 18th century, wheat had become the County's primary agricultural product, although
tobacco was still widely planted, and the slave population continued to rise until 1850. Farms and
plantations remained the primary economic factor, but small industry (tanneries, sawmills, and
flourmills) had begun to grow.
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Internal improvements fostered the expansion of towns by making the Rivanna River more navigable
and upgrading key roads into turnpikes. The University of Virginia admired its first students in 1825,
and the builders Thomas Jefferson recruited for its construction helped disseminate his ideas. The
Jeffersonian architectural influence, initially evident throughout Central Virginia, has since spread to
other parts of Virginia and the nation.
Examples of resources from this period are Monticello, Redlands, Woodstock Hall, Carrsbrook,
Brookhill on the South Fork Rivanna River, Plain Dealing, Tallwood, Sunny Bank, Morven, Malvem,
Mountain Grove, D.S. Tavern, Black's Tavern, Merrie Mill, Cove Presbyterian Church, and Shadwell
Canal locks and dam.
Antebellum Period (1830-1860)
Beef cattle production began to rise by the mid-nineteenth century, although grain and tobacco
continued to dominate agricultural economics. Railroad construction in the late 1840s changed the
County's culture and economics. Towns that had prospered when water was the primary means for
moving goods began to decline, while new communities grew around railroad depots. As the terminus
of the railroad to Orange County, and later through the Blue Ridge to the Shenandoah Valley,
Charlottesville's progress was assured.
Examples of resources from this period are Cliffside, Old Hall, Arrowhead, Pleasant Green, the Cedars,
outbuildings at Cloverfields, Clover Hill Farm, Kinloch, Scottsville canal warehouse, Piedmont Store,
Grace Church, Mt. Ed Baptist Church, and the Blue Ridge Mountain tunnels.
Civil War (1861-1865)
The Civil War, like the Revolutionary War, brought few military encounters to Albemarle, although
many sick and wounded soldiers were nursed here. Communities were not untouched by the war,
however, since many of the County's husbands and sons in military service became casualties. During
the last months of the war, Union fomes marching from the Shenandoah Valley toward Richmond
occupied Charlottesville. The tom and the University were largely spared, but there was considerable
economic destruction along the route of march.
An example of a resource from this time period is the Batesville Methodist Church.
Reconstruction and Growth ( 1865-19 17)
In the first two decades after the Civil War, freed blacks were a majority of the population, and they
became farm tenants, sharecroppers, or small tradesmen such as blacksmiths, cobblers, or carpenters.
These freed slaves founded several rural black communities such as Bethel (now Proffit). By the close
of the nineteenth century, outmigration of blacks to better oppommities in northern cities caused a
population shift back to a white majority. Black communities and institutions persisted despite this
population decline, however, providing historically significant examples of houses, churches, schools,
and lodge halls which illustrate the African-American experience in Albemarle County during this
period.
Railroads continued their expansion, contributing to continued economic progress and the growth of
villages around rail depots, but the advent of the automobile in the early twentieth century marked the
beginning of decline for some rural villages. Farms were smaller, more numerous, and more
diversified. Orchards, vineyards, and the raising of beef, dairy cattle, and sheep replaced large slave-
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operated wheat and tobacco farms. Some rural families began to move to Charlottesville, attracted by
job oppommities and urban conveniences. By 1888, Charlottesville had grown sufficiently to
incorporate as a city.
Around the mm of the century, capitalists from outside the County began to buy old estates as part-time
residences, renovating historic homes already there or building grand new ones. This preserved or
created some of the County's finest architectural resources, and protected some of its rural landscape~
Examples of resources from this period are Kirklea, Seven Oaks Farm, Cobham Park, the worker houses
at Alberene Quarry, Esmont National Bank Building, Miller School, Green Teapot Hotel, Advance
Mills tress bridge, Nortonsville Store, Johnson's Store, Evergreen Baptist Church, Mt. Calvary Baptist
Church, Dr. Kyger's house and office, Crozet Cold Storage, Crozet Hotel/Hardware, and the original
Crozet Railroad Depot. '
World War I to the Present (1917-1998)
Rail sendee was frequent and reliable in the early twentieth century, but all-weather roads maintained
by the state did not appear until 1922. By the early 1930s the state had established a network of roads
in the County. This coincided with the beginnings of a tourist component in the area's economy, aided
by the opening of Monticello to the public in 1924.
Better roads and more families with automobiles spawned housing subdivisions on farms that once
surrounded the urban core of Charlottesville. This phenomenon began early in this century and has
continued since then, with an upsurge after World War II and again in the 1970s.
The number of farms in the County peaked at 3,379 in 1924, and as recently as 1940 over half the
population was involved in some form of agriculture. By 1970, however, only 847 of the County's
labor force of 14,208 were full-time agricultural workers. Agriculture, the traditional economic base,
remains a significant land use, but has been replaced as the principal employer by a combination of
education, tourism, and small manufacturing and service industries.
Examples of resources from this period are Tiverton, Blue Ridge Farm, Rose Hill, Casa Maria,
Farmington Subdivision, Sunset Lodge, Town and Country Motel, Stony Point (High) School, and
Cobham Park gardens.
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ZV. SURVEYS AND HZSTORZC RESOURCES
In both numbers and quality, Albemarle County's inventory of historic buildings and stntctures still
standing in 2000 justifies a strong effort to protect these non-renewable resources, and the first step in
any preservation program is a survey of existing historic resources. Surveys, either previously
developed, new, or updated, are the standard tool for demonstrating that buildings and structures to be
protected have "important historical, architectural, archaeological or culturai interest." (The quoted
phrase is the criteria specified in the Code of Virginia, which enables the County to protect its historic
resources.) Albemarle County benefits from a substantial base of completed surveys, on which it can
build its current historic preservation efforts.
Existing Historic Resource Surveys
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) records for Albemarle County identify more
than 2000 buildings and structures and 400 archaeological sites that have been surveyed as potential
'historic resources. The records also indicate that only four other counties in the state have had more
than one thousand historic buildings and structures surveyed. The vast majority of these resources were
surveyed between 1979 and 1983 by Jeffrey O'Dell and Margaret Welsh, architectural historians for the
VDHR (then the Division of Historic Landmarks), who conducted a comprehensive, reconnaissance-
level architectural survey of approximately 1600 resources in Albemarle County. Although Albemarle
is one of the best-surveyed counties, the combined 2400 resources comprise less than 7% of total
properties in the county.
Augmenting these VDHR efforts, students at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, under
the auspices of Professor K. Edward Lay, have conducted numerous architectural surveys and building
studies from the mid-1970s to the present. These surveys are available at the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts
Library, School of Architecture. Professor Lay has also written a book on the architectural history of
Albemarle County, which was released in February 2000. This book is based on twenty-five years of
research and, together with its accompanying searchable CD-ROM, documents over 2300 historic
resources in the County.
In ~ranuary: 1992, a nomination report was completed for the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic
District,. and the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Piedmont
Environmental Council initiated this effort, with the final report prepared by Land and Community
Associates. The designation recognizes the significance of the setting and landscape features to the
historic district. Contributing resources surveyed for the report include approximately 109 domestic
complexes, 11 churches, 16 commercial buildings, and 2 railroad depots on 31,975 acres. A copy of
the report is available at the Department of planning and Community Development.
The VDHR and Albemarle County cosponsored two study efforts that were completed by consultants
in 1995. In May, 1995, Garrow and Associates, Inc., prepared a report called From the Monacans to
Monticello and Beyond: Prehistoric and Historic Contexts for Albemarle County, Virginia, which
developed prehistoric and historic contexts to synthesize the primary data on the prehistory, history,
archaeology and architecture of the County. This document builds on the data base created by earlier
surveys, including that of O°DeI1 and Welsh, Lay and his associates and students, and the U.S. 29
13
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Corridor Study (Meyer and Foster 1988; Stevens and Seifert, 1990). It did not conduct any new
surveys. A copy of the report is available at the Department of planning and Community Development.
In October 1995, Dames & Moore prepared a report called Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle
County Villages, which included survey results and evaluations of 200 resources in twelve villages.
Historic context reports were prepared for each village. The principal finding of the survey was that
all or portions of six villages: Advance Mills, Batesville, Crozet, Proffit, White Hall and Yancey's Mill,
are potentially eligible for listing as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places and the
Virginia Landmarks Register. A large area surrounding Greenwood was also recommended for a
National Register Rural Historic District.
Archeological Surveys
Current knowledge of archaeology in Albemarle County derives primarily from the efforts of C.G.
Holland and Jeffrey Hantman. As of October 1984, 139 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites
in Albemarle were on file at the Virginia Research Center for Archaeology. Dr. C.G. Holland, who
conducted a survey published in 1955, recorded most of these2 In 1985, Jeffrey Hantman prepared The
Archaeology of Albernarle County, which projected the presence of about 3,000 archeological sites
within the County Growth Areas based on sample surveys:
Since 1985, archaeological surveys conducted as part of the environmental impact study for the Route
29 Bypass altematives recorded many new sites. The completed studies are available at the Department
of planning and Community Development. The cumulative survey results on file for Albemarle County
at VDHR currently identify more than 400 archaeological sites. This is considered a small sample of
the total number of County archaeological sites that exist either on or below its surface, since there has
been no. comprehensive archaeological survey of the entire County.
Survey Adequacy and Use
Survey records for Albemarle County resources vary in quality and depth. For example, many survey
forms completed by the VDHR in the 1970s have never been updated, and many of the surveyed
resources are today only memories, or perhaps archaeological resources. Despite this deficiency, the
survey information is invaluable as documentation of resources since lost, demolished, or altered.
These existing surveys form an important and useful baseline of information on the County's historic
resources. Surveys of properties already nominated for, or listed on, the state or national registers,
including contributing properties in register districts, are sufficient for justifying local designation in
conjunction with a historic overlay district ordinance. It is recommended that these resources listed on
a state or national register be the first to be designated as local historic overlay districts. Existing
surveys of other County historic resources not listed on state or national registers can be used to help
distinguish which resources warrant further study for local designation. For-example, the
recommendations of the Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages should be
considered for additional local district designations.
14
Some of the older surveys require updating of information, particularly in terms of identifying the
existence and condition of remaining resources. The majorityof the surveys that require updating are
comprised of the more modest buildings and structures of the County -- those with which the majority
of County citizens can easily identify. For this reason, updating of these surveys is an important step
in the County's preservation planning process. The Department of Historic Resources Survey and
Planning Cost Share Program should be used to update the DHR 1977-83 survey of Albemarle County
historic sites, augmented by volunteers, where feasible, to determine the survival and condition of
surveyed resources. It is also recommended that the surveyed sites be evaluated to determine eligibility
for listing on the State and National Registers. This determination of eligibility may make some
properties eligible for State financial incentives. (See page 44.)
As part of a comprehensive and useful survey, photographic records of historic and archaeological
resources should be maintained. Such records clearly document the character and condition of a
property. They can provide a record of changes to a property, and the effects of time on a property, and
they can provide a backup record in the event of unplanned razing. They also provide a method for
monitoring inappropriate alterations and are a valuable research tool for future generations. For these
reasons, the photographic records should be regularly updated, and resources should be re-photographed
following alterations or as other conditions warrant.
The County's Department of Planning and Community Development retains the maps and lists of
surveyed sites on file. The survey reports for individual resources are available at the Virginia
Department of Historic Resources Archives Department, but this data should be made available in the
County Office Building, and used in updating the survey results. All pertinent information on surveyed
historic properties (tax map/parcel, name, resource type, age, area of significance, threats, etc.) should
be entered into a computerized database that would be available to all County departments and to the
public. Historic resources information should also be integrated into the County's GIS system. These
systems would facilitate identification of historic properties by all County departments, and would help
assure that historic resources are treated appropriately throughout all County programs and processes.
Strategies:
Update the Department of Historic Resources 1977-83 survey of historic sites in the County to
determine the survival and condition of surveyed resources. Use the DHR Survey and Planning Cost
Share Program, augmented by volunteers, where feasible.
Evaluate the surveyed resources to determine eligibility for listing on the State and National
Registers.
Make all Virginia Department of Historic Resources historic survey inventory data on Albemarle
County resources accessible at the County Office Building, either by maintaining paper copies or
by providing access to VDHR 's Integrated Preservation Software (IPS) database.
Compile and maintain a current and comprehensive information base for Albemarle County's
historic resources. Implement a system using the County computers and existing computer programs
(to the greatest extent possible) to facilitate identification of historic properties by all County
departments. Identij~ all sites by tax map and parcel number.
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Provide for the identification of historic resources and the integration of pertinent historic resource
information in the County's GIS system, which is currently being implemented.
Maintain archivally stable photographic records of the County's historic and archaeological
resources. Utilize the digital photographic records produced by other County departments for
reference on historic and archaeological resources.
Historic Resource Listings
As noted in the 1995 Garrow Associates report:"...Albemarle County has one of the best collections
of domestic architecture in Virginia, ranging in age from small mid-eighteenth century vemacular
dwellings to impressive, early twentieth century, Classical Revival mansions." The roster of County
properties, primarily the oldest and grandest, already listed on the Virginia Landmarks (State) Register
and on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) is impressive. At the beginning of
2000, there were 64 individual sites and five districts on the State Register. Five districts and all but
three of the individual sites are also on the National Register. Four National Register properties--
Monticello, the Rottmda and Lawn at the University of Virginia, a separate historic district at the
University, and Fiske Kimball's residence, Shack Mountain--have earned designation as National
Historic Landmarks, the highest national recognition category for historic resources. (See the map on
the following page that identifies the registered historic properties in Albemarle County.)
Monticello and the Rotunda/Lawn also appear on the Wo~d Heritage List designated by the
International Council on Monuments and Sites. It is an international honor accorded only six other
cultural resources and eight natural resource sites in the United States. Consequently, these two
Albemarle County sites rank with the Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Palace
of Versailles, and the Taj Mahal in terms of contribution to the heritage of the country in which they
are located.
Appendix B contains listings of Albemarle County's historic resources in four parts. Part 1 lists
properties currently on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
Wo~d Heritage List properties and National Historic Landmarks are indicated by an asterisk. Tl-ds list
of registered properties shows the tax map and parcel number, the name of the individual property or
district, and the date the property or district was designated for listing on the applicable register. If there
is no date shown in the National Register column, the property is either: (1) ineligible, generally due
to relocation from its original site; or (2) the property is a recent Virginia Landmark Register entry, and
the National Register process may not yet be completed.
Parts 2 through 4 have been compiled as carefully and as comprehensively as possible. In the absence
of a systematic process to collect information by either the County govemment or private organizations,
however, accurate, objective, and timely information is difficult to obtain: The committee therefore
requests that readers note omissions or inaccuracies, and provide corrections to the Albemarle County
Department of Planning and Community Development2 Analysis by category shows the following:
Part 2 lists 44 particularly noteworthy examples of successful preservation. It is interesting to note that
a majority of the resources are not included on the National or State Registers. This fact supports
assessments of the historic resource inventory potential in Albemarle County, and further suggests that
16
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Pie<~mont
Farm
/
Miller School
of Almade
Woodsto~k
Hall Tavern
East Belmont
·
i
i
i
i
·
Cove Presbyterian
Church
OF
SCOTTSVILLE
House
ALBEMARLE A
COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Registered Historic Properties
in Albernarle County
] VIRGtN1A LANDMARK REGISTER
i'~ NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES
®.ATioNAL.i oRicLANDMARK
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS
RURAL HISTORIC DISTRICT
SOURCES:
VIRGINIA HISTORICAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
PREPARED' BY:
Department of Planning and Community Development · Office of Mapping, Graphics and Information Resources (OOMGA[R)
,- 17
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there may be many unrecognized and unprotected important examples of vernacular architecture still
existing. Part 3 lists twelve buildings or structures that have been moved from their original setting, two
of which are on the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Part 4 lists 56 buildings, structures, or sites destroyed by fire, flood, demolition or neglect since the late
1960s, approximately two per year for the last three decades. Seven (13%) have been lost to fire or
flood, the remainder to human actions or neglect. This category listing suffers particularly from the lack
of a data collection system in previous years. In assembling this record retroactively, the committee has
gathered information from individuals and organizations active in the history and preservation of the
County. Assuredly, it understates the actual count of lost resources, and there is no way to determine
the extent of the error. Some demolitions do not require a permit, and until recently, even if a permit
was issued, there was no way for the issuing agency to determine if a historic resource was involved,
no procedure for reporting it, and no agency to receive the report. Until an ordinance is adopted which
requires documentation of proposed demolitions, it is recommended that all historic resources be
documented as fully as possible by County staff prior to demolition.
Strategy: Until an ordinance is adopted which requires documentation of proposed demolitions, all
historic resources to be demolished should be first documented by County staffas fully as possible.
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V, NATIONAL AND STATE RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION
A number of programs instituted at the national and state levels have become standard means for
recognizing the significance of historic resources. These programs have gained wide recognition, but
most offer no protection for the significant resources they recogrdze. This section provides some
additional perspective on the previously mentioned register listing in the context of other national and
state programs, followed by an assessment of protection effectiveness for historic resources.
National Government Organizations and Programs
The first articulation of a national policy for historic preservation came with the 1935 Historic Sites Act,
in which the U. S. Congress declared it a national policy "to preserve for public use historic sites,
buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United
States." Some 31 years later, concem over the widespread destruction of historic properties by
unprecedented post-war economic growth led to the National Preservation Act of 1966.
The 1966 Preservation Act significantly expanded the range of historic resources that would be the
concern of the federal government. by including properties important at the state and local level as well
as the national level. It also introduced financial incentives to spur rehabilitation of historic buildings
and structures. Since modified at least seven limes to improve administration and amend its incentives,
the act remains the principal statutory force undergirding historic preservation. The primary: actors in
the federal arena are the National Park Service in the Department of the Interior and the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation. Augmenting their efforts are private sector agencies. such as the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation Action. Major federal programs are discussed
below.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register, established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, is the official list
of the !buildings, skes and districts that define our nation's history. The National Register is part of the
national effort to identify, evaluate, and protect our architectural and archaeological resources. These
properties may be of local, state or national significance. Over 900,000 individual sites, buildings,
stmctures, and objects are currently listed, and about 90% are significant at the state and local level. The
National Register is a formal planning tool to encourage the preservation of important resources by
calling attention to their significance.
A National Register Historic District designation comprises a variety of buildings, sites, structures or
objects. A rural historic district (such as the Southwest Mountains National Register Rural Historic
District) officially recognizes the cultural, architectural, and landscape features of a historically
significant area, bringing them to the attention of the community, state, and nation.
Owners of properties on the National Register may be eligible for preservation grants when funding is
available, and may also be eligible for federal income tax credits when they rehabilitate income-
producing properties according to accepted guidelines.
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National Historic Landmarks Program
Established in 1937 under the Historic Sites Act of 1935, The National Historic Landmarks ' (NHL)
program provides official federal recognition of nationally significant properties. National Historic
Landmarks include National Register properties that represent the nation's most important historic and
cultural resources. Designation provides the same level of protection as National Register listing. A
federal agency must make every effort to minimize harm to NHLs when contemplating a project. There.
is no regulation of private or non-federal actions affecting National Historic Landmarks or properties
on the National Register. Benefits to owners of National Historic Landmarks are similar to those for
National Register property owners. The Department of the Interior also provides technical assistance
and makes an annual report to the U.S. Congress listing all threatened National Historic Landmarks.
Certified Local Government Program
Created by the national Historic Preservation Amendments Act of 1980, the Certified Local
Government (CLG) program allows the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO, which in Virginia
is the Director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources) and the Secretary of the Interior to
certify for formal participation in the national historic preservation program those local governments
that have certain elements of a preservation program in place. Twenty-three communities in Virginia
have joined the CLG program. Currently, for a local government in Virginia to be certified, it must
make provisions for:
· . A local historic preservation ordinance and a local review board;
· Review by the review board of all exterior alterations, relocations, or new construction
visible from a public right-of-way, and any proposed demolition within the district
boundaries;
· Maintenance of a system for survey and inventory of historic and cultural resources
coordinated with the Department of Historic Resources;
· Adequate public participation in the local preservation program; and
· Satisfactory performance of responsibilities delegated by national or state authorities.
CLG program benefits include a broader working relationship between the local government and the
State Historic Preservation Office and the expansion and encouragement of local involvement in
preservation concerns. In addition, Certified Local Governments:
· Assume a formal role in the identification, evaluation, and protection of the community' s
historic resources; ·
· Review National Register nominations for properties in their jurisdictions;
· Receive technical assistance from the Department of Historic Resources and the National
Park Service; and
· Are eligible to apply for matching grants from a 10% share of Virginia's annual federal
appropriation that must be set aside specifically for Certified Local Governments.
Individual grant awards generally range from about $7,000 to $15,000. In recent years, the VDHR has
been able to make six or seven awards each year. CLG program funds may be used for survey of
historic and archaeological resources; preparation of National Register nominations; development of
design review guidelines; amendments to preservation ordinances; preparation of preservation plans;
testing archaeological sites to determine their significance; and public education programs in historic
preservation.
2O
State Government Organizations and Programs
In early 1966, the Virginia General Assembly established the Virginia Landmarks Commission, one
of the first preservation offices in the country, pre-dating the National Preservation Act of 1966 by
several months. Since 1989, the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and a professional staff
of historians and archeologists have comprised the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the
successor to the Virginia Landmarks Commission. The SHPO is also the director of the Department
of Historic Resources (DHR), and is appointed by the Governor.
Based on the success of the Roanoke regional office established in 1989, DHR added three additional
regional offices in 1995-I996. These offices provide closer coordination with citizens and local officials
and are located in Winchester, Portsmouth, and Petersburg. The Capital Region Preservation Office
(CRPO) in Petersburg serves Albemarle County and other localities in Central and Southside Virginia.
Two citizen boards assist the DHR in its historic preservation duties, the State Board of Historic
Resources and the State Review Board. The Board of Historic Resources approves: (1) Completed
nomination reports for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register (and subsequent nomination to the
National Register); (2) Historic preservation easements; and (3) Sites in the highway marker program.
The Governor appoints its members. The Review Board approves proposed nomination reports for
listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register, and the director of the DHR appoints its members. TWo
state-wide private agencies also assist in historic preservation matters --the Preservation Alliance of
Virginia, a consortlure of historic preservation organizations throughout Virginia, and the Association
for the Protection of Virginia Antiquities (APVA).
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Code of Virginia Section 10. 1 -2200 et seq. outlines the general purposes of the Department of Historic
Resources, its Director, and the Board of Historic Resources, which are: the preservation, recordation,
and appreciation of historic resources. This section also outlines the types of assistance to be provided
to counties: establishing historic zoning districts, providing technical advice, establishing educational
programs, encouraging consideration of historic resources, and erecting highway markers.
Virginia Landmarks Register
The Virginia Landmarks Register, established in 1966, is an official list of buildings, structures,
districts, objects and sites that constitute the principal historical, architectural and archaeological
resources of the Commonwealth. The intent of the State Register, like that of the National Register,
is to recognize publicly the significance of the listed properties. Its additional function is to encourage,
but not require, local governments and property owners to consider the registered property' s historic,
architectural, archaeological and cultural significance in their planning and decision making.
A property owner, or with the owner' s consent, any interested individual or organization, may nominate
individual properties or districts for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register. The Virginia
Department of Historic Resources will provide a nomination packet and evaluate the completed forms
to determine eligibility for listing. As part of the nomination process, County officials, local
preservation groups, and adjacent property owners are notified and afforded the oppommity to
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comment. All properties approved for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register are, with the property
owner' s consent, nominated to the National Register. If detennined to be eligible, the property will then
be listed on the National Register.
Benefits for owners of property on the State Register include eligibility for: (1) Technical assistance
with repair and rehabilitation projects from the professional staff of the Department of Historic
Resources; and (2) State income tax credits for eligible rehabilitation of listed properties. Unlike the
federal income tax credit, the property need not produce income. The owner of each newly listed
property receives an authorization to purchase an official state plaque that may be affixed to the
property'.
Historic Easements
Owners of properties that are listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register may also elect to protect their
properties with a historic easement. Historic easements are administered by the Virginia Department
of Historic Resources under the Open Space Land Act (Code of Virginia Sections 10. 1 - 1700-1705). The
Board solicits and accepts preservation easements, which prohibit in perpetuity the inappropriate use
or development of scenic and historic land and buildings.
Conservation Easements
The Code of Virginia 10. 1-1009 et seq. authorizes the creation of conservation easements for the
purpose of protecting natural, scenic, or open space values. Easements may be donated by the
landowner to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation or other public holding agencies, normally through
individually negotiated agreements to limit development, but some ability to subdivide may be retained.
The minimum term of the easement is five years, but in order to qualify for federal tax deductions, must
be written for perpetuity. Local govemment is not directly involved in creating conservation easements.
Under provisions that went into effect on January 1, 2000, individuals and corporations may claim a
credit equal to 50% of the value of the easement against their Virginia State income tax liability. The
cap on the tax break is $50,000 for easements donated in 2000; $75,000 for those donated in 2001; and
$100,000 for those donated in 2002 or thereafter. A tax credit cannot exceed the mount of taxes owed
in a year, but the full credit may be spread over six years.
Survey and Planning Cost Share Program
Local governments and regional planning district commissions are eligible for this program
administered by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which provides matching funds and
project administration for competitively selected local projects. Such projects include the development
of local preservation plans, survey of historic property, and preparation of comprehensive survey
reports, archeological assessments, and selected National Register nominations. Sixty-five localities
have matched funds with the Department of Historic Resources to accomplish planning and survey
projects, including three in Albemarle County.
Protection Provided by National and State Programs
The State and National Register programs provide only a modicum of protection for the listed historic
resources. These registers primarily provide authoritative and public recognition that a place is a
historic and cultural resource and should be preserved. Neither program imposes any restriction on the
property owner; owners have no obligation to open their property to the public, to restore it, or even to
22
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maintain it, if they choose not to do so. National Register properties are afford~cl some protection from
projects which involve federal funds; the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation must
be allowed the opportunity to comment on federally-funded projects and their potential effects on
historic properties. This process normally imposes a delay while representatives of local, state, and
federal government attempt to develop alternatives which would be less threatening to the affected
property. Conservation easements protect land from inappropriate develollment, but do not protect
improvements (buildings and structures) on the land. Historic preservation easements, however, do
protect buildings and structures.
The General Assembly has provided private landowners, charitable organizations, localities such as the
County, and the State Department of Historic Resources and other State-level agencies with various
powers and incentives to preserve the historic resources of Virginia.
To be successful, a program to preserve historic resources should involve partnerships among all
interest groups. It shotrid be comprehensive and utilize all the tools that are available for its
implementation. On the County level, these tools include not only the exercise of the County' s zoning
power, but also its taxing power to provide tax incentives for the preservations of historic resources.
m
23
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VI. COUNTY RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION
The Virginia Constitution and the Code of Virginia grant authority to Virginia localities to protect their
historic resources. Albemarle County's Comprehensive Plan, including the Growth Management Goal,
provides the basis for the County's historic preservation program. This Historic Preservation Plan is
a statement of that program, and includes recommendations for both voluntary and regulatory measures.
State enabling legislation exists in the Code of Virginia to permit localities such as Albemarle to adopt
a historic overlay district in addition to the entrance corridor regulations that Albemarle has already
adopted. In addition, the County's general zoning regulations can be written in a way that encourages
adaptive use of historic resources. Voluntary measures, including protection efforts by citizen groups,
are an essential part of the County's preservation program. The County has the responsibility to provide
planning, educational programs and incentives for protection of historic resources. It 'should also
facilitate community partnerships, and set an example for the community in its stewardship of its
historic buildings. In addition, specific consideration is waxranted to help protect the viewshed of
Jefferson's Monticello.
Legal Basis
The Virginia Constitution and the Code of Virginia provide both general and specific authority for the
County to protect its historic resources.
The Virginia Constitution
Article XI Conservation states:
Section 1. Natural resources and historical sites of the Commonwealth.
"To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of
adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources, it shall be the policy of the Commonwealth
to conserve, develop, and utilize its natural resources, its public lands, and its historical sites and
buildings. Further, it shall be the Commonwealth's policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters
fi:om pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people
of the Commonwealth.
Section 2. Conservation and development of natural resources and historical sites.
In the furtherance of such policy, the General Assembly may undertake the conservation, development,
or utilization of lands or natural resources of the Commonwealth, the acquisition and protection of
historical sites and buildings, and the protection of its atmosphere, lands, and waters firom pollution,
impairment, or destruction..."
The Code of Virginia - Enabling Legislation
Enacted by the General Assembly, the Code of Virginia contains the enabling legislation that either
directs or allows Virginia's counties and independent cities to plan and implement measures for the
protection of historic resources in the Commonwealth. Legislative provisions pertinent to historic
preservation are extracted and described below.
Comprehensive Plan -- The Code of Virginia requires that a Comprehensive Plan be prepared and
adopted. Section 15.2-2223 states that the Comprehensive Plan may include, but need not be limited
to, "... the designation of historical areas and areas for urban renewal or other treatment..."
Historic Districts Law -- The Code of Virginia authorizes the County to preserve historical
resources through the establishment of historic districts. This important section of the Code,
Section15.2-2306 (formerly Section 15.1-503.2), provides for the preservation of historical sites and
areas in counties and mtmicipalities, and is reproduced in Appendix C. It allows the County to adopt
an ordinance that identifies historic landmarks, other buildings and structures of important :historic,
architectural, archaeological, or cultural interest, and historic areas. (Historic area is defined in Section
15.2-2201 (formerly Sectionl 5.1-430b) as "an area containing one or more buildings or places in which
historic events occurred or having special public value because of notable architectural, archaeological
or other features relating to the cultural or artistic heritage of the community, of such significance as
to warrant conservation and preservation.") The ordinance may delineate one or more historic districts
adjacent to those identified landmarks, buildings, or structures, or encompassing those historic areas.
Districts may also encompass parcels of land contiguous to arterial streets or highways that are
significant routes of tourist access to the locality or to the historic buildings or districts. This language
provides the basis for the existing Entrance Corridor Overlay District.
Section 15.2-2306 provides that the County may establish a review board with two functions: (1) To
review and certify whether a building or structure, including signs, that is proposed to be erected,
reconstructed, altered or restored within a historic district, is architecturally compatible with the historic
landmarks, buildings or structures in the district; and (2) To review and approve or disapprove the
razing, demolition or moving of a landmark, building or structure within a historic district. This section
outlines an appeals process that applies to both types of review by the review board. It also outlines
a specific procedure to be followed before an owner is permitted, as a matter of right, to raze or
demolish a historic landmark, building or structure.
Current state law authorizes the County by Section15.2-2306 to acquire in any legal manner any historic
area, landmark, building or structure, land pertaining thereto, or interest or estate therein if it is in the
public interest. The County may not use the right of condemnation unless the historic value is about
to be destroyed.
Open Space Land Act -- Code of Virginia Section 10.1-1700 et seq. authorizes public bodies such
as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the County Recreational Facilities Authority to acquire
interests in open space land in urban or urbanizing areas. Open space land is that which is provided or
preserved for, among others, "historic or scenic purposes."
Planning and Policy
Local planning for the preservation of historic resources is initiated in the Comprehensive Plan. The
historic resources goal seeks to protect those resources throughout the County, and the growth
management goal specifically addresses the importance of historic resources to the character of the
Rural Areas.
" 25
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The Comprehensive Plan
Resource protection efforts began in 1971 with the adoption of the County's first Comprehensive Plan
prepared by Rosser Payne. That plan recognized the need to protect Albemarle's irreplaceable assets:
its "beautiful stream valleys, scenic mountains, abundant woodlands, wildlife habitations, and mineral
deposits," and "to ensure that buildings and sites with historical or architectural value will not be
destroyed as the County develops."
The current Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives related to historic resources are:
GOAL: Protect the County's natural, scenic and historic resources in the Rural Area and
Development Areas.
GO AL: Protect the County's historic and cultural resources.
OBJECTIVE: Continue to identi~ and recognize the value of buildings, structures,
landscapes, sites and districts which have historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural
significance.
OBJECTIVE: Pursue additional protection measures and incentives to preserve Albemarle's
historic and archaeological resources in order to foster pride in the County and maintain the
County's character.
The 1992 Open Space Plan added the following strategy to the Action Agenda of the Comprehensive
Plan. It continues to be the most important recommendation of this Historic Preservation Plan:
"Adopt historic districts to protect individual structures or groups of structures and their
settings."
The strategies recommended in Section II of this Historic Preservation Plan replace the previous historic
resource protection strategies of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan and the 1992 Open Space Plan.
Historic Preservation Committee
A permanent Historic Preservation Committee should be created to provide assistance and advice
conceming the County's historic preservation program. If a Historic Overlay District ordinance is
adopted (page 29), the Historic Preservation Committee would work with the Design Planner and the
existing Architectural Review Board to coordinate preservation efforts. The Historic Preservation
Committee would be advisory to the Architectural Review Board, and would have powers and duties
as delegated by the Architectural Review Board.
If a regulatory ordinance is not adopted, the Historic Preservation Committee would focus its efforts
on implementing voluntary preservation techniques (page 34). While an ordinance is considered an
important component of this Plan, most of the recommended strategies focus on non-regulatory
activities such as educational programs, economic incentives, community involvement and cooperation
in the preservation process. Therefore, the Historic Preservation Committee will play an essential role
in the implementation of this Plan.
Growth Management
One of the important goals of County government is to maintain the rural character of the County
26
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i!i = ~,.~
without sacrificing economic vitality. Articulated in the first Comprehensive Plan in 1971, this goal
formed the core of the Cotmty's growth management policy. The policy, designed to both accommodate
the growth and developm~mt of the County, and to protect the County's natural, scenic, and historic
resources, has endured through subsequent Comprehensive Plan revisions. In its current form, revised
on June 5, 1996, it states:
GOAL: Protect and efficiently utilize County resources by:
A. Emphasizing the importance of protecting the elements that define the Rural Area:
1) Agricultural and forestry resources;
2) Water supply resources;
3) Natural resources;
4) Scenic resources;
5) Historic and cultural resources;
6) Limited service delivery.
Of these, the protection of agricultural and forestry resources is the highest priority.
B. Designating Development Areas where a variety of land uses, facilities, and services are
planned to support the County's future growth, with emphasis placed on infill development
Albemarle County residents enjoy a quality of life strongly influenced by the area's history, geography,
and climate. Its pastoral appearance, interspersed with scenic mountain vistas, and dotted by numerous
historic structures, attracted an increasing flow of new residents and visitors al~er World War II.
Despite some fifty years of population growth and the associated rise in housing demand, the County
has retained thus far much of its original appeal.
Historic preservation is generally considered to be a component of rural conservation in areas such as
Albemarle County, where an agrarian economy predominated during much of its history. The older
surviving historic buildings and structures typically relate directly or indirectly to agricultural pursuits.
Accordingly, a rural setting is an important part of the contribution by these historic resources to the
County's heritage. Many historic resources are also located within the Development Areas. Within
these areas, choices about growth and change should include the preservation of historic buildings and
structures. Adaptive use may be a practical approach to preserving these important historic resources.
The growth management policy has helped protect historic resources by restraining development threats
to the integrity of resources and their settings, or to individual resources. The table in Appendix D
displays growth and growth rates for population and dwellings in the County from 1940 through 1997,
the latest year for which the data are available. These data show the following:
By 1970, twenty-five years after World War II and one year before growth management began, the
population of Albemarle County was up fifty percent from 1940 to nearly 38,000; the number of
dwellings, increasing at a rate of about 300 per year, was approaching 12,000.
In 1980, when the County adopted a Rural Areas zoning district regulation, population exceeded
55,000, and the dwelling construction rate had climbed to more than 850 units per year.
From 1970 to 1980, the average annual growth rate rose to three times the rate of the previous
decade (1960-1970).
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Since 1980, growth rates for populatii~n and dwellings have declined from the 1970-1980 peak rates,
but have persisted at levels two times greater than the 1960-1970 decade, and six times greater. than
the 1940-1950 decade.
The County has attempted to alleviate the impact of continuing high growth rates on the Rural Areas
by a concerted effort to channel residential development into designated Development Areas, and also
has adopted additional open space protection techniques. Most of the techniques directly affecting the
Rural Areas emphasize voluntary measures such as agricultural/forestal districts, and the rural
preservation development option. In 1980 the County responded to an increasing threat to its rural area
watersheds by adopting a Rural Areas (RA)'zoning district regulation to restrain development in the
rural area. This regulation indirectly helps protect the setting of historic resources by restricting
residential density.
The data indicate that County efforts to encourage residential development in the designated
Development Areas are beginning to yield some modest results. Between 1981 and 1988 the dwelling
unit increase was about equally divided between the Rural Area and the Development Areas. Since
1988 the ratio has improved to one unit in the Rural Area for every two units in the Development Areas.
Moreover, by 1994 agricultural/forestal districts and conservation easements protected almost nineteen
percent of the County land area from development.
Despite these more recent favorable trends, residential development continues to threaten the ~County's
rural character. A 1995 study by the Piedmont Environmental Council examined land records since
1980 and found that at least 1,075 land parcels had been subdivided to yield some 3,069 new parcels,
most of which were less than 21 acres in size. This finding is consistent with the tabular data in
Appendix D, and the number of potential subdivision rights under the 1980 zoning regulations is
considerably higher. The recently published 1996 Draft Build-out Analysis of the Thomas Jefferson
Planning District projects a build out of 71,272 units in the Rural Area, and 51,390 units in the
Development Areas, a total of 122,662 units, nearly 5 times the latest 1998 Albemarle County Planning
estimate of 30, 607 units.
Regulatory Measures
State enabling legislation in Virginia requires local government to include consideration of historic
areas in their comprehensive plans. It also allows them to enact historic district zoning regulations,
which can be used to protect historic resources from destruction or inappropriate alteration. For
centuries, laws have required owners to use their property in ways that respect the needs of their
neighbors and society. In return, land owners and other taxpayers enjoy protection from actions that
could lead to a decline in the cumulative value of their investment. Today's zoning ordinances are
rooted in that long history of mutual restriction and protection.
Albemarle County has enacted land-use regulations to protect its farmland, forests, watersheds, and
entrance corridors, but not to protect its historic resources. The current recommendation of the Historic
Preservation Committee to provide effective legal protection for the County's historic resources by
means of historic district zoning regulation follows several previous attempts to implement the state
enabling legislation. Appendix F details the circumstances and issues associated with the earlier
attempts, and some of the changes associated with the current effort. Local historic district zoning is
the primary means by which government can provide effective legal protection for historic resources
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and their setting& Seventeen counties and more than fifty cities and towns in Virginia have enacted
such ordinances to protect their historic resources. If incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance, the
proposed Historic Overlay District ordinance would apply to historic properties within designated
Historic Overlay Districts.
Historic Overlay District Ordinance
The most important recommendation of this Plan is that Albemarle County should adopt a Historic
Overlay District zoning ordinance to ensure protection of its oCttstanding collection of historic and
cultural resources. The legal power to protect historic resources lies chiefly with local government.
Localities in Virginia may adopt zoning regulations to protect their historic resources. Historic district
ordinances are usually written as "overlay" districts that add restrictions to the underlying zoning
category. An overlay district is a zoning category applied in addition to, or "over," the zoning already
in place. The term "district," specified by the state code, applies to a single building, structure,
landscape or site, as well'as to a group of buildings, structures, landscapes or sites. Thus, a Historic
Overlay District ordinance may protect an individual property, or property in all or portions of a larger
historic area, such as a village.
The steps for implementing a Historic Overlay District ordinance may vary among localities, but the
typical steps (which Albemarle County may choose to follow if an ordinance is to be adopted) are as
follows. First, the existing zoning ordinance is amended to include the district regulations. Next,
specific districts are identified, designated by the Board of Supervisors through a zoning map
amendment process, and delineated on the zoning map.
Sound preservation practice suggests that the boundaries of a Historic Overlay District should be clearly
delineated to encompass areas that have demonstrated historic, architectural, archaeological and/or
cultural significance: Careful study of the physical resources and their surroundings, and associated
historical records, provides the basis for determining district boundaries. Provision of a written
justification for the boundaries is standard practice.
Sound preservation practice also suggests that a Historic Overlay District Ordinance should include a
listing of the criteria that will be used to determine whether or not a property or group of properties
qualifies for designation as a district. Criteria typically require a specific association with significant
historic events or persons, and/or the embodiment of distinctive architectural or artistic characteristics.
Boundaries are carefully drawn to encompass only the land area that is associated with the significance
of the district. Unrelated extraneous land area that does not add to the significance of the district is not
included. Establishing district boundaries according to specific criteria ensures that parcels of land that
have no significant relationship to the district are not subjected to district regulations.
In this Plan, the Historic Preservation Committee has recommended that state and national register
properties be among the first overlay districts designated. Then, historic resources within those
designated overlay districtswould_become subject to regulations administered by a review board. The
benefit in designating already registered properties first, particularly those recently registered, is that
the bulk of the survey and research work has been completed and the physical integrity of these
properties is more certain.
Owners of historic properties that are being considered for inclusion in an historic overlay district have
an important role to play in the designation process. Owner participation early in the process can clarify
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historical information, improve the delineation of district boundaries, and provide insight into potential
preservation issues specific to a particular property or area. It would also offer an oppommity to discuss
a locality's preservation policies, to disseminate general preservation information, to obtain the owner's
view on designation, and to explore related incentive programs.
It is recommended that a formal process be established to solicit owner participation in each district that
is proposed for designation in Albemarle County, and to incorporate the results of such participation
into the documentation presented to the Planning Commission for consideration. In additionto the right
to speak at the public hearing, this process would afford a property owner an opportunity to provide
initial input into designation procedures affecting his property. Owner participation could consist of a
meeting of the owner(s) with a combination ,of st:aft and representatives of the Historic Preservation
Committee and the Review Board, as well as visits to the site.
Historic overlay district ordinances are intended to protect historic structures from irrevocable exterior
alteration, razing, demolition or moving. To protect against inappropriate alterations or restorations,
ordinances may require mandatory review and approval by a review board for specified changes to
buildings and structures, including signs, within a designated district. Most ordinances include
regulations m ensure that alterations and restorations are compatible with the historic landmarks,
buildings or structures of the district, and that alterations to contributing historic buildings and
structures are reversible. Typically, guidelines are also adopted to ensure that reviews are objective and
consistent, and to ensure that the process reflects what the community values about is visible history.
Historic overlay district ordinances may also protect the setting of historic structures from incongruous
new construction by providing for review of new construction in designated districts. With this type
of provision in place, new buildings and structures are reviewed for compatibility with existing historic
structures and the historic character of the overall district. This provision is especially important in a
village setting.
Many historic district ordinances also require review of proposals for razing, demolition, or moving.
Resources threatened with this type of irreversible .change may be protected for a specified time period
during which a bona fide attempt must be made to sell the endangered property. If an offer is not made
on the property during that time period, then the review board is required to allow the razing, demolition
or moving to occur. Some ordinances require documentation of a resource prior to its demolition.
In addition, some ordinances outline a minimum maintenance requirement to protect historic structures
from "demolition by neglect." This term refers to structures that are deliberately allowed to deteriorate
to the point that a demolition permit must be issued to prevent a public safety hazard. By including an
affirmative maintenance provision in the ordinance, this situation can be prevented. Building elements
typically included in affirmative maintenance provisions are: exterior walls, vertical supports, roofs,
horizontal supports, external chimneys, exterior plaster or mortar, waterproofing elements, windows
and doors. Localities without minimum maintenance requirements can provide educational materials
(pamphlets, workshops, etc.) and encourage owners to voluntarily maintain their historic structures
against decay, deterioration, and structural damage. Rather than make maintenance a mandatory
regulatory requirement in Albemarle County, it is recommended that a variety of programs be
established to educate owners of historic properties about the importance of voluntarily maintaining
their historic resources. .
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Although eases of demolition by neglect do occur, it is also often tree that financial constraints may
impair an owner's ability to perfoE necessary routine maintenance on a historic property. Under such
circumstances, verbal wamings are generally futile and direct financial assistance may be appropriate.
It is recommended that the County pursue the establishment of a program to provide funding ~ for
maintenance of historic resources, and that the County seek enabling legislation to authorize the
program. It is further recommended that the goals of the program be: 1) the retention of a wide
spectrum of historic architecture, and 2) the protection of particularly significant cultural resources.
Additional protection can be afforded to any resources subject to historic overlay district ordinances if
civil penalties are imposed when such resources are moved, razed or demolished without proper
approval. It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors request enabling legislation to permit the
County to impose a meaningful civil penalty for demolitions of historic resources undertaken without
County approval. A civil penalty in the amount of the replacement value of the structure as a historic
resource, rather than its immediate value to the owner, would be appropriate. Some localities are
enabled to charge twice the fair market value of the structure. The current maximum civil penalty for
violation of the Albemarle County zoning ordinance is $100 for the first violation and $150 for each
successive violation, with a $3000 cap. It is recommended that penalties collected in this manner be
dedicated to funding components of the County's historic preservation program, such as a revolving
fund or a matching grants program.
The purpose of an historic overlay district ordinance is to protect irreplaceable historic resources. An
ordinance need not be intrusive if the County also stresses the value of education, incentives, and
assistance to property owners in selecting options that are practical, aesthetically pleasing, historically
accurate, and affordable.
Strategies:
Adopt a Historic Overlay District ordinance to recognize and protect historic, architectural,
archaeological, and cultural resources, including individual sites and districts, on the local level.
Designate locally significant districts and sites. Staff with properties already on the State and
National Registers. Consider recommendations from Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle
County Villages for additional districts.
Establish a formal process to obtain owner participation and comment early in the designation
orocess.
Rather than make maintenance a mandatory regulatory requirement, educate the owners of historic
properties about the importance of voluntarily maintaining historic structures against decay,
deterioration, and structural damage to avoid possible loss of historic resources.
Pursue the establishment of a financial program to provide funding for maintenance of historic
resources.
The Board of Supervisors should request enabling legislation that would allow Albemarle County
to impose a meaningful civil penalty for inappropriate demolition, razing or moving of any
designated historic resource. This enabling legislation should also authorize the County to use the
civil penalties collected to fund components of the County's historic preservation program.
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Other Zoning Considerations for Historic Preservation
Zoning provisions can encourage or 'hinder adaptive reuse of historic structures. For example, the
current zoning ordinance allows restaurants and inns in the Rural Area by special use permit only within
historic landmarks that have been previously used as a restaurant, tavern or inn. Examples are
Woodstock Hall and Clifton Inn. But, RA zoning hinders the reuse of historic structures in certain
"crossroads communities," such as Batesville or Free Union, because buildings may not be permiRed
to be used for their historic purpose. In some cases this zoning regulation virtually guarantees their
continued deterioration, and should be reexamined. Additional provisions to allow more varied uses
in historic properties, especially those in a village setting, would support historic preservation.
Another way to assure the compatibility of zoning and historic preservation is to 'allow the zoning
administrator more flexibility to approve non-conforming modifications to historic resources that do
not jeopardize public health and safety.
Other existing zoning provisions should be reviewed to assure that they could accommodate
requirements for preserving the character of a historic district. Otherwise the zoning ordinance will
appear to advocate a different vision for the district than the historic district guidelines. As written, the
current 'zoning ordinance regulates construction throughout the County with an understandable focus
on consistent criteria. In application, however, this approach may not be appropriate for in~ll
development in existing .historic villages such as Crozet. For example, a "build to" line rather than a
required setback would be more appropriate for a historic community. Excessive parking requirements,
or parking located in front of a building, may create unnecessary gaps in the streetscape. Large
buildings, which might be allowed by existing zoning, may also destroy the existing scale of a historic
area. The zoning ordinance should include alternative regulations that will allow infill development
to follow traditional development paRems.
Strategies:
Examine existing zoning requirements to assure their consistency with the goal of historic
preservation. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow: more varied uses to encourage the reuse of
historic structures; greater flexibility in the application of existing zoning requirements; and
traditional development patterns that preserve the character of a historic district.
Make Design Planner comment regarding the potential impact of development proposals on historic
resources consistently available for pertinent Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors
deliberations.
Entrance Corridor Overlay District
Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia authorizes localities to regulate the design of development
along streets, roads, and highways providing access to significant historic structures and to cities and
towns to insure that such development is compatible with the architecture of the historically significant
landmarks, buildings, and structures to which these routes lead. These "entrance corridors" are to be
designated by the locality. The review of development proposals within such corridors is to be
undertaken by locally designated Architectural Review Boards.
On October 3, 1990, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors adopted Sections 30.6 (Entrance
Corridor Overlay District) and 34A (Architectural Review Board). Section 30.6 designates a number
of highways as entrance corridors and establishes standards for reviewing development proposed within
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those corridors. Section 34A establishes a five-member Architectural Review Board (ARB), and
charges the ARB with the responsibility of, among other things, proposing and administering design
guidelines for development proposed within the entrance corridors.
It is recommended that the existing ARB serve as the review board for the recommended Historic
Ove~ay District ordinance. To serve that additional function, it is recommended that the ARB be
expanded to 7 members, and that it be called "review board," in keeping with the language of Section
15.2-2306.
Strategies:
The existing Architectural Review Board should serve as the review board for the recommended
Historic Overlay district ordinance.
Add members to the existing Architectural Review Board. Change its name to "Review Board."
Archaeological Program
Archaeological site protection may be accomplished by adopting an archaeological resource protection
ordinance. The ordinance normally includes a system or methodology to identify, evaluate and, if
necessary, protect archaeological resources. Evaluation may include monitoring, testing procedures,
and development of a treatment plan. Protection may include the imposition of delay periods, salvage
archaeology, or preservation of the site. Currently, Albemarle County has no regulatory measures in
place for the protection of archaeological resources.
A mapping system may assist in the identification of prehistoric sites. Archaeological zones can be
delineated based on analysis of the potential for areas to contain archaeological sites. A 1985 study by
the University of Virginia Department of Anthropology, The Archaeology of Albemarle County, states
that most sites occur within 900 feet of a major drainage (i.e., the Rivanna, James, Hardware, and
Moorroans Rivers), and less than 100 feet in elevation above that drainage. It is recommended that a
map of potential prehistoric archaeological sites be prepared and maintained for consultation during the
review of development proposals, to determine potential impacts.
Historic sites also have archaeological resource potential. It is recommended that the County seek state
and federal grant funds to conduct an archaeological survey of designated historic period sites and/or
districts to evaluate their archaeological resource potential. For example, the Historic Architectural
Survey of Albernarle County Villages recommended archaeological surveys in the Villages of Milton
and Advance Mills. Regarding Milton, the study states:
In the early nineteenth century, Milton apparently consisted of a dozen homes, as well as several
businesses, warehouses and wharves. The site of Milton is potentially one of the most important
archaeological sites in the County. Based on historical information obtained on Milton so far,
the site merits intensive archaeological investigation. Following this investigation, the site
should be evaluated for its potential for listing on the National Register.
Strategies:
Maintain a map of potential prehistoric archaeological sites for planning purposes, to be consulted
during development review.
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The County should seek available state and federal grant funds to conduct an archaeological survey
of designated historic period sites and/or districts, including photographic documentation, as
appropriate, to evaluate their archaeological resource potential.
Voluntary Measures and Techniques
In addition to the voluntary programs offered at the national and state levels -- Certified Local
Govemment, the National and Virginia Landmark Registers, and the Conservation and Historic
Easements -- there are also voluntary procedures available at the local level. The County should
encourage owners of historic properties to seek designation on the Virginia and National Registers. It
should promote historic and conservation easements and 'other voluntary measures. The County should
make available information regarding tax incentives and designation procedures, and help coordinate
the completion of applications and documentation, as time and resources permit.
The County should follow the recommendations of the Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle
County Villages by encouraging or actively seeking designation of the villages of Advance Mills,
Crozet, White Hall, and Yancey Mills, which the survey identified as potentially eligible. The
nomination for Advance Mills has recently been initiated, and the villages of Proffit and Batesville,
which were also identified in the survey, have already been successfully listed through the efforts of
the Proffit Neighborhood Association and the Batesville Historical Society. The County should initiate
additional studies of potential rural historic districts, similar to the Southwest Mountains National
Register Rural Historic District, in areas which include numerous register properties and potentially
eligible properties. The Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages recommends study
of the Greenwood/Country Store/Newtown area for a rural historic district. Other potential areas may
be located along historic corridors, such as the Road to Secretary's Mill (Rt. 20 South - Rt. 717), the
Staunton and James River Turnpike (Rt. 692 - Rt. 712 - Rt. 20 South), and the Brown's Gap Turnpike
(Rt.629 - Rt. 810 - Rt. 680).
Strategies:
Encourage owners of historic properties to seek designation on the Virginia and National Registers,
thereby attaining eligibility for State financial incentives. Provide basic information to help initiate
the designation process and tax credit applications. Seek and coordinate the work of interns and
volunteers to assist in the completion of documentation required for nomination.
The County should encourage or actively seek designation on the Virginia and National Registers
of the villages of Advance Mills, Crozet, D'hite Hall, and Yancey Mills, as identified in the "Historic
Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages."
Initiate studies similar to the Southwest Mountains historic district study. in other areas of the
County that include numerous register properties and potentially eligible properties.
Promote historic and conservation easements and other voluntary measures.
Promote preservation by making available information regarding tax incentives and designation
procedures.
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Proposed Preservation Activities
This Plan recommends that a permanent Historic Preservation Committee be created to provide
assistance and advice concerning the County's historic preservation program. It is also recommended
that the Architectural Review Board expand its focus to include historic preservation, in addition to
Entrance Corridor review. With or without a regulatory ordinance in place, the following are
recommended activities for the existing Architectural Review Board or the proposed Historic
Preservation Committee:
· Act in an advisory role to other officials and departments of lbcal government regarding protection
of local historic resources;
· Conduct, or cause to be conducted, a continuing survey of historic resources in the community;
· Disseminate information within the locality on historic preservation issues and concerns;
· Coordinate local preservation efforts with those of local historic and preservation organizations, the
Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and other interested parties, both public and private;
· Investigate and support incentives programs including heritage tourism events and activities;
· Investigate and support heritage education activities; -
· Advise owners of historic properties on issues of preservation, as requested.
· Solicit and incorporate the views of affected property owners in the designation process.
Strategy: Create a permanent Historic Preservation Committee to provide assistance and advice
concerning the County's historic preservation program.
Rural Preservation Developments
The Rural Preservation Development (RPD) option was added to the Zoning Ordinance in 1989. It is
intended to encourage more effective use of the land than can be achieved under conventional
development interms of the Comprehensive Plan's goals and objectives for the Rural Area. All
development lots are clustered in an RPD, with the remaining acreage protected as open space by a
perpetual easement held by the County and its Public Recreational Facilities Authority. The benefits
of an RPD are: 1 ) That large tracts remain undisturbed without reducing the overall density of a by-right
development; 2) That the smaller lots consume less open space than the combination of large and small
lots in a conventional development; and 3) That the remaining acreage is protected by a perpetual
easement, but may continue to be used for agriculture and forestry activities, including a residence and
farm related structures.
Purchase of Development Rights/Acquisition of Conservation Easements
The purchase of development rights is permitted under the Open Space Land Act (Code of Virginia
Sections 10.1-1700-1705), which gives authority for any public body to acquire title to, or any interests
or rights of not less than five years duration in, real property that will provide a means for the
preservation of open space land. Purchase of development rights is similar in effect to a conservation
easement, but the easement is purchased instead of donated. The success of a PDR program is limited
by available funds and the number of property owners willing to sell development rights. Purchase of
development rights is a method that may be used to protect historic settings from additional
development. But, because the ownership of the land remains with the farmer or private landowner,
the historic structure itself is not protected.
The Board of Supervisors recently held a public heating and agreed to move forward on the
development of an ordinance regarding the acquisition of conservation easements (ACE). Landowners
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participating in the ACE program voluntarily enter into agreements with the county to sell the
development potential for their properties. To be eligible for the ACE program, properties must achieve
a minimum score on an established ranking system, Points are awarded to properties that include
resources listed on the State or National Registers, that are included in State or National Rural Histori~
Districts, and that are included in the primary viewshed of Montilcello. The ACE program provides a
method of attaining a balance between landowner's rights and responsibilities and the public value of
rural land. The County is pursuing this initiative concurrently with the consideration of the Historic
Preservation plan. If both the proposed initiative and the recommended historic ove~ay district
ordinance were to be adopted, it would appear appropriate to allow point credit for properties subject
to the ordinance. For property not subject to the ordinance, the inclusion of appropriate language in the
deed of easement could protect any historic resources within the property boundaries.
Strategy: When adopted, the Purchase of lDevelopment Rights/Acquisition of Conservation Easement
Program should award additional points to properties that include historic resources subject to the
proposed historic overlay district ordinance.
Use Value Taxation
The use value taxation (land use tax) program complements the RA zoning category by allowing a
reduction in property taxes for property in actual use for agriculture, horticulture, forestry or open space.
Use value taxation encourages the deferral of development of the rural areas, which also indirectly
protects historic settings.
Agricultural and Forestal Districts
The Agricultural and Forestal Districts Act is a voluntary program which provides a landowner with
certain benefits and protections for the agricultural or forestry use of the land, in exchange for
conditions which limit development of the property during a specified number of years. Agricultural
and forestal districts protect the rural areas and thus, indirectly encourage the protection of historic
settings.
Advisory Review of Development Proposals
If a Historic Overlay District is adopted, a procedure should be established for Review Board advisory
review of development proposals located within or abutting a locally designated overlay district. The
purpose of the review would be to recommend ways to reduce any possible adverse impacts of rezoning
applications, special use permits, site plans and subdivision plats on the settings of locally designated
historic resources and districts. This review should be incorporated into the current review process,
without increasing the required review time. It would be similar to the role the County's
AgriculturaFForestal Advisory Board plays in the review of development near agricultural/forestal
districts. This advisory review provision would help ensure that historic preservation considerations are
available as part of the decision making process.
Strategy: Establish an advisory review by the Review Board of all rezonings, special use permits, site
plans and subdivision plats for proposals located within or abutting a locally designated overlay
district, for the purpose of maMng recommendations on preserving the settings of designated districts
and sites.
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Protection Efforts by Citizen Groups
There are at least seven local, regional, and statewide organizations whose activities directly or
indirectly benefit historic preservation in Albemarle County. Their range of interest varies from a direct
focus on the preservation of historic resources to a general involvement in issues that bear on the overall
quality of life in the County. Some primarily focus on educating the public, while others prepare and
advocate positions on issues at government hearings and in the public media. The composition of these
citizen groups extends from small, all-volunteer organizations to large associations with a paid staff
augmented with volunteers. Appendix E provides a list of these organizations.
Two such organizations are more than fifty years old. The Albemarle County Historical Society
(ACHS), founded in 1940, promotes an interest in local history for the County and the City of
Charlottesville. Its activities include maintaining a reference library, organizing public programs and
exhibits,. publishing an annual magazine and periodic bulletins, and conducting walking tours. Its
library holdings include material describing selected historic resources throughout the area. The
Charlottesville-Albemarle League of Women Voters, formed in 1946, is the local arm of a nationwide
organization. Its goal is to provide information to the electorate about candidates for local office and
public policy issues. Although not necessarily an advocate for historic preservation, the local League
has generally supported protection of historic resources as an element of the community's quality of life.
Two citizen groups, Citizens for Albemarle (CfA) and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), are
strong advocates of growth management and rural conservation. CfA, created in 1971, is a local group
that has .been active in most public policy issues and was an early advocate of historic preservation. The
goal of the PEC, formed in 1972, is to preserve the traditional character and visual order of the
countryside, towns, and villages throughout a nine-county region of the northern Piedmont. Its
headquarters are in Warrenton, and it operates an office in Charlottesville. PEC advocates historic
preservation as a component of rural conservation.
Three recently instituted groups focus on one or more aspects of historic preservation. The Preservation
Alliance of Virginia is a statewide consortiurn of more than 140 historic preservation organizations as
well as individual members. Established initially in Charlottesville during 1984, its headquarters were
moved to Staunton, but now are again located in Charlottesville. The Alliance hosts an annual
conference, conducts workshops on preservation techniques, publishes material on current issues, and
actively lobbies the General Assembly on behalf of historic preservation. Another statewide
organization, the venerable (1889) Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA)
operates locally through its Thomas Jefferson Branch, created in 1986. The Branch provides
educational programs for the public and makes annual preservation awards to deserving individuals and
projects. Preservation Piedmont is a local historic preservation organization formed in 1993 to provide
an advocacy group for citizens of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and in counties bordering
Albemarle. Preservation Piedmont sponsors programs and projects~ identifies threats to historic and
archeological resources, and promotes actions to counter those threats.
In addition to these formally incorporated citizen groups, the County has many community or
neighborhood associations. Often formed to organize resistance against a specific threat to their
community, some have continued to exist at varying levels of activity. These local associations
frequently have succeeded in arresting or modifying pending public policy decisions or threats to
historic resources that are important to their community. It is not unusual in such instances for the local
association to be supported by one or more of the formally incorporated groups described above.
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Effectiveness of Voluntary Measures'
Voluntary programs, whether at local, national, or state levels, primarily provide direct protection only
for the setting of a historic resource;protection for the actual historic resource is indirect. The principle
exception is Virginia's Historic Easement program, which is available exclusively to those historic
resources listed on the Virginia Landmarks or National Registers. The Certified-Local Govemment
(CLG) program operates only if the local government has the qualifying procedures in place, starting
with a Historic Overlay District ordinance.
Historic resources listed on the Virginia Landmark and National Register, and those non-listed
properties cited in Appendix B as examples of successful preservation, attest to commendable voluntary
action by their owners. These resources show that some property owners do voluntarily preserve their
historic resources. 'However, properties on register lists primarily reflect the high end on the economic
scale of our cultural heritage. The threat appears greatest for the unlisted and lesser-known properties,
those local and traditional buildings and structures used by the majority of our citizens in the past. It
is precisely those historic resources with which the bulk oftoday's residents can identify, and which
would be under-represented in any voluntary scheme.
The cultural heritage of Albemarle County draws fxom the blend of diverse individual cultures and
economic stares of its people across the ages. It is these people, their stories, and the buildings
associated with their daily activities that make the County' s heritage unique, and therefore worthy of
protection for our own benefit and for that of future generations. It is recommended that the historic
resources that are designated for protection should reflect the same broad cultural and economic
spectrum as the people who: built and used them. This is an important step in fostering a sense of
community contribution, continuity, and belonging in the maximum number of our current and future
citizens.
In the absence of a local historic preservadon ordinance, direct protection of historic resources in
Albemarle County will depend on the efforts of individual property owners and groups of concemed
citizens. Established regnlatory measures, balanced with voluntary efforts, can better ensure that a broad
spectrum of the County's significant historic resources will be protected for future generations.
1 The Historic Preservation Committee believes that a preservation program that relies solely on voluntary action
is inherently inadequate. It would diminish both the number and diversity of protected historic resources, and would allow
individual decisions to affect, in perpetuity, which elements of the various cultural and economic segments of the County's
historical! character will be protected.
To permit an individual property owner to choose whether or not to allow the inclusion of his property in a historic
overlay district undercuts the purpose of providing protection for a wide spectrum. of the County's historic resources. The
number of historic resources destroyed in recent years indicates that the threat is real, and that it is increasing. (See
Appendix B, List 4.) Adopting an ordinance to which no property is subject is not a serious method for protecting the
Cotmty's heritage. There is no known example of an effective Voluntary historic preservation ordinance in Virginia.
The Historic Preservation Committee concludes that voluntary measures are necessary and the plan encourages
their continued and expanded use, but as several other localities :in Virginia have already learned, they are not sufficient
to effectively protect the broad Spectrum of our cultural heritage. It should be noted, however, that the mandatory aspects
of the historic preservation process we propose also include clear provisions for the property owner to participate actively
in any action that affects his property~ This participationwould begin at the initial comment stage and includes the right
of appeal.
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The County as a Good Neighbor
As an active participant in the historic community, the County has certain responsibilities beyond the
provision and administration of a historic overlay district ordinance and related regulations. This Plan
highlights the importance of planning, education and incentives to the preservation process, and outlines
how the County can contribute to this effort. This Plan stresses the concept that a total community
involvement is required for success, including participation in regional and state alliances and
parmerships. The County can also take the lead in setting an example for the community in its
stewardship of historic buildings.
The public education process should begin with the .education of the various County boards and
decision making bodies about the value of historic resources to the community. This steps helps to
insure that public policy decisions reflect the recognition that historic resources: (I) provide tangible
evidence of our heritage, (2) set Albemarle County apart as a place different from other localities, and
(3) contribute to the County's economic vitality.
Concurrent education of the County staff on the value of historic resources should emphasize the
relationship between the functional responsibilities of each department and the protection of these
v. aluable and irreplaceable assets.
The County can provide information to the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, the
Department of Historic Resources, and other interested groups and organizations to keep them informed
about County preservation efforts. The County can also play a key role in coordinating and bolstering
partnerships which include individual citizens, businesses, schools, government officials (County, City
and State), various interest groups such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, local
preservation and community organizations, and neighborhood groups. This type of coordination
ensures that all parties are kept apprised of changes to County regulations and policies on preservation
matters; that all interested groups are given the oppommity to comment on and participate in County
preservation activities; that the County benefits from the wide experience and expertise that exists in
the local preservation community; and that historic preservation is fully integrated into the planning and
implementation process.
The County can participate in regional alliances and partnerships, such as Heritage Area initiatives,
discussed on page 48. The County can declare support for the statewide "Celebrate Virginia"
promotion in May, sponsored by the Department of Historic Resources and the Virginia Tourism
Corporation. The statewide special events program features Virginia communities telling their stories
and promoting their cultural assets.
A primary responsibility of the County is the continued good stewardship of the historic resources under
its control. These resources include the County Office Building, the County Courthouse, the Old Jail,
the Old Crozet High School, Broadus Wood Elementary School, and Stony Point Elementary School.
By maintaining and rehabilitating these resources in appropriate ways, the County can set an example
that historic buildings can contribute significantly to everyday life.
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Strategies:
Educate the various County boards and decision maMng bodies about the value of historic resources
to our community.
Educate County staff, including planners, engineers, inspectors, etc., about the County's historic
resources. Provide guidance on identification and treatment of historic resources as it relates to the
various departmental tasks and responsibilities.
Keep the City of Charlottesville, the University, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and
other interested groups informed about County preservation efforts.
Seek to create and strengthen partnerships among all'interest groups to forward .the cause of historic
preservation throughout the County and the Region.
The County should continue to be a good steward of the historic resources that it controls.
The County should declare support annually for the statewide "Celebrate Virginia "promotion.
Protecting Monticello's Viewshed
Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, is located in Albemarle County, just southeast of
Charlottesville. Jefferson began the design of Monticello, "Little Mountain," in 1770, and worked on
it over a period of forty years, completing an extensive revision in 1809. Perhaps more than any other
presidential home in the United States, Monticello reflects the interests, values, and attitudes of its
owner and the times in which he lived. Jefferson, as architect, scientist, agriculturist and citizen of
Albemarle County, was acutely aware of his surroundings, the lands he owned and those adjacent to
and leading to Monticello. The contribution of this rural setting is invaluable to the national and
international significance of Monticello as a National Historic Landmark, the highest status bestowed
on historic properties by the United States government. It is also the only home in America on the
World Heritage List. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) has preserved and
maintained Monticello open to the public since 1923.
Monticello's elevated location adjacent to the Pantops Development Area means that its once-rural
setting is now subject to significant change. Increased development in the surrounding Rural Area may
also impact Monticello's setting. For Monticello to be viewed in any semblance of its original context
by the hundreds of thousands of visitors who tour it annually, an effort must be made to protect the rural
character of the viewshed. From a purely economic standpoint, the protection of the viewshed is
important in sustaining the drawing power of Monticello as a national monument. The most recent
available data shows that, in 1990 there were 550,183 visitors to Monticello, which translated into over
$159 million in revenue to the County.
Albemarle County therefore has a cultural responsibility and an economic interest in helping to protect
Monticello's viewshed, which has been simply defined as "all property visible from the mountaintop."
The key to this viewshed protection effort is precise delineation of the viewshed; careful enforcement
of existing regulations; and a more formalized procedure beginning early in the planning process to
encourage cooperation.
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The Open Space Plan contains the following strategy, which the Historic Preservation Committee
supports:
Through the Historic Preservation Committee, define the Monticello viewshed, considering the
viewshed analysis prepared for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation. After the viewshed
has been established, protect Monticello's setting and viewshed through: · Strict enforcement of existing regulations;
· Careful review of by-right development plans [site plans and subdivisions] with
suggestions for voluntary protection measures; and
· Requirement of protection measures on discretionary [rezonings and special use
permits] land use proposals.
In addition, the recommended historic district ordinance and Entrance Corridor plans can
provide protection for Monticello.
The TJMF has identified three locations at Monticello for which viewshed protection is of paramount
concern. The locations are:(1) the northwest ten'ace promenade where visitors exit the house and begin
to explore the'grounds; (2) the shuttle bus stop northeast of the house; and (3) the uppermost, primarily
pedestrian, mad about a half-mile in circumference that encircles the house C'First Roundabout').
From the above listed locations, using the 1990 Monticello Viewshed Analysis and Protection Strategy
prepared by the Trust for Public Lands and using current technology, it would be possible to locate the
most important areas'in the viewshed by tax map and parcel number. This level of detail will be needed
to manage the viewshed protection process effectively.
Current regulations most applicable to development within the areas identified through the above
procedure include the: Entrance Corridor Overlay District; Outdoor Lighting Ordinance; Rural
Preservation Development Option; and Site Plan and Subdivision Ordinance.
The Entrance Corridor Overlay District zoning regulation can contribute to the preservation of rural
character along the major entry routes to Monticello, which is a desirable part of a visitor' s experience.
It can also provide effective design control for new construction in developed areas such as Pantops.
These regulations must be balanced with viewshed considerations, however: For example, the location
of parking lots behind buildings to make them less visible from the entrance. corridor, could have the
undesirable effect of making them more visible from Monticello.
The recently adopted Outdoor Lighting Ordinance will benefit Monticello because it requires new lights
to be directed downward and they are therefore less obtrusive when viewed from higher elevations. In
rural areas, the Rural Preservation Development option provides a means to cluster development, which
if properly located, could mitigate the visual impact of by.right subdivisions on the viewshed.
Careful site planning in Development Areas can minimize the potential impact of development as
viewed from Monticello. Much can be hidden through prudent use of existing topography and
vegetation, and existing regulations regarding landscaping, screening, and tree cutting can help maintain
a concealing green canopy. The following guidelines provide specific suggestions for consideration
during the design phase of development with the anticipated result being a minimal visual impact on
the Monticello viewshed.
1. Parking lots are best concealed when located on the far side of the building (as viewed from
Montieello) and when the area is broken up by plantings.
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2. Building facades 'are less intrusive if articulated and not monolithic.
3. Earth-tone colors such as reddish-brown brick help to soften the visual impact of a building.
If not adopted for the street side, consider it for the back of the building if it faces Monticello.
4. Dark roofs (black, gray) are preferred, Mottled patches of light and dark stone can camouflage
expansive flat roofs.
5. Screening by a long narrow border of trees of a single species should be avoided. Landscaping
and buffer areas should use a variety of planting materials. A canopy of lofty trees (such as
tulip poplars) to screen out development should be planted if the vista from Monticello is angled
down on the site. The lower limbs of the trees can be pruned to open ground-level views while
protecting the vista from Monticello.
6. The lighting of buildings and parking areas should be shielded to eliminate glare and light
pollution.
Experience indicates that the lviewshed can be protected best if land use regulations are augmented by
a cooperative effort that begins early in the planning process and leads to voluntary measures. The
Albemarle County Department of Planning and Community Development could establish a formal
process for notifying the Thomas Jefferson Memorial FOundation (TJMF) of proposed development in
the designated viewshed area, and could strongly encourage developers to consult with the TJMF. The
TJMF could assist the developer early in the process - at the design stage - so that the development is
sensitive to the viewshed issue and the viewshed impacts could be voluntarily minimized. As a final
step in the process, the Department of Planning and Community Development could insure that the
TJMF is afforded an opportunity to comment on a proposed site plan within the designated viewshed
prior to approval.
Strategy: To help protect the Monticello viewshed, the Department of Planning and Community '
Development should:
1) Use current technology to precisely delineate the Monticello viewshed. Make this information
available for use in development review.
2) Enforce careful application of existing land use regulations.
3 ) Adopt a more forrealized procedure that begins early in the planning process to encourage
cooperation between the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) and developers. of
property within the viewshed.
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VII. PRESERVATION INCENTIVES AND ECONOMICS
Historic preservation has provided a positive economic bonefit in communities around the state through
job creation, increased property values and tourism. A historic preservation program for the community
should balance regulation with education and incentives. Incentives are available at the federal and
state levels, and should be created at the local level. Heritage tourism encourages preservation while
providing educational benefits to the public, and economic benefits to the community.
Economic Benefits
The Preservation Alliance of Virginia issued a report in 1996, Virginia's Economy and Historic
Preservation: the ImpaCt of Preservation on Jobs, Business and Community. The study found that
historic preservation is a key component within Virginia' s economy.
Significant jobs are created through the rehabilitation of Virginia' s historic buildings. Over the last 15
years, 900 historic buildings have been rehabilitated in Virginia, providing 12,697 jobs. Because such
rehabilitation is labor intensive, the process creates more jobs than comparable new construction.
Preservation activities create a need for the specialized services of masons, painters, carpenters,
historians, architects, engineers, archaeologists, artists, landscape architects, and experts in all building
trades.
Nearly 75% of first time visitors to Virginia are visitors to historic sites, as indicated by data from the
Department of Economic Development. Tourism generated by historic preservation visitors benefits
local economies in increased retail, hotel, and restaurant, etc. sales. For example, as noted in the
previous section, over 550,000 visitors to Monticello in 1990 generated $159 million to the local
economy, according to data from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Visitors Bureau. The Preservation
Alliance study reports that historic preservation visitors stay longer, visit twice as many places and
spend, on average, over two-and-a.half times more money in Virginia than do other visitors.
The report also included information showing the positive impact of historic districts on property
values. For example, in Richmond's Shockoe Slip, assessments increased 245% between 1980 and
1990, compared to an 8.9% increase citywide. In Staunton, residential properties in every one of the
four historic districts appreciated from 51.9 % to 66% over the period from 1987-1995, while non-
historic district property appreciated an average of 51.1%. In Fredericksburg, commercial property
inside the historic district increased by an average of 480% from 1971 to 1990, while commercial
property outside the district increased by an average of 281%. The Preservation Alliance report
concludes that historic preservation creates economic growth through job creation, increased property
values, and tourism.
Incentives for Historic Preservation
A number of economic incentives are available at various levels for the preservation of historic
resources. Federal and state tax credits, easements, and the potential for creating revolving funds and
local tax exemptions are described below.
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Federal Tax Credit
Rehabilitation tax credits have been provided by the federal tax code since 1976. National Register
properties which are rehabilitated for income-producing industrial, commercial or residential purposes
may qualify for a rehabilitation tax credit. Under this program, owners can take a 20 percent federal
income tax credit on the cost of rehabilitating a certified historic structure. The federal income tax
credit is calculated as a percentage of the eligible rehabilitation expenses. All rehabilitation work must
meet the Secretary of the Interior' s Standards for Rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation to a commercial use of non-historic buildings built before 1936 can qualify investors for
a 10% credit.
State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Beginning on January 1, 1997, owners of certified historic structures incurring rehabilitation expenses
in the rehabilitation of those structures are entitled to a state income tax credit as follows:
1997 10%
1998 15%
1999 20%
2000 and thereafter 25%
If the amount of the credit exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability for the taxable year, the amount that
exceeds the liability may be carded over for credit against the income taxes of the taxpayer in the next
ten taxable years, or until the credit is used, whichever occurs first.
This tax credit is significant because it permits the use of the credit for personal residences as well as
income-producing properties.
For the purposes of this credit, a certified historic structure is one that is listed, or is eligible for listing,
on the 'Virginia Register, or is a contributing structure in a historic district listed on the Virginia
Register. In Albemarle County, listed properties include any contributing structure within the Southwest
Mountains Rural Historic District, or the Proffit, Batesville, or Scottsville Historic Districts, along with
any of the approximately 60 individually listed Virginia Register properties. (See Appendix B, List 1 .)
Improvements or reconstruction must be consistent with the Secretary of.the Interior's Standards for
Rehabilitation, and the cost of improvements must amount to at least fifty percent of the assessed value
of the building for the year before the rehabilitation expenses were incurred. Effective January 1, 2001,
the improvement cost threshold is lowered to 25% for owner-occupied buildings.
Certified Local Government Program
As discussed under federal and state programs (page 20), Certified Local Governments (CLGs) are
eligible to apply for matching grants from a 10% share'ofVirginia's annual federal appropriation, which
must be set aside specifically for CLGs.
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CLG program funds awarded may be used for survey of historic and archaeological resources,
preparation of National Register nominations, development of design review guidelines; amendments
to preservation ordinances; preparation of preservation plans; testing archaeological sites to determine
their significance; and public education programs in historic preservation.
Albemarle County does not currently meet the requirements for CLG status. One of the requirements
is a historic district ordinance that regulates new construction. Consequently, even if the County adopts
the ordinance that is recommended by this plan, CLG requirements will still not be met. It should be
noted that the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) is currently studying the CLG
requirements and assessing options for making the program more accessible to Counties with historic
resources in rural areas. Consequently, it is recommended that the County work with the VDHK to
develop ways for the County to benefit from the educational, technical, and financial incentives offered
by the CLG program. This coordination is currently under way.
Strategy: Work with VDHR to develop ways for the County to benefit from the educational,
technical, and financial incentives provided by the CL G program, while following the recommended
strategies of this plan.
Preservation Easements
The Department of Historic Resources seeks and accepts donation of preservation easements from
private owners of properties either listed on the Virginia Register, or contributing to a registered historic
district. The donation of a preservation easement is considered a charitable contribution for tax
purposes and may be an important tax consideration in estate planning. To qualify for the federal tax
deduction, the property must also be listed on the National Register. If the land is subject to a perpetual
conservation easement created under the Open Space Lands Act, or is otherwise devoted to an open
space use, which includes preserving historic resources, it is assessed and taxed at the use value for open
space.
Historic Preservation easement donors are eligible for a state income tax credit of up to fifty percent
of the value of the easement. If the credit is not fully used up in the year of the easement donation, it
can be carried forward for an additional five years. Donors may also be able to exclude up to forty
percent of the remaining value of the .land from the estate taxes owed under the American Farm and
Ranch Protection Act.
In Albemarle there are currently 7 properties with approximately 440 acres in easements held by the
Virginia Board of Historic Resources. (See Appendix B, List 1 .)
Revolving Loan Funds
A revolving fund is a pool of capital created and reserved for a specific activity, with the restriction that
the monies are returned to the fund to be reused for similar activities. Revolving loans provide funding
for rehabilitation and repair work by enabling property owners to borrow money at a low interest rate.
Most revolving funds require that rehabilitation work be done in accordance with the Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
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Albemarle County is currently not enabled to loan money to private persons to rehabilitate or repair
private property. It is recommended that enabling authority be obtained from the General Assembly
authorizing the County to establish a revolving loan fund, or to contribute money to a private revolving
fund for such persons.
The City of Charlottesville's program requires that, to be eligible for a loan, the property must be
included in, or must be in the process of seeking inclusion in, a local historic district. Charlottesville
offers commercial loans up to $25,000 and residential loans up to $10,000, or 50% of the cost of
rehabilitation, whichever is less. The loan committee determines the time length of the loan, which is
always shorter than five years. All loans are made at 3% interest. Charlottesville's program was
initially funded with fines obtained from illegal demolition. A County-sponsored revolving fund,
similar to Charlottesville's program, could positively influence the future of the County's historic
resources.
Strategy: Obtain enabling authority from the General Assembly authorizing the County to establish
a revolving loan fund, or to contribute money to a private revolving fund, to assist owners of historic
properties with rehabilitation and repair work.
Partial Local Real Estate Tax Exemption
The Code of Virginia authorizes localities to provide a partial tax exemption for certain properties on
which an older structure has undergone substantial rehabilitation, renovation or replacement. Albemarle
County does not currently make use of this provision, which is generally intended to encourage
investment in older neighborhoods. However, this provision could be structured as an incentive to
encourage appropriate rehabilitation or renovation of historic structures that may otherwise be
demolished, neglected, or inappropriately altered.
Normally, when a property is improved, the value of the property increases, along with the property
taxes. By excluding the value of the building's rehabilitation from its assessed value for a specified
number of years, owners of historic properties may be encouraged to perform major improvements.
Section 58.1-3220 provides for the partial exemption from taxation of real estate on which a structure
15 years or older has undergone substantial rehabilitation, renovation or replacernent for residential use.
Section 58.1-3221 provides for the partial exemption from taxation of real estate on which a structure
20 years or older has undergone substantial rehabilitation, renovation or replacement for commercial
or industrial use. The partial exemption may not exceed an amount equal to the increase in assessed
value resulting from the improvements, or an amount up to 50% of the cost of the improvements. The
exemption may be allowed for a period of no longer than fifteen years.
The locality may require that the property be located within a described district, such as a historic
district. This means that the same properties that are subject to historic zoning restrictions would also
be provided with a possible tax incentive. If the exemption is applied to a Virginia landmark or to a
contributing structure in a register district, then rehabilitation may not be achieved through demolition
and replacement.
Other restrictions or conditions may be prescribed by ordinance. For example, Clarke County allows
the exemption for a period often years for real estate on which there exists a structure not less than 50
years old, which has been rehabilitated to increase its assessed value by at least 40%. The structure
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must be either a Virginia landmark or a contributing structure within a register district, and must be
located within a locally designated historic overlay district. Because the structure is in a historic
overlay district, a certificate of appropriateness is required for the rehabilitation work.
Strategy: Enact an ordinance with provisions for a partial local real estate tax exemption for the
rehabilitation of older properties, as enabled by the state code. Coordinate staff assistance for eligible
property owners through the Planning and Real Estate/Finance Departments.
Preservation Work Bank Program
It is recommended that a work bank program be established to aid owners of historic resources,
including the elderly and those with limited means, to maintain their properties. One of the primary
challenges in historic preservation is the actual execution of appropriate maintenance and preservation
procedures. Even when property owners want to maintain or rehabilitate their buildings in historically
appropriate ways, they are often faced with challenges that make the execution of that work difficult,
or impossible. Elderly, physically challenged, and lower-income property owners could all benefit from
a Preservation Work Bank, but the program should be organized to potentially benefit all owners of
designated historic resources undertaking approved maintenance and/or preservation work.
This program would work in a manner similar to a revolving fund, where a resource (money, time, etc.)
is available to a number of participants because it is continually replenished. It is also similar to the
Habitat for Humanity program, where those who benefit from the service are also required to participate
in it. Elderly and physically challenged property owners could benefit from the program by making
contributions other than building maintenance. An important goal of the program should be a regular
donation of services to the Bank.
The program could eventually be coordinated with revolving fund programs, easement programs,
internship programs, tax credit programs, technical information programs, and demonstration projects
(good for disseminating information on how to correctly treat historic properties; i.e., a demonstration
project on how to properly treat wood siding). It would draw upon historic resource property owners;
participants from local architectural, engineering, and construction businesses; national architectural
product suppliers; local students in architecture, engineering, design, and preservation programs;
members of local preservation organizations; and other community volunteers. The Preservation Work
Bank'program could start small, and in a short period of time grow into an important community
resource that supports character and quality of life in the County.
Strategy: Establish a work bank program to aid owners of historic resources to maintain their
properties.
Strategy: Establish an expert advice program with a list of preservation professionals willing to
occasionally volunteer their time to offer advice to historic resource property owners.
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Recognition and Awards Program
There are many examples of local historic resources that have been successfully preserved (See
Appendix B, List 2.) The County should offer a program to recognize these achievements similar to the
awards programs sponsored by the Preservation Alliance of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Branch
of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), or should support and
participate in those programs.
Strategy: Support and actively participate in existing preservation awards programs or.offer a
County-unique program.
Heritage Tourism
Heritage tourism may be described as the stewardship and presentation of historic, cultural and natural
resources to the public in order to gain economic and educational benefits, and to encourage
preservation of the resources. The positive impacts of heritage toudsm on the local economy have been
documented in the 1995 Preservation Alliance study discussed on page 43. The County's Economic
Development Policy, adopted in 1995, contains a strategy which states, "Encourage tourism focused
on the rural, agrarian, and historical resources of the County, and which does not threaten or
compromise those resources." Heritage tourism facilitates learning about architecture, people, places
and events, and adds substance to history learned in the classroom. Heritage tourism can also help
preserve historic resources. It draws attention to their value, and encourages their protection,
rehabilitation, and adaptive use.
Albemarle County currently promotes heritage tourism by protecting its designated Entrance Corridors,
which are significant routes of tourist access. This Plan has recommended other ways to encourage
heritage tourism, such as the reuse of historic buildings through zoning provisions, and the
encouragement of partnerships to strengthen the preservation community. Community events
recommended in the section on Education and Preservation also help promote heritage tourism. This
section describes additional ways to highlight the County's historic resources.
Albemarle resources open to the public for tours include Monticello, Ash Lawn, Michie Tavern, and
the University of Virginia Rotunda and Lawn. Historic resources used for commercial purposes that
provide tourism lodging and services include Woodstock Hall, Clifton Inn, the 1740 House (D.S.
Tavern), Crossroads Tavern, and High Meadows. In addition, many homes have been opened to the
public for the annual Garden Tour, including Plain Dealing, Morven, Glen Echo, Ermiscorthy,
Redlands, Cliffside, Esmont House, Edgemont, Gallison Hall, Longwood, and Seven Oaks Farm.
Albemarle's historic villages such as Batesville, Crozet, Proffit, Advance Mills, White Hall, and the
Town of Scottsville, as well as the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District, may be enjoyed on a
self-guided driving tour.
It is recommended that the zoning ordinance be amended to enable owners of certain historic properties
(which are listed on the state or national register, or which are contributing structures within a register
district) to apply for a special use permit to allow public tours of the property. An example of such a
resource is Pine Knot, the hunting cabin retreat of Theodore Roosevelt. Pine Knot is currently opened
occasionally for tour groups. Interpretations of Roosevelt's life and times, and the natural history of
this area, could potentially be presented in surroundings that are largely unchanged since his visits.
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The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate creating a Heritage Area that preserves historic
areas and promotes tourism through:regional cooperation. Heritage Areas include a sense of place and
identity; regional scope and management; natural or man-made resources that unify the region; versatile
land uses; local, regional, state or national significance; and a common goal or theme unifying the area.
Examples include the Potomac River Basin, the John Singleton Mosby area and the James River
Region. A suggested Albemarle Heritage. Area would incorporate the "Jefferson, Monroe and Madison"
corridor (in cooperation with Orange County), or the Rivanna River corridor (in cooperation with the
City of Charlottesville and Fluvanna County).
The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate other community events, such as the "Historic
Treasures of Richmond" campaign, and consider a similar event for Albemarle that recognizes our
historic resources. At least one community event should be planned during the month of May to be
coordinated with other statewide Heritage Tourism activities. See strategies under "The County as
Good Neighbor," page 39.
Strategies:
Support the concept of heritage tourism, which requires regional partnerships and cooperation
among the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, County and State officials, local
businesses, and community organizations.
Amend the zoning ordinance to enable owners of certain historic properties (which are listed on the
state or national register, or which are contributing structures within a register district) to apply for
a special use permit to allow public tours oftheproperty.
The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate creating a Heritage Area such as the
"Jefferson, Monroe and Madison" corridor (in cooperation with Orange County), or the Rivanna
River corridor (in cooperation with the City of Charlottesville and Fluvanna County).
The Historic Preservation Committee should investigate community events for Albemarle that
recognize our historic resources, to be coordinated with other statewide Heritage Tourism activities.
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VIII.
PRESERVATION AND EDUCATION
Albemarle's rich inventory of historic. resources provides tangible evidence of our community heritage
and significantly contributes to our quality of life. Residents of the County are reminded daily of the
history of Albemarle when they view the structures and landscapes that have existed practically
unchanged for hundreds of years. Visitors seek to learn about our history and culture, and to experience
the special character of our historic landscapes.
The primary goal of the educational component of this preservation plan is to successfully communicate
to the community the value of Albemarle's remaining historic resources, and to engender in the
community a sense of common responsibility for those resources, which can lead to active preservation.
This plan strives to educate all levels, from the primary grades to adults, about the identification,
recognition, preservation and value of our shared historic resources. By raising the community's
awareness, increasing its knowledge, and encouraging responsibility, the survival of the County's
historic resources for the benefit of future generations is made more secure.
Because our children will be the future protectors of the County's historic resources, preservation
education should begin in the schools. Heritage education, as this type of program is known today, is
a key element in protecting the County's resources.
Although adults can also benefit from heritage education programs, they have additional needs 'from
preservation education, and community oriented events play an important role in increasing their
knowledge about preservation and historic resources. Community and neighborhood programs and
events that celebrate our historic resources should create a gradual momentum so that, over time,
preservation becomes self-sustaining, and a matter of civic pride.
A preservation education program in Albemarle County can accomplish several objectives. It can
convey that preserving historic sites and cultural history is a County priority. It can enhance the
community's awareness of all the historic resources around us -- not only those resources officially
registered as landmarks and historic districts, but also those resources that stand as yet unrecognized
in smaller villages and towns, and in rural and suburban neighborhoods. By increasing access to these
sites and by telling the stories of all these resources, our sense of place within the community and the
world at large is clarified, and stewardship is encouraged.
A preservation education program can benefit from partnerships among historic preservation groups,
local educators, businesses, the tourism industry, and local governments. By using these various groups
and the variety of existing historic resources, the preservation process is better explained and the
tangible and intangible benefits of preservation are made known to the community.
Strategy: Educate all components of the community about historic resources and preservation.
Strategy: Encourage community and neighborhood programs and events that celebrate the County's
historic resources.
It should be noted that many of the events that will be created in a countywide preservation education
program would afford oppommities for publicity. Exploiting these opportunities with appropriate
media representatives will promote preservation and help secure a positive future for the County's
50
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historic resources. In addition, preservation education has a strong connection to tourism in the County.
Tourism events that include historic resources naturally incorporate some level of educational benefit
in their offerings, be it information on architectural style, construction methods, historic events, famous
persons, cultural practices, etc. This connection provides an oppommity to capitalize on individual
events, providing multiple benefits to more people.
Strategy: Enlist the media to publicize community events and to promote preservation in the County.
Heritage Education and the School System
(Much of the information in this section is taken from: National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Landmark Yellow Pages. Washington, DC: The Preservation Press, 1993 and Heritage Education: A
Community-SchoolPartnership, National Trust for Historic Preservation Information Series No. 73,
1993.)
Virginia's current Standards of Leaming require that local history only be included in the third-grade
curriculum, and few reading materials about local history are available for students at this level. The
fifth-grade curriculum includes U.S. history through 1877, and the sixth grade studies U.S. history from
1877 to the present. U.S. history is studied more comprehensively in the eleventh grade, and Virginia
government is part of the twelfth-grade curriculum. Although this program allows for the inclusion of
local history in the third grade, the overall curriculum does not make county or community history a
priority. A heritage education program can make local history a stronger and more integral component
of all levels of education. Students in Albemarle County are fortunate to live in a community where
real places can add substance to the lessons leamed in the classroom. A heritage education program
would capitalize on the county's existing historic resources -- those real places where history actually
occurred -- by using them to complement traditional educational techniques.
Strategy: Make local history a stronger and more integral component of the County's school
curriculum, beginning with the elementary grades.
Heritage education is a special approach to teaching and learning about history and culture. It uses the
natural and built environment, historic objects, oral histories, community practices, music, dance, and
written documents to help students understand their local heritage, and the relationships between that
heritage and the surrounding region and the nation as a whole. Heritage education combines research,
observation, analysis, and interpretation in the fields of history, geography, economics, archaeology,
anthropology, sociology, science, technology, the arts, literature, and theater to provide a better
understanding of the themes, issues, events and people that have shaped our community and our
collective memory.
The heritage education approach forms a partnership between a community and its schools. It creates
teaching tools that can engender a preservation ethic in those who will be responsible for the
commnnity's historic resources in the future. (Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation has a
department devoted to this for Monticello and Jefferson.) The continuation of our history, the
perpetuation of the stories that describe our evolution, and the preservation of the physical resources
that illustrate those stories rests with future generations. If we can successfully teach the lessons of the
past by using our historic natural and built environments, then the future of our community values as
well as our historic sites appears brighter. Simply put, heritage education fosters good citizenship.
" 51
9/18/00
Strategy: Foster community. pride, good citizenship, and stewardship of the
resources through heritage education programs.
County's historic
Some of the typical activities often included in heritage education programs are: field trips to historic
sites, house museums, and districts; essay contests; the creation of exhibits on local history and
preservation; the distribution of preservation oriented workbooks and reading materials; conducting a
study of the history of the neighborhoods surrotmding area schools and the collection of oral histories
of area residents; and the incorporation of preservation issues into classroom lessons on history, the
environment, social issues, and community involvement.
An example of a heritage education activity is the following: "A local preservation group invites
teachers, students, a librarian, a museum curator, and business leaders to restore an old school building
as a community heritage interpretation center. Teachers adapt the project to the school curriculum. As
a lesson in language arts, students gather oral histories about the area. As a geography project, students
research the route of the Underground Railroad through the region and the culture of the farmers and
merchants who settled in the area. Students in a civics class testify at a county hearing to protect the
deteriorating old school and provide the documentation needed to nominate the building to the National
Register of Historic Places. Over the summer, students in scouting and 4-H groups work with
preservation craftspeople on restoration projects at the old school that are sponsored by local
businesses."
Strategy: Using existing resources, including the staff at Monticello, Ash-l;awn, the ~llbemarle
County Historical Society, and the UE/I Library Department of Special Collections, develop field
trips to a wide range of historic sites throughout the County.
Strategy: Create a traveling exhibit on local history and preservation, supplemented with books
related to the exhibition topic, to be viewed at the Virginia Discovery Museum, the ~llbemarle County
Historical Society, and local school and branch libraries.
All heritage education activities should follow these basic guidelines:
· Incorporate the heritage education approach as early as possible in the school curriculum.
· Base the program on sound research and accepted preservation practices.
· Tell the whole story of the community,' tell it accurately, and show how it is linked to the region,
state, nation, and world.
· Engage students in a learning program that involves action; not just ideas.
· Forge partnerships that involve the whole community in the process.
· Prepare your teachers first; educate them about preservation so they can better teach our students.
(In the County, this could be accomphshed through the addition of staff development programs at
the Albemarle Resource Center.)
Strategy: Use the Albemarle Resource Center as a depository for all types of information O~rinted and
website bibliographies, videos, workbooks, field trip information, local history references, speaker's
bureau listings, etc.) on preservation and heritage education.
The National Trust for Historic. Preservation and the National Park Service can provide technical
assistance to support local heritage education activities. The "Teaching with Historic Places" program,
52
9/18/00
:~
a joint effort of these two organizations, provides ready-to-use materials and also trains educators in
methods for using historic places as teaching tools. The National Register can provide other tools as
well. They include: lists of National Register properties in any geographic region; copies of National
Register registration forms, including information on major historic themes, people and events, most
of which represent state or local history; the National Register Information System, a computerized
database that can find places linked geographically, by historic themes, past or present uses, or
associations with important persons; and National Register publications, including bulletins on
landscapes, cemeteries, battlefields; and other topics that can help teachers interpret the resources in
their community. The Center for Understanding the Built Environment (CUBE)is also a good source
of creative teaching materials.
Strategy: Utilize technical resources provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Park Service, the Center for Understanding the Built Environment (CUBE), and other
established organizations to support County heritage education activities.
In addition, teachers and students can participate in the National Register process by researching and
nominating a property to the National Register. This process should be used to focus public awareness
on the significance of local historic properties, and to foster public support. Publicizing all stages of
the process, including survey, public notice, and nomination, is a primary step in gaining this support.
Programs could also be established in which students receive classroom credit for working in the
community on preservation issues and projects. Such a program could be geared toward any grade
level. More rigorous programs could be established as internships and scholarships for higher grade
levels.
Strategy: Institute programs that encourage students to practice historic preservation in the
conllnUnity.
Adult Education
Adults can learn from many of the programs included as part of heritage education in the schools, but
adults have additional educational needs in the field of preservation. They want to know how historic
resources affect their lives. They want to understand the financial impact a historic building can have
on them and their businesses. Those who own historic buildings need to understand their significance
and know how to care for them. Adults also need to understand in broad terms the value of the historic
resources around them.
Strategy: Create a notification program to educate owners of historic properties, especially new
owners, about the significance of their property and to suggest ways they might protect those
resources.
To meet'these educational needs, the County should enlist the assistance and support of existing citizen
groups and organizations. Partnerships could be explored with: (1) Local or regional preservation
organizations such as Preservation Piedmont, the Preservation Alliance of Virginia, and the Association
for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities; (2) Organizations involved in public education such as the
9/18/00
Albemarle County Historical Society, the Charlottesville-Albemarle League of Women Voters, and the
Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC); and (3) Rural conservation groups
such as the Piedmont Environmental Council and Citizens for Albemarle.
Strategy: Enlist the assistance and support'of existing citizen groups to organize and promote adult
education programs in historic preservation.
Adult educational programs can take a variety of forms, from lectures introducing the basics of
preservation, to videos describing County history and resources, to the distribution of technical
restoration information, to hands-on restoration classes, and more. Adult education also includes the
more technical task of assisting craftspeople and contractors in keeping abreast of current developments
in the field of restoration. Maintaining adirectory of architects, historians, :restoration craftsmen,. and
other individuals who work in the field provides related assistance. Such a directory can be used to
draw on volunteers and participants for educational events (lectures, slide presentations, demonstrations,
etc.), and as a resource to be tapped to help save endangered structures and sites.
Adult education also includes the basic transfer:of information on County preservation policy~ The
County's policies on preservation should be clearly explained to the public, including the meaning of
the Preservation Plan and the proposed Historic Overlay District ordinance. Brochures should be
developed to meet this need, and for those residents who desire more in-depth information, a list of
additional resources should be provided. Citizen participation should be encouraged in County studies
and other preservation activities.
Strategy: Use a variety of tools (brochures, video, workshops, and lectures) to educate residents about
the County's historic resources and its preservation policy.
Strategy: Seek citizen participation in County studies and other preservation activities.
County residents should also be educated about the current state of preservation and historic resources
in the County. As recommended in the "Survey and Historic Resources" section of this plan, an up-to-
date database of all significant historic resources would provide interested residents, developers, and
others with preservation information. The database could be maintained in the County's offices.
Strategy: Make available to residents, property owners, developers, builders, realtors, educators, and
students an informative database on Albemarle County's historic resources.
The popularity and accessibility of the Internet make it an important resource for educating County
residents and visitors about preservation and historic resources. Both children and adults can benefit
from information found on the Intemet, and a wide variety of possibilities exist for presenting the
educational material. Among the topics that could be addressed are: general information on
preservation and rehabilitation, lists of resources for finding additional information and craftspeople,
travel and background information on tourist sites (www.virginia.org), a connection to the County's
information database, and virtual tours of historic sites.
Strategy: Capitalize on the popularity of the Intern~t to educate the community about the County's
historic resources.
54 --
H~STOR~C PRESERVAT~[ON PLAN
APPENDICES
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Details of History of Albemarle County
Resource Listings
State Enabling Legislation for Historic Overlay District
Albemarle County Population & Dwelling :[ncrease, 1940-1997
Preservation Organizations
Details of Past Regulatory Protection Attempts
Sources for Additional ]:nformation
A-1
B-1
C-I
D-1
E-:!.
F_1
G-1
APPENDIX A - DETAILS OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY EftSTORY
PREHISTORIC PERIOD
People have lived in Albemarle County for more than 12,000 years. The first inhabitants of the region were
Native Americans, whose long history in the County is preserved in the archaeological sites which lie buried
in the floodplains of Albemarle's rivers and streams and in the surrounding mountains and valleys. These sites
are highly variable, ranging from the rare and ephemeral remains of the 12,000 year old hunting camps of the
first inhabitants, to the dense accumulations of pottery fragments that mark the former villages of the Monacan
tribe who occupied Albemarle in the centuries just prior to and during the early colonial period. Archaeological
studies of Native American history in Albemarle began in the mid-18th century with the systematic excavation
of a Monacan mound on the South Fork of the Rivanna River by Thomas Jefferson, reported in his book Notes
on the State of Virginia. This innovative study is widely noted as the first systematic archaeological excavation
conducted anywhere in North America.
The prehistory of Albemarle, as is the pattem throughout Virginia, is marked by patterns of long term stability
and periods of major changes in settlement pattern, economy, and cultural adaptations. The discussion provided
here is a brief outline of the major recognized prehistoric phases. The prehistory of the area has traditionally
been divided into three basic time/cultural periods. These periods, Paleoindian, Archaic, and Woodland, are
characterized by both social and technological changes. They reflect traditional divisions used throughout much
of the eastern United States.
Paleoindian Period (ca. 10,000-8,000 B.C.)
The first prehistoric human occupants of North America have been called Paleoindians. They occupied North
America at a time when the ecology and climate of the last ice age was still in the final stages of change from
a cold weather type to the more modern temperate forest. The Paleoindians were a fairly mobile society who
lived in small, seasonal camps and who relied exclusively on the gathering of plant foods and hunting game.
Archaeological evidence for Paleoindians in much of the Eastern U.S. is limited to stone tools, especially the
diagnostic fluted Clovis spear point. Most of what is known about the Paleoindian period is extracted from
surface finds of projectile points rather than detailed excavations. Evidence for Paleoindian settlement in
Albemarle County is particularly sparse -- less than five timed points have been recorded for Albemarle out of
a total of 920 recorded across the state. The low number of fluted points for Albemarle is consistent, however,
with the other low frequencies recorded in surrounding counties.
Archaic Period (ca. 8,000-1,000 B.C.)
The Archaic period is characterized by a reliance on the greater variety of animal and wild plant resources that
became available during the Holocene, or modem climatic era. Settlements were still seasonal and mobility was
the norm. However, during the course of the Archaic period there was a trend to more long-term occupation
of settlements in the river valleys and a general increase in population. Researchers in the Middle Atlantic
region routinely identify sub-periods of the Archaic, which include the Early Archaic (8000 - 6000 BC), the
Middle Archaic (6000 - 4000 BC) and the Late Archaic (4000 - 1000 BC). Each of these periods is noted
archaeologically by distinctive changes in projectile point (arrowhead) forms.
As with the Paleoindian period, there have been no systematic excavations of intact Early or Middle Archaic
components in Albemarle County. However, low artifact density Early and Middle Archaic components have
been identified at sites in Albemarle County.' Parker's (1990) analysis of thirty such sites in Albemarle County
1 Much of this summary is adapted from the report, From the Monacans to Monticello and Beyond.' Prehistoric and
Historic Contexts for Albemarle County, Virginia, prepared by Garrow & Associates, May 1995. Prehistoric Period adapted by
Jeffrey L. Hantman, and Historic Period adapted by Melinda Frierson.
A-1
suggests that Early and Middle Archaic sites tend to occur on uplands more than in floodplains, and the largest
number of sites were generally small (less than 500 square meters) with low artifact densities.
Some marked cultural changes occurred at the onset of the Late Archaic. There was a greater permanence of
settlement focused on the natural resources of the riverine zones. Stone bowls, made from the rich soapstone
quarries of Albemarle, were produced for local use as well as for long distance trade. Stone bowls made from
Albemarle soapstone have been located on archaeological sites in many distant areas throughout the Eastern US.
Also towards the end of the Archaic the earliest pottery was produced, made with local clays and tempered with
crushed soapstone. The largest percentage of recorded archaeological sites in Albemarle County date to the Late
Archaic period.
Woodland Period (ca. 1,000 B.C.-A.D. 1607)
The Woodland period is marked by a continued focus on the major river valleys of Albemarle, where
increasingly permanent village sites were located. Small, upland camps and hunting sites were still used on a
temporary basis. Ceramics were 'produced throughout the Woodland period, and are the main diagnostic of
archaeological sites of this period. The Woodland period is also divided into three stages, Early Woodland
(1000 B.C. - A.D. 300), the Middle Woodland (A.D. 300 - A.D. 1000), and the Late Woodland (A.D. 1000 -
1607). :
The Late Woodland period (A.D. 1000-1607) is a time of dramatic and relatively sudden cultural change in the
history of Albemarle County. It is during this time that the characteristics of the Monacan people become
recognizable in the archaeological record. Among the important changes were an increase in population, an
increase in the size and permanence of villages, the adoption of an agricultural economy (though still mixed with
gathering and hunting), and the establishment of burial mounds where the remains of thousands of individuals
were interred.
The existence of an agricultural economy for the late prehistoric populations is indicated not only from
settlement pattern data but also through the archaeological recovery of corn and squash from Late Woodland
sites in the region (Hantman 1990:682). Diagnostic artifacts of the period include ceramics made of local clays
and tempered with large fragments of quartz (called Albemarle Wares) and small triangular projectile points.
This change in point style may be linked with the introduction of bow and arrow technology into the area. The
Monacan village of Monasukapanough, recorded on John Smith's 1612 map of Virginia and located on the
Rivanna River near modern day Charlottesville, would have been first settled towards the end of the Late
Woodland period. The burial mound investigated by Thomas Jefferson is presumed to have been associated
with this village.
HISTORIC PERIOD
European Settlement to Society(1607.1750)
In 1607, when Virginia's first permanent European settlement was rounded at Jamestown, the territory that
would become Albemarle County was occupied by Siouan-speaking Monacans, as the preceding Prehistoric
Period discussed. Their principal villages were along the James, Rivanna and Rappahannock river drainages
between the Fall Line and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although enemies of the Powhatans, who met the
Jamestown colonists, Hantman (1990) has suggested that the Monacans' ability to control Blue Ridge copper
sources maintained them in an uneasy yet favored trading status with the Powhatans prior to arrival of the
British in 1607. The Monacans continued the Late Woodland tradition of constructing burial mounds, and one
of these just north of Charlottesville was excavated'by Jefferson in 1784. Hantman (1990:684) has concluded
that "one plausible interpretation of the extant archaeological data is that the Monacan were an agricultural
people, characterized by a dense population, whose mortuary ritual may imply the presence of a centralized and
hierarchical sociopolitical system."
A-2
European settlement of the Albemarle County area began in the 1720s, when the native inhabitants were almost
completely dispersed from the area. The first land patents issued between 1722 and 1726 were never developed,
however three patents issued in the latter 1720s were successfully settled. These covered lands suitable for
farming along the Southwest Mountains and the James and Rivanna Rivers.
The southern portion of this territory was still part of Goochland County; the northern portion was part of
Hanover County (Map 1). In 1742 Louisa County was formed from the western portion of Hanover County,
extending to the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and including what is now northern Albemarle. Louisa's
southern boundary line was a straight line running west north-west from the present intersection of Louisa,
Fluvanna, and Albemarle Counties, crossing the point where Ivy Creek empties into the South Fork of the
Rivanna, and intersecting the mountain crest almost due west of Brown's Cove (Map 2). Records of cultural
activity such as road orders, deeds, marriages, etc. before 1762 in the northern portion of Albemarle County are
generally located in the court or parish records of Hanover or Louisa County.
Over the next twenty years more settlers arrived and in 1744 the western portion of Goochland was split off to
become the new county of Albemarle. Albemarle's original boundaries included a far larger territory than
today's county (Map 3). The county seat was first established at Scott's Landing on the James River, about a
mile west of present-day Scottsville.
The early settlers were a mix of tobacco planters moving west from the Tidewater and Scots-Irish and German
farmers moving east over the Blue Ridge from the Shenandoah Valley. The former tried to transplant the slave-
run tobacco plantation system to the southern and eastern portions of Albemarle, while the latter operated
family-run farms raising cattle and wheat in the northern and western areas (Moore 1976:17-18).
Colony to Nation (1750-1789)
In 1761, the county's boundaries changed. Albemarle was split into what are now Albemarle, Amherst,
Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, and Nelson Counties, as well as part of Campbell County. A part of western
Louisa County was also added to the new smaller Albemarle, as partial compensation for the loss of its vast area
to the south (Map 4). Since Scott's Landing was no longer a convenient location for the courthouse, in 1762 the
town of Charlottesville was laid out near the county's geographic center along the Three Notch'd Road. This old
road ran west from eastern Virginia across the Blue Ridge to the Shenandoah Valley. Other major roads by this
time included the River Road, which paralleled the north shore of the James River, and the Barboursville Road
heading northeast along the Southwest Mountains into Orange and Louisa counties. In 1777, when Fluvanna
County was created out of Albemarle, the county attained its present boundaries (Map 5).
Though many of its prominent citizens made major political contributions to the American Revolution, the
county was mostly spared the effects of direct military engagements. Beginning in 1779, the county housed
4,000 British and Hessian soldiers captured at the Baffle of Saratoga, New York, two years earlier. On John
· Harvey's land along Ivy Creek they built a large encampment including houses, gardens and a theater that came
to be called "the barracks." By the time the prisoners were moved out of the county in 1780, their numbers had
been reduced to 2,000, largely by escapes.
In late spring of 1781, Governor Thomas Jefferson, then completing his term, moved Virginia's General
Assembly from Richmond to Charlottesville because of British successes. Military supplies were also moved
to several county locations. On June 3, Cornwallis sent Col. Tarleton and 250 men to Albemarle to
A~3
FORMATION OF ALBEMARL~ COUNTY
1740
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i,.,. i
, -. (
· X ;.-,"""i,. ROCI<INGHAId '--
/ x 'x .~ ~ ._.-
MAP 1
In 1740 the southern portion of what is now Albemarle was part of
Goochland County; the northern portion was part of Hanover County,
NOTE: In this and subsequent maps, the historical boundaries are superimposed in bold over the
dotted outlines of counties as they appear today.
A-4
mill
FORMATION OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY
1742
MAP 2
In 1742 Louisa was formed from the western: part of Hanover County,
including what is now northern Albemade.
A-5
FORMATION OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY
1744
MAP 3
In 1744 the western portion of Goochland was split off to become the
new County of Albemarle, a far larger territory than today's Albemarle.
.,~ FORMATION OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY
1761
./""~- ROCKINGHAM "~'.~..,i ~
,~ ,,- -. ., ,' ?
MAP 4
In 1761, "big Albemarle" was split into what are now Albemarte,
Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Nelson, and Campbell
Counties. A part of western Louisa was added to Albemarle.
A-7
FORMATION OF
ALBEMARLE COUNTY
1777
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MAP 5
In 1777, when Fluvana County was created out of Albemarle,
Albemarle County attained its present boundaries.
Ao8
capture the legislators and destroy these supplies. An Albemarle citizen, Jack Jouett, happened to be at Cuckoo
Tavern in Louisa County where the British stopped briefly. Sensing their mission, Jouett rode ahead through
the night to warn the legislators of the British approach. His fast action enabled Jefferson and nearly all the
others to escape, although several legislators, including Daniel Boone, were captured and briefly detained. The
British successfully destroyed military supplies and important court records.
By the close of the war, the county had shifted from a frontier settlement to an established community. Its
geographic and political boundaries were defined, the county seat was developing, and it had secured trading
and communications links with the rest of the nation.
Examples of architecture from this period are Findowrie, Solitude, and the early parts of Castle Hill and
Piedmont near Greenwood.
Early National Period (1789-1830)
By the end of the 1700s, wheat had become the county's primary agricultural product, although tobacco was still
widely planted. Half a century of tobacco farming had depleted the soil, especially in the eastern part of the
county, and the loss of British markets affected sales. Although agriculture diversified, the countyis slave
population increased up until 1850.
The Albemarle Agricultural Society was founded in 1817, making the county a focal point for agricultural
reform. The group's influence was spread through the country's first agricultural journal, The American Farmer.
Thomas Jefferson's influence was widely felt in many realms, including agriculture, politics, architecture and
education. His own plantation at Monticello had been started in 1770 and was modified over 40 years. The
remodeling completed in 1809 reflected his amalgam of Roman, Palladian and French ideals (Loth 1986). His
architectural masterpiece, the University of Virginia, was constructed over the last ten years of his life. The
University enrolled its first students in 1825, and its presence has contributed significantly to the county's
cultural and economic development. The builders Jefferson recruited for work at Monticello and the University
helped to transmit his ideas, and a number of fine buildings from this period throughout Central Virginia reflect
his architectural influence.
Better transportation links fostered expansion of towns. Important internal improvements included making the
Rivanna River more navigable by building locks, dams and canals, and upgrading key roads into turnpikes. The
town of Milton was created in 1789 at the head of navigation on the Rivanna. It became an important shipping
port, and briefly rivaled Charlottesville in commercial importance in the years around 1800. Scottsville
prospered thanks to its James River location, for by the end of 1789 canals were completed around the falls at
Richmond, opening a clear path to the upper reaches of the James. The Staunton-James River Turnpike, which
ran from Rockfish Gap, through Batesville, down to Scottsville, was built as a conduit for Shenandoah Valley
produce to the James River. The Rockfish Gap Turnpike, which followed part of the old Three Notch'd Road
from Charlottesville to Mechum's River, and then southwest to join the other rampike at Afton, sought to bring
some of this trade through Charlottesville. There, goods could be shipped from Pireus, as the port on the
Rivanna near the Woolen Mills was called.
Farms and plantations continued as the primary economic units, but small industry was growing. The county
included "10 tanneries, 7 tobacco factories, 17 saw mills, 12 flour mills, 4 carding machines, and 2 distilleries,"
by 1820 (Moore 76:99). The establishment of the University west of town also helped stimulate Charlottesville's
economy.
Examples of architecture from this period are Monticello, Redlands, Woodstock Hall, Carrsbrook, Brookhill
on the South Fork Rivanna River, Plain Dealing, Tallwood, Sunny Bank, Morven, Malvern, Mountain Grove,
D.S. Tavern, and Black's Tavern.
A-9
Antebellum Period (1830-1860)
Beef cattle production was on the rise by the middle of the century, while grain and tobacco continued to
dominate agricultural production. As long as river travel was the preferred method of transporting farm and
industrial products, Scottsville prospered thanks to its James River location. Charlottesville's port of Pireus
increased in importance when navigation above Milton was improved after the University of Virginia was
established.
However, with the construction of the Louisa Railroad (later part of the. Chesapeake & Ohio) from Gordonsville
to Charlottesville in the late 1840s, Charlottesville's dominance was assured. Depots along the mute of the new
railroad gave rise to communities such as Keswick, Cobham and Ivy. Connecting the railroad from
Charlottesville westward to the Shenandoah Valley required carving tunnels through the Blue Ridge, an
impressive engineering feat accomplished between 1848 and 1856 under the leadership of Claudius Crozet.
Mechum's Depot attained brief commercial importance as the staging area for this work.
Examples of architecture from this period are Cliffside, Old Hall, Arrowhead, Pleasant Green, the Cedars, and
outbuildings at Cloverfields, Clover Hill Farm, and Kinloch.
Civil War (1861-1865)
The Civil War brought few military encounters to Albemarle, though many sick and wounded soldiers were
nursed here. The Charlottesville General Hospital, an organization housed in several public buildings and private
homes at varying times, treated over 22,000 men. In February 1864, Union troops under Custer destroyed a mill
and bridge at Rio Hill and skirmished with Confederates camped in winter quarters there. In March 1865,
Charlottesville was occupied for two days by soldiers under the command of Sheridan and Custer, who were
marching from the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond. The town and University were spared the worst, but along
their route the troops destroyed bridges, rail depots, military supplies and, after leaving Charlottesville, wrecked
the canal and associated warehouses at Scottsville (Moore 76:202-211).
Reconstruction and Growth (1865-1917)
For two decades after the Civil War, freed blacks were a majority of the population. Freed slaves became farm
tenants, sharecroppers, or small tradesmen such as blacksmiths, cobblers, or carpenters. Several rural black
communities were either established or grew considerably, for example Bethel (now called Proffit). By the last
decade of the nineteenth century, however, outmigration of blacks to better opportunities in northern cities
resulted in a shift back to a white majority.
Farms were smaller, more numerous, and more diversified. Apple and peach orchards, vineyards, and the raising
of beef and dairy cattle and sheep replaced large slave°operated wheat and tobacco farms. Around the turn of
the twentieth century, wealthy capitalists from outside the county began to buy old estates as part-time
residences, renovating historic homes already there or building grand new ones. This preserved or created some
of the county's finest architectural resources, as well as protecting some of its most beautiful rural landscape.
Some also established fine horse and cattle breeding operations on their estates.
With the opening of a new railroad northward from Charlottesville to Alexandria in 1881, the county was
crossed by east-west and north-south rail lines which intersected in Charlottesville. Expansion and consolidation
of rail companies eventually led to the east-west line belonging to the Chesapeake & Ohio, the north-south route
being part of the Southern Railway, and both: companies establishing their shops in Charlottesville for a time.
Villages continued to grow around rural rail depots and also :around country stores at important crossroads.
Crozet, named for the builder of the Blue Ridge tunnels, began as a depot on the rail line in 1877 to serve Miller
School and grew thanks to the burgeoning orchard industry in western Albemarle. In little over a decade it
A-IO
acquired a bank, a school, several churches and over a dozen businesses, and remains today as the county's
largest unincorporated village.
By 1888, Charlottesville had grown enough to incorporate as a city. Rural families moved to town for better job
opportunities and such urban conveniences as electricity, municipal water, telephone and entertainment. The
coming of the automobile launched the slow decline of some rural villages as they faced commercial
competition from Charlottesville.
Examples of architecture from this period are Kirklea, Seven Oaks Farm, Cobham Park, and the worker houses
at Alberene Quarry.
World War I to present (1917-1996)
Though rail service was frequent and reliable in the early twentieth centmy, roads did not keep pace until the
1920s. In 1922 all-weather, state-maintained highways were established along Three Notch'd Road (Route 250)
and what is now Route 29. This coincided with the increasing importance of tourism in the area economy. The
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation acquired Monticello and opened it to the public in 1924. By the early
1930s a network of state-maintained roads had been established across the county.
Better roads and more families with automobiles spawned housing subdivisions from the farms that once
surrounded Charlottesville's urban core. This phenomenon began near the tu_rn of the century and has continued
more or less to the present day. Charlottesville grew in both population and land area through annexations in
1916, 1938, 1963, and 1968 (Moore 76:438). Annexation has been a contentious issue for both city and county
residents throughout this century. At this writing, a moratorium on further annexation is in effect.
The number of farms in the county peaked at 3,379 in 1924 and as recently as 1940 over half of the county's
population was involved in some form of agriculture. But by the end of World War II, even the county's fruit
industry was on the decline, as aging orchards were plowed up for pasturage. By 1970, only 847 of the county's
labor force of 14,208 were full-time agricultural workers (Moore 76:443). Agriculture, the traditional economic
base, remains a significant land use, but has been replaced as the principle employer by a combination of
education, tourism, and small manufacturing and service industries.
Examples of architecture from this period are Tiverton, Blue Ridge Farm, Rose Hill, Casa Maria, Farmington
Subdivision, Sunset Lodge, and Town and Country Motel.
A-11
APPENDIX B - RESOURCE LISTINGS
LIST 1:
REGISTERED HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN ALBEMARLE COUNTY
Based on information from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Dec., 1999
TAX MAP and
PARCEL NUMBER
DATE ON DATE ON DATE ON DATE AND
PROPERTY VIRGINIA NATIONAL NATIONAL ACREAGE OF
NAME LANDMARK REGISTER HISTORIC PRESERVATION
REGISTER OF HISTORIC LANDMARK EASEMENT
PLACES
(Multiple)
(Multiple)
Southwest
Mountains-
Rural Historic
District
Proffit Historic
District
08-20-91 02-27-92
09-16-98 02-05-99
(Multiple) Batesville
Historic District
06-16-99 12-9-99
01900-00-00-00900
02600-00-00-033F0
Longwood 06-19-96 10-18-96
Mount Fair 08-21-90 12-28-90
12-20-94
79.30 acres
02800-00-00-03100
03100-00-00,00600
Ballard-Maupin
House
Earlysville Union
Church
06-17-98 02-05-99
09-17-97 12-11-97
03100-00-00-03500
Buck Mountain
Church
08-15-72
04200-00-00-04000
04400-00-00-02100
Midway
(Riverdale Farm)
09-19-78 02-02-79
Woodlands 04-18-89 11-02-89
02-14-89
80.875 acres
12-21-89
56 acres
04400-00-00-035A0
Shack Mountain 06-15-76 09-01-76 10-05-92
12-13-90
102.014 acres
045B2-07-0D-00700
Carrsbrook 07-21-81 07-08-82
12-29-82
4.5 acres
04600-00-00-093B0
Red Hills
12-03-97 02-13-98
2-3-2000
27.3 acres
04900-00-00-01800 Castle Hill
11-16-71 02-23-72
05400-00-00-01600
05400-00-00-074E0
Piedmont
Mirador
12-11-90 02-01-91
09-16-82 04-07-83
B-1
TAX MAP and
PARCEL NUMBER
05500-00-00-01500
05500-00-00-016A0
05800-00-00-09400
05800-00-00-25400
05900-00-00-015A0
06000-00-00-028A1
060E2-00-00~00100
060E3-00-00~00100
06500-00-00-05200
06600-00-00-02800
07000-00-00-01300
07000-00-00-01500
07000-00-00-037B0
07000-00-00-03900
07200-00-00-03200
07300-00-00-03000
07300-00-00-033A0
07300-00-00-000A0
076A0-00-00-000B0
076A0-00-00-000B0
076A0-00-00-000B0
PROPERTY
NAME
Seven Oaks
Farm & Black's
Tavern
The Cedars
Home Tract
Spring Hill
D, S. Tavern
Ednam House
Farmington
Gallison Hall
Grace Church
Cobham Park
Emmanuel
Church
Casa Maria
Blue Ridge Farm
Wavertree Hall
Farm (Bellevue)
Miller School of
Albemarle
Malvern
Woodstock Hall
Tavern
George Rogers
Clark Sculpture
The Rotunda~
University of
Virginia - Historic
District2
Brooks Hall
DATE ON
VIRGINIA
LANDMARK
REGISTER
06-20-89
04-18-89
09-15-99
04-19-83
08-16-83
12-16-80
07-07-70
02-20-90
02-17-76
01-15-74
01-20-81
04-17-90
02-20-90
04-16-91
04-17-73
04-28-95
02-18-86
09-09-69
10-06-70
02-15-77
DATE ON
NATIONAL
REGISTER
OF HISTORIC
PLACES
12-26-89
12-27-90
12-9-99
11-21-83
09-29-83
07-08-82
09-15~70
12-28-90
10-21-76
07-18-74
07-08-82
12-28-90
01 ~25-91
07-09-91
02-15-74
08-04-95
01-29-87
5-16-97
12-21-65
11-20-70
11-20-70
DATE ON
NATIONAL
HISTORIC
LANDMARK
12-21-65
11-20-70
DATE AND
ACREAGE OF
PRESERVATION
EASEMENT
1 This property is also listed on the World Heritage List.
2 This property is also listed on the World Heritage List.
B-2
TAX MAP and
PARCEL NUMBER
076A0-00-00-000C0
076A0-00-00-000L0
076A0-00-00-000J2
07700-00-00-02700
07800-00-00,02200
07900-00-00-01000
07900-00-00-023B0
08000-00-00-00100
08700-00-00-003B0
08800-00-00-02000
09100-00-00-02100
09100-00-00-02700
09200-00-00-002B0
09900-00-00-03400
10800-00-00-02700
11100-00-00-00400
11100-00-00-00600
11200-00-00-030A0
DATE ON DATE ON DATE ON DATE AND
PROPERTY VIRGINIA NATIONAL NATIONAL ACREAGE OF
NAME LANDMARK REGISTER HISTORIC PRESERVATION
REGISTER OF HISTORIC LANDMARK EASEMENT
PLACES
Rugby Road - 11-15-83 02-16-84
University Corner
Historic District3
Charlottesville-
Albemarle 07-28-82
County
Courthouse
District4
Faulkner House 03-20-84 05-03-84
Michie Tavern 02-17-93 .........
Monticellos 09-09-69 10-15-66
Edgehill 06-15-82 09-09-82
Clifton 06-21-88 11-02-89
East Belmont 10-18-95 8-2-99
Crossroads 05-15-84 08~16-84
Tavem
Arrowhead 04-17-91 07-09-91
Morven 02-20-73 04-24-73
As h lawn 01 - 16-73 08-14-73
(Highland)
Sunnyfields 04,21-93 06-10-93
Sunnybank 04-20-76 12-12-76
Cove 04-18-89 11-02-89
Presbyterian
Church
Cocke's Mill 08-15-89 12-06-90
House and Mill
Site
Edgemont 09-16-80 11-28-80
(Cocke Farm)
Estoutevilte 04-19-77 01-30-78
12-19-60
3 Part of this district lies within the City of Charlottesville.
4 This district lies within the City of Charlottesville.
5 Monticello is also included on the World Heritage List.
B-3
m
TAX MAP and
PARCEL NUMBER
11300-00-00-00100
11300-00-00-01000
11900-00-00-05600
12000-00-00-02000
12000-00-00-02200
12100-00-00-00100
12200-00-00-001A0
12200-00-00-00200
12200-00-00-00300
1220-00-00-01100
12300-00-00-00700
PROPERTY
NAME
Redlands
Bellair
Mountain Grove
Guthrie Hall
Esmont House
Enniscorthy
Plain Dealing
The Rectory
Christ Church,
Glendower
Pine Knot
DATE ON DATE ON
VIRGINIA NATIONAL
LANDMARK REGISTER
REGISTER OF HISTORIC
PLACES
09-09-69 11-12-69
12-11-91 10-15-92
05-20-80 09-08-80
03-17-81 09-23-82
05-17-77 05-06-80
G4 21 92 09-24-92
Delisted
07-02-97
05-17-77 05-06-80
08-21-91 11-07-91
03-02-71 07-02-71
04-19-88 02-01-89
MountIda 10-14-86
04-27-87
NPS
approved
move 07-18-
96
13000-00-00-03600 Cliffside 10-20-81 09-16-82
See tax maps 130A1 Scottsville 04-20-76 07-30-76
and 130A2 Historic Districts
130A1-00-00-00400 High Meadows 04-15-86 05-30-86
13500-00-00-024B0 Walker House 02-20-90 12-28-90
13900-00-00-02500 Monticola 04-18-89 06-22-90
DATE ON
NATIONAL
HISTORIC
LANDMARK
DATE AND
ACREAGE OF
PRESERVATION
EASEMENT
04-07-89
90 acres
6 The Scottsville Historic District includes all parcels within the Town of Scottsville Corporate Limits before 1994 annexation. Part
of this district lies within Fluvanna County.
B-4
APPENDIX B - RESOURCE LISTINGS
LIST 2:
ALBEMARLE COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES:
SUCCESSFUL PRESERVATION EFFORTS
The following resources have been successfully preserved
· Ashlawn/Highland · Monticello
· Batesville School · Monticola, Howardsville
· Belle Grove, Scottsville · Pine Knot, Keene
· Blenheim * Plain Dealing, Keene
,, Boyd Tavem · Poor House Farm, Keswick
· Castle Hill · Redlands
· Cemeteries · Rio School
· Mint Spdng Park · Scottsville
· Walnut Creek Park * Barclay HouseMuseum
· Christ Church Glendower (except original · Hotel Scottsville
floor removal) · Colonial Cottage
· Cloverfields · Mt. Walla
· Cocke's Mill House * High Meadows
· D.S. Tavern · High School
· Edgemont · Black School
· Esmont House · Sowell House
· Garland Store · Spring Hill, Ivy
· Hatton Ferry · Walker Mill
· Jefferson Mill, Hardware River · Walnut Creek Park House
· Keene Store · White Hall School
· Longwood Log House, EEarlysville · William Walker House, Warren
· Mechum's River Mill House * Woodstock Hall
· Michie Tavern · Woolen Mills Factory Houses
· Midway School
· Miller School
B-5
APPENDIX B - RESOURCE LISTINGS
LIST 3:
ALBEMARLE COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES:
RELOCATED STRUCTURES
The following structures have been relocated from their original sites
Buck Mountain Church
· Burnley Tavern
· Catterton Farm House
· Beck Log House
· Glebe House
· Meadows Farm
· Michie Tavern
· Napier Log House
· Overton School
· Rio Station
· Sowell House
· Walkers Mill House/George Rogers Clark Birthplace
B-6
APPENDIX B - RESOURCE LISTINGS
LIST 4:
ALBEMARLE COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES:
DESTROYED IN RECENT TIMES
The following resources were destroyed in recent years by demolition, fire, flood or neglect
YEAR BUILT
c. 1890
18th century
1899
c. 1810
c. 1800
1850s
1890s
18th century
c. 1885
late 18th century
1880s
c. 1830
c. 1800
1935
c. 1870
c. 1830
18th century
19th century
early1840s
RESOURCE
Alberene Store
Morven (Birckhead Plantation)
Blenheim School
Buckeyeland Church
Castalia, Keswick
Cemeteries
· Rose Valley
· Monticola
· Walnut Lawn
· Hessian
· Dunlora Slave
Crossroads Tavern
Crozet
·
·
Theater/Hardware Store
Bank
Black School
Covesville Baptist Church
Decca, Metal Truss bridge
Enniscorthy Barn & Outbuildings
Ernscliff, Slate Hill
Esmont Depot
Estes Store, Rt. 29 North
Fowle's Tavern Site, Howardsville
Garth House
Greenwood Store
Greenwood Hotel/School
Howardsville
· Depot
· Hotel
· Store
· Houses
Hydraulic Mill House
Ingleside Farm Barn
Ivy Depot, Ivy
Ivy Mill, Ivy
Coles Cabin in the Grove, Enniscorthy
Lamb Log House, Earlysville
Martin, Samuel Home, Free Union
Meriwether Lewis High School
Millington Metal Truss Bridge
Milton Metal Truss Bridge
Misfit, Greenwood
Mission Home Church
Monticola Dependencies
YEAR RAZED/REASON NOTES
1973
1993/neglect UREF Industrial
Park
c. 1990/burned
1960s-90s~eglect
1987
1995
1985
1970s
1980s
1995
1991
1978
1978
1985
1970/Rt. 29 widening
1986
1995
1991
1975
c. 1985/carcrashedinto
1985
1997
c. 1990
c. 1985
1969 flood
1969 flood
1969-72 floods
1969-72 floods
1965/rese~oirconstruction
1995
c. 1977
1979
late 1970s
c. 1990
1998
1990s
1995
1974
1970s
1980s
frame building
B-7
c. 1898
1915
1915
c. 1910
late 19th century
c. 1900
c. 1900
1804
late 1880s
1850
1830
1871
Nydrie
Proffit Post Office
Providence School
Shadwell Depot
Springdale House
Stockton Creek Barn
Summer Rest, Newtown
Wakefield House, Schuyler
Warren
· Depot
· Store
· Ferry
· Tavern
White Hall Tobacco Barn
Williams House, Crossroads
Willoughby
Woolen Mills, Charlottesville
Zion Baptist Church, Crossroads
1986
1995
1970s
1990s
1970s
1980s/razed
1970s-80~negle~
1960s-80s/negle~
c. 1975
c. 198~burned
1972
c. 1970
1995
1991
1991/burned
burned
1975
decahedron
APPENDIX C:
STATE ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR
HISTORIC OVERLAY DISTRICT
Section 15.2-2306. Preservation of historical sites and architectural areas.
A. 1 .Any locality may adopt an ordinance setting forth the historic landmarks within the locality as established
by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, and any other buildings or structures within the locality having
an important historic, architectural, archaeological or cultural interest, any historic areas within the locality as
defined by 15.2-2201, and areas of unique architectural value located within designated conservation,
rehabilitation or redevelopment districts, amending the existing zoning ordinance and delineating one or more
historic districts, adjacent to such landmarks, buildings and structures, or encompassing such areas, or
encompassing parcels of land contiguous to arterial streets or highways (as designated pursuant to Title 33.1,
including 33.1-41.1 of that title) found by the governing body to be significant routes of tourist access to the
locality or to designated historic landmarks, buildings, structures or districts therein or in a contiguous locality.
An amendment of the zoning ordinance and the establishment of a district or districts shall be in accordance
with the provisions of Article 7 ( 15.2-2280 et seq.) of this chapter. The governing body may provide for a
review board to administer the ordinance and may provide compensation to the board. The ordinance may
include a provision that no building or structure, including signs, shall be erected, reconstructed, altered or
restored within any such district unless approved by the review board or, on appeal, by the governing body of
the locality as being architecturally compatible with the historic landmarks, buildings or structures therein.
2. Subject to the provisions of subdivision 3 of this subsection the goveming body may provide in the ordinance
that no historic landmark, building or structure within any district shall be razed, demolished or moved until
the razing, demolition or moving thereof is approved by the review board, or, on appeal, by the goveming body
after consultation with the review board.
3. The governing body shall provide by ordinance for appeals to the circuit court for such locality fi-om any
final decision of the governing body pursuant to subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection and shall specify therein
the parties entitled to appeal the decisions, which parties shall have the right to appeal to the circuit court for
review by filing a petition at law, setting forth the alleged illegality of the action of the governing body,
provided such petition is filed within thirty days after the final decision is rendered by the goveming body. The
filing of the petition shall stay the decision of the governing body pending the outcome of the appeal to the
court, except that the filing of such petition shall not stay the decision of the governing body if the decision
denies the right to raze or demolish a historic landmark, building or structure. The court may reverse or modify
the decision of the governing body, in whole or in part, if it finds upon review that the decision of the governing
body is contrary to law or that its decision is arbitrary and constitutes an abuse of discretion, or it may affirm
the decision of the governing body.
In addition to the right of appeal hereinabove set forth, the owner of a historic landmark, building or structure,
the razing or demolition of which is subject to the provisions of subdivision 2 of this subsection, shall, as a
matter of right, be entitled to raze or demolish such landmark, building or structure provided that: (I) he has
applied to the governing body for such right, (ii) the owner has for the period of time set forth in the same
schedule hereinafter contained and at a price reasonably related to its fair market value, made a bona fide offer
to sell the landmark, building or structure, and the land pertaining thereto, to the locality or to any person, firm,
corporation, government or agency thereof, or political subdivision or agency thereof, which gives reasonable
assurance that it is willing to preserve and restore the landmark, building or structure and the land pertaining
thereto, and (iii) no bona fide contract, binding upon all parties thereto, shall have been executed for the sale
of any such landmark, building or structure, and the land pertaining thereto, prior to the expiration of the
applicable time period set forth in the time schedule hereinafter contained. Any appeal which may be taken to
the court from the decision of the governing body, whether instituted by the owner or by any other proper party,
notwithstanding the provisions heretofore stated relating to a stay of the decision appealed from shall not affect
C-1
) :. ~.. .... ;.: .' .
the right of the owner to make the bona fide offer to sell referred to above. No offer to sell shall be made more
than one year after a final decision by the governing body, but thereafter the owner may renew his request to
the governing body to approve the razing or demolition of the historic landmark;building or structure. The time
schedule for offers to sell shall be as follows: three months when the offering price is less than $25,000; four
months when the offering price is $25,000 or more but less than $40,000; five months when the offering price
is $40,000 or more but less than $55,000; six months when the offering price is $55,000 or more but less than
$75,000; seven months when the offering price is $75,000 or more but less than $90,000; and twelve months
when the offering price is $90,000 or more.
4. The governing body is authorized to acquire in any legal manner any historic area, landmark, building or
structure, land pertaining thereto, or any estate or interest therein which, in the opinion of the governing body
should be acquired, preserved and maintained for the use, observation, education, pleasure and welfare of the
people; provide for their renovation, preservation, maintenance, management and control as places of historic
interest by a department of the locality government or by a board, commission or agency specially established
by ordinance for the purpose; charge or authorize the charging of compensation for the use thereof or admission
thereto; lease, subject to such regulations as may be established by ordinance, any such area, property, lands or
estate or interest therein so acquired upon the condition that the historic character of the area, landmark,
building, structure or land shall be preserved and maintained; or to enter into contracts with any person, firm
or corporation for the management, preservation, maintenance or operation of any such area, landmark, building,
structure, land pertaining thereto or interest therein so acquired as a place of historic interest; however, the
locality shall not use the fight of condemnation under this subsection unless the historic value of such area,
landmark, building, structure, land pertaining thereto, or estate or interest therein is about to be destroyed.
B. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, general or special, in the City of Portsmouth no approval
of any governmental agency or review board shall be required for the construction of a ramp to serve the
handicapped at any structure designated pursuant to the provisions of this section. (1973, c. 270, 15.1-503.2;
1974, c. 90; 1975, cc. 98, 574, 575,641; 1977, c. 473; 1987, c. 563; 1988, c. 700; 1989, c. 174; 1993, c. 770;
1996, c.424; 1997, cc.587, 676.)
C-2
APPENDIX D:
ALBEMARLE COUNTY POPULATION AND
DWELLING INCREASE 1940-1997
Albema~e County Population and Dwellings
Year Population Dwellings
1940 24,652 5,514
1950 26,662 6,356
1960 30,969 8,838
1970 37,780 11,738
1980 55,783 20,363
1990 68,200 25,958
1997 79,5004 30,6072
Albemarle County Population & Dwelling Increase, 1940-1997
Time period Population Average Dwelling
Increase Population Increase
Increase/Year
1940-1950 2,010 201 842 84
1950-1960 4,307 431 2,482 248
1960-1970 6,811 681 2,900 290
1970-1980 18,003 1,800 8,625 863
1980-1990 12,417 1,242 5,595 560
1990-1997 11,300 1,614 4,649 664
Total 54,848 962 21,769 588
Average Dwelling
I ncrease/Year
~ 1997 Estimate from Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
2 June, 1998 estimate developed by Albemarle County Department of Planning & Community Development.
All other figures taken from U.S. Census.
D-1
APPENDIX E:
PRESERVATION ORGANIZATIONS
The first four organizations listed below indirectly protect historic resources by focusing on public
education or quality of life issues that affect the County. The last three organizations focus more directly on
the preservation of historic resources.
Albemarle County Historical Society
200 Second Street NE
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(804) 296-1492
Lynne C. Ely, Executive Director
Charlottesville-Albemarle League of Women Voters
1928 Arlington Blvd., Room 105
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 970-1707
Sandy Snook and Ruth Wadlington, Co-chair
Citizens for Albemarle, Inc.
Box 3751 University Station
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 961-3123
Charlotte Graham, President
Piedmont Environmental Council
1111 Rose Hill Drive, Suite 1
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 977-2033
Babette Thorpe, Field Officer, Charlottesville Office
Preservation Alliance of Virginia
700 Harris Street, Suite 106
Charlottesville, VA 24402
(804) 984-4484
W. Douglas Gilpin, Jr., President
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities
Thomas Jefferson Branch
PO Box 2501
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Michael Bednar, Director
Preservation Piedmont
PO Box 2803
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Ashlin Smith, President
E-1
APPENDIX F:
DETAILS OF PAST:REGULATORY PRESERVATION
ATTEMPTS
The protection of historic resources in Albemarle County has thus far depended primarily on the ability and
interest of their owners to maintain them, provide sufficient land to protect their setting, and perhaps to seek
listing on the Virginia Landmarks or National Registers. Owner efforts have been augmented directly by the
actions of citizen groups, and indirectly by County growth management policies, particularly in protection of
the setting.
It should also be noted that many, if not all, of the historic resources carried in the files of the VDHR have been
clearly marked on County planning maps. In deliberating development or other activity which might affect such
properties, the County planning staff, Planning Commission, and Board of Supervisors generally have
considered the proximity of a historic resource in their recommendations or decisions, although not statutorily
required to do so.
The current endeavor to provide effective legal protection for the County's historic resources by means of
historic district zoning regulation follows five previous attempts to implement the state enabling legislation.
Three of the earlier efforts, which began in 1975, were internal explorations by the county Planning staff or
Board of Supervisors, and did not reach public attention. Of the remaining two previous attempts, one was
made by a Board-appointed committee similar to the current effort, and the other was the product of a citizen
group.
This appendix details the cimumstances and issues associated with the earlier attempts, and some of the changes
associated with the current effort.
First and Second Attempts - 1977 to 1981
The first historic overlay district ordinance was incorporated into a new zoning ordinance proposed by the
Planning Commission, and was tabled with no action by the Board of Supervisors in 1975.
In November, 1977, the Board of Supervisors appointed a Historic Preservation Committee, which met
throughout 1978. In late 1978, the committee delivered a proposed Historic Preservation Overlay District
Ordinance to the Planning Commission. The proposed ordinance provided for the creation of historic districts
and a seven-member Architectural Review Board (ARB). ARB responsibilities included recommendations for
establishing or revising historic districts, reviewing Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) applications, creating
and maintaining an inventory of historic buildings and structures, and administering a site marker program. The
ordinance was silent regarding "owner consent" and "demolition by neglect," but did contain an "anti-
demolition" section.
After some discussion, the Planning Commission deferred action and returned the proposed ordinance to the
committee "due to the work on revising the Zoning Ordinance," presumably referring to the 1980 ordinance
which established the Rural Area and Growth Areas. After a hiatus of nearly two and one-half years, the
Planning Commission, in a June 2, 1981 public hearing, re-addressed the proposed historic preservation
ordinance at the request of the committee chairman. Noting that several people had approached him regarding
the status of the ordinance, the committee chairman stated that he thought it best to bring an amended version
back to the Planning Commission for "some direction or indication that the committee should proceed." He
further stated that the proposed ordinance had been modified to make it "more of a voluntary sort of
arrangement."
Two previous obstacles to adoption of the ordinance were mentioned during the ensuing public comment
portion: (1) How to delineate a historic district; and (2) Whether it should be a voluntary or involuntary
ordinance. Other speakers believed that a voluntary ordinance would have little strength, and that the desired
F-1
goals were two-fold: (1) Protect historic resources; and (2) Sell the idea to the public. The consensus of
comments from Planning Commissioners seemed to support a voluntary rather than an involuntary ordinance,
and several comments were made regarding the need for incentives to accompany any regulatory package.
In concluding the discussions, the Planning Commission Chairwoman asked the committee chairman if the
Commission's position was now clear. Responding affirmatively, the committee chairman also indicated that
he would try to obtain copies of other rural ordinances and investigate how to entice property owners into
historic districts. He also promised to invite members of the Planning Commission to attend when the
committee decided to meet. The record is silent as to whether or not the 1977 Historic Preservation Committee
held any further meetings: The record is clear, however, that even if the committee did not reconvene after
June, 1981, the product they developed was resurrected for consideration by the Board of Supervisors in 1983.
Third Attempt - January to November 1983
Pursuant to a request from the Board of Supervisors to analyze the work of the 1977 Historic Preservation
Committee and explore some less controversial approaches to historic district zoning, the planning staff
prepared a report on January 10, 1983. The staff report concluded that district boundary delineation and a
voluntary versus involuntary ordinance remained as the major areas of controversy. Observing that the County
had experienced poor results with voluntary measures such as the conservation district zoning, the report
determined that the proposed ordinance could be modified to yield two substantially different products:
(1) A mandatory ordinance applicable to all sites deemed to be significant, including any other property
in the vicinity necessary to assure protection and preservation; and
(2) An ordinance applicable only to sites on the Virginia Landmarks Register, and which would not be
applicable to other properties in the area.
The Board of Supervisors met on February 9, 1983 to consider the staff report, and agreed to contact the
Director of the Virginia Landmarks Commission (now the Virginia Department of Historic Resources) and
request comments concerning the Landmarks Commission's experience with other counties in historic
preservation zoning. The response to this request was discussed on October 12, 1983. The Director of Planning
and Community Development stated that the reply offered few insights and that there appeared to be no easy
solution to the problem. Other counties had followed basically the same path as had Albemarle and encountered
many of the same problems. Some had adopted historic district ordinances, while others had not. The staff
therefore requested guidance as to whether the Board desired to hold another public hearing, form a new
committee for further study of the issues, or terminate the matter entirely.
After discussion, the Board of Supervisors agreed to solicit comments on the proposed ordinance from the
School of Architecture at the University of Virginia (UVA) and schedule a work session later in the year.
Discussion comments indicated some support for historic resource protection among Board members, tempered
by concerns about the potential impact of an ordinance on property owners adjacent to a designated historic site.
Comments from the UVA School of Architecture, provided on November 10, 1983, included general
observations and specific article-by-article suggestions partially based on a recent ordinance adopted by the city
of Charlottesville. Receipt of the UVA comments apparently marked the end of the Board of Supervisors 1983
attempt to revive the proposed ordinance developed by the committee it had appointed in 1977. There is no
record of the work session called for by the Board in October; the sixtyear effort had come to an end without
a product, and more than seven years would elapse before the subject was again raised at the County govemment
level for public discussion.
F~2
Fourth and Fifth Attempts - 1990 to 1992
The fourth and fifth attempts stemmed from the 1989 Comprehensive Plan goal to "Protect the County's natural,
scenic, and historic resources in the Rural and Growth Areas." The fourth attempt, an internal staff initiative,
was followed immediately by efforts of a citizens' group, which became the fifth attempt.
Historic site and structure protection were prominent in the . Comprehensive Plan goal's objective and all eight
of its supporting strategies, one of which was to "Establish a historic preservation committee to devise a
preservation plan for the County, encourage public interest, advise property owners, gather and maintain
information, and promote voluntary measures." Although this strategy specified voluntary. measures, it was
followed by another strategy which stated that the preservation plan for the county would include further study
and recommendations regarding a National Register Historic District, a local Historic Overlay District, a local
Historic District Ordinance, and a Register for sites of local importance.
To expedite accomplishment of the above goal, the Citizens for Albemarle (CfA) organization formed a Historic
Preservation Committee, which met with the Board of Supervisors in August of 1990 to volunteer their efforts
and ascertain whether it would be duplicative of County government plans. According to a later statement by
the CfA committee chairwoman, the Board made it clear that the CfA committee was unofficial, but otherwise
conveyed the impression that the CfA committee could continue as planned.
Prior to the August 1990 CfA meeting with the Board of Supervisors, the County Planning staff had, apparently
at its own initiative, drafted an Historic Preservation Overlay District as a companion document to the Entrance
Corridor Overlay District and the creation of an Architectural Review Board. This draft was set aside by the
Board in view of the CfA proposal.
On January 8, 1992, the CfA committee delivered its draft Historic Preservation Ordinance to the Board of
Supervisors, and requested the Board to make consideration of its draft a matter of high priority on the staffs
work agenda. In addition to some eighteen months of research, consultations, and writing, the committee had
surveyed some 44 owners of property listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register. Of the 22 owners who
responded, 21 favored the concept of a historic preservation ordinance for the County. Prior to submitting its
draft to the Board, the committee provided copies for review and comment to individuals and organizations
active in the historic preservation field.
The County staff completed its review, comment, and redrafting actions by May, 1992. Meanwhile, in April,
the CfA committee publishera brochure to inform County residents about the proposed ordinance and to
encourage public discussion of its contents. After several meetings between selected representatives of the
County staff and the CfA committee, a work session with members of the Planning Commission was conducted
on October 6, 1992. The primary purpose of the work session was procedural. The Chief of Planning presented
three courses of action to the Commission:
(1) Set aside the CfA proposal and recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they immediately appoint
a Historic Preservation Committee to accomplish the tasks set forth under the Comprehensive Plan goal to
protect historic resources. The committee also would be asked to evaluate the CfA proposal in conjunction with
their other responsibilities.
(2) Enact the proposed ordinance now, but delay its implementation until the necessary administrative and
staffing measures were in place.
(3) Enact the proposed ordinance now, but restrict its application to those properties already listed on the
Virginia Landmarks Register.
Fo3
The Chief of Planning stated that the staff preference was for the first alternative, and that the redrafted
ordinance retained the intent of the CfA proposal. Staff changes were largely a restmcturing into the standard
County ordinance format. The CfA proposal was so comprehensive that it more closely resembled a historic
preservation plan than an ordinance, and the CfA committee expressed its support for the redraft. The Planning
Commission, however, decided to defer discussion until a later session when all members of the Commission
could be present.
While the staff was evaluating the CfA proposal in 1992, the County's Open Space Plan (OSP) was adopted as
an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. In a section on Civic and Cultural Features, the OSP objective was
to "Recognize the value of Albemarle's historic and archeological resources, and pursue additional protection
measures." Supporting strategies for this objective reinforced historic resource protection strategies in the
Comprehensive Plan and were written in greater specificity.
On December I, 1992, the Planning Commission conducted a public heating on the CfA initiative as redrafted
by the County staff. Eleven citizens spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, including three
members of the CfA committee. The CfA representatives were willing to endorse the formation of an "official"
committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors if that was necessary to keep the process alive. Reaction to
the CfA proposal by six property owners was evenly split; three were adamantly opposed, and three supported
some type of ordinance protecting historic resources.
Questions and comments by members of the Planning Commission during the public comment session focused
on the CfA committee composition and the likely impact of the ordinance on the citizens of the County. Several
commissioners complimented CfA on its efforts, which had produced an important and impressive document.
Other issues discussed included the likelihood of public support for such an ordinance, and the extent to which
the public interest in protecting historic resources might take precedence over the infringement on private
property rights.
After the public comment portion was closed, Commission discussion centered on how best to form an official
committee to study the issue further. A motion was made to defer specific action pending staff development
of a charter for such a committee. After some final remarks, including the hope that some action would take
place within a few weeks, the motion passed unanimously.
The Current Effort - 1995 to 1998
Although staff did develop a charter as requested, the Planning Commission set it aside. There was no recorded
action following the adjournment of the Planning Commission on December 1, 1992 until May 3, 1995, nearly
two and one-half years later. On that date the County Board of Supervisors appointed a nine-member Historic
Preservation Committee. The current attempt had begun. The newly-appointed historic preservation committee
faced many of the same challenges as had the first committee in 1977 and the Citizens for Albemarle in 1992,
but conditions in the County which helped generate some of those earlier challenges have changed.
The most important change is an enhanced public awareness of, and receptivity to, the need for more effective
protection of historic resources, as evidenced by the 1994 survey and positive reaction to the 1995 historic
architectural survey of twelve Albemarle County villages. This public attitude derives in part from concem that,
without strong regulatory protection, unremitting growth pressures will eventually overwhelm the laudable
voluntary efforts of property owners and preservation groups.
Of equal significance is the heightened interest demonstrated by state and local government. The 1996 General
Assembly unanimously passed a generous historic homeowner tax credit bill, and the County government
provided substantial staff support to the historic preservation committee, along with active liaison from
designated members of the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
F-4
Finally, the existence of additional preservation groups and community and neighborhood associations has
helped to raise the level of knowledge and to narrow the issues during the current effort. The principal added
challenge faced by the new Historic Preservation Committee has been to capitalize on these changed conditions
to produce a balanced and effective plan which is acceptable to the citizens of the County.
F-5
APPENDIX G: SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Internet sites:
http ://www .preservenet.comell .edu/pnetconf. htm
http://www.virginia.org
Akers, Donna
1989 A Phase I Arch Survey of Route 250 between Saint Clair Avenue and Interstate64, Including a Portion
of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia. James Madison University, Richmond. Submitted to
Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond.
Albemarle Historical Society
1942-1991 Magazine of Albemarle County History. vols. 1-49.
Alexander, Frances
1991 Historic Bridge Survey: Phase II, New Jersey Transit Corporation. Engineering-Science, Inc.
Submitted to DeLeuw, Cather and Company, Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Anderson, James D.
1988 The Educaaon of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Blanton, Wyndham B.
1931 Medicine in Virginia in the Eighteenth Century. Garrett and Massie, Richmond, Virginia.
Boyer, William
1983 Searching for Jefferson's Mound: A Preliminary Report on the 1982 Season at the Carrsbrook Site,
44AB14. Ms. on file, James Madison University, Richmond.
Buchanan, William
1980 An Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of the 230 kV Transmission Line to Hollymead Substation,
Albemarle County, Virginia. Archaeological Society of Virginia. Submitted to Virginia Electric and Power
Company.
Buttrick, Charlotte D., and Tamara A. Vance (editors)
1989 Southwest Mountains Area Natural Resource and Historic Preservation Study. Piedmont
Environmental Council, Charlottesville.
Catlin, Mark, Stephen Plog, Kathy Hardy, and Elizabeth Word
1982 An Historic Cemetery in Albemarle County, Virginia: An Archaeological Investigation of Site 44AB7.
Department of Anthropology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Submitted to the Albemarle County
Historical Society and the Sons of the American Revolution.
Chase, Philander D.
1983 Years of Hardships and Revelations: The Convention Army at the Albemarle Barracks, 1779-1781.
Magazine of A lbemarle County History 41:9-53.
Crew, SpencerR.
1987 Field to Factory, Afro-American Migration 1915-1940. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
De Alba, Susan
1993 Country Roads, Albemarle County, Virginia. Rockbridge Publishing Company, Natural Bridge Station,
Virginia.
Egloff, Keith T., and Deborah Woodward
1992 First People: The Early Indians of Virginia. Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond.
Evans, Clifford
1955 A Ceramic Study of Virginia Archeology. Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 160. Washington, D.C.
Farmer, John B., Jr., and Mark A. Kearney.
1973 Warren, Virginia: A Lost Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Community in Albemarle County.
Prepared for Studies in Vernacular Architecture, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
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Frierson, Melinda B.
1994 Correspondence with Richard L. Mattson, 5 july.
Garnett, Meg
1974 Excavation of the Stevenson Site. Student paper, Department of Anthropology, University of
Virginia, CharlottesVille. Ms. on file, Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, Virginia.
Graham, Willie, and Robert R. Hunter, Jr.
1989 A Phase II Architectural Survey on the Route 671 Project, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Archaeological ~Project Center, Department of Anthropology, The College of William and Mary,
Williamsburg. Submitted to the Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond.
Gutman, Herbert G.
1976 The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom,. 1 750-1925. Random House, New York.
Hantman, Jeffrey
1985 The Archaeology of Albemarle County. University of Virginia Archaeological Survey
Monograph 2.
1987 Cultural Boundaries and Lithie Procurement in Central Virginia. In Upland Archaeology in the
East, vol. 2, edited by MichaelBarber, pp. 21-33. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
1990 Between Powhatan and Quirank: Reconstructing Monacan Culture and History in the Context
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1992 Middle and Late Woodland Archaeology in Piedmont Virginia. In Middle and Late Floodland
Research in Virginia: A Synthesis, edited by Theodore Reinhart and Mary Ellen N. Hodges, pp.137-164.
Special Publication No. 29, Archaeological Society of Virginia.
Hantman, Jeffrey, Martin Gallivan, Mintcy Maxham, and Daniel Hayes
1993 Late Woodland and Contact Era Village Excavations in the Monacan Area of Virginia. Paper
presented at the 50th Annual Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Raleigh.
Heblich, Fred T., and Mary Ann Elmwood
1982 Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Donning Co., Virginia Beach.
Henry, Geoffrey B., Stephen G. DelSordo, Melinda B. Frierson and Janet L. Friedman
1995 Historic Architectural Survey of Albemarle County Villages. Dames and Moore. Submitted to
Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Hoffman, Michael
1975 Archaeological Reconnaissance and Test Excavations at the Loft Mountain Tract in the
Shenandoah NationalPark. Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Submitted
to the National Park Service, Denver.
Holland, C. G.
1979 Albemarle County Settlements: A Piedmont Model. Quarterly Bulletin of the Archaeological
Society of Virginia 33:29-44.
Holland, C. G., Sandra Spieden, and David Van Roijen
1983 The Rapidan Mound Revisited: A Test Excavation of a Prehistoric Burial Mound. Quarterly
Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Virginia 38:1-42.
Hogan, Pendleton
1987 The Lawn, A Guide to Jefferson ~ University. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
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1866 Map of Albemarle County, Virginia. Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville.
Hughes, Sarah S.
1979 Surveyors and Statesmen, Land Measuring in Colonial Virginia. The Virginia Surveyors
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1989 Claudius Crozet. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Irwin, Marjorie Felice
1929
The Negro in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Phelps-Stokes Fellowship Papers (9),
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Charlottesville, Virginia.
Isaac, Rhys
1982 The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790. The Institute of Early American History and
Culture, Williamsburg.
Jolly; Robert
1990 A Phase I Cultural Resource Survey of a Proposed Widening on Route 654 in Albemarle County,
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1988 Charlottesville and the University of Virginia in the Civil War. H.E. Howard, Inc., Lynchburg,
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Land and Community Associates
1991 National Register Nomination for the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District. Virginia
Department of Historic Resources, Richmond.
Langhorne, Elizabeth Coles, K. Edward Lay, and William D. Rieley
1987 A Virginia Family and Its Plantation Houses. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Lay, K. Edward
1988 Charlottesville's Architectural Legacy. Magazine of Albemarle County History 46:29-96.
1994 Interview with Richard L. Mattson, 29 June.
2000 The Architecture of Jefferson Country: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia.
University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Loth, Calder (editor)
1986 The Virginia Landmarks Register. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Mattson, Richard, Frances Alexander, Daniel Cassedy, and Geoffrey Henry
1995 From the Monacans to Monticello and Beyond: Prehistoric and Historic Contexts for Albemarle
County, Virginia. Garrow and Associates. Submitted to Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
McLearen, Douglas
1987 A Phase H Significance Evaluation of 44AB293 and 44AB295, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Archaeological Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. Submitted to Virginia
Department of Transportation.
McLearen, Douglas, Luke Boyd, and Frederick Barker
1991 Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of Proposed Highway Improvements to Route 743, Albemarle
County, Virginia. Archaeological Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
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Mead, Edward C.
1978 Historic Homes of the Southwest Mountains of Virginia. C.J. Carrier Co., Harrisonburg,
Virginia.
Meeks, Steven G.
1983 Crozet: A Pictorial History. Meeks Enterprises, Elkin, Virginia.
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1988 A Phase I Historic Architectural Survey for the U.S. Route 29 Corridor Study, Charlottesville
and Albemarle County, Virginia. John Milner Associates, Inc., West Chester, Pa. Submitted to the Virginia
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1988 Minerals of Albemarle County, Virginia. Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, Publication
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G-3
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1988 Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of Proposed Improvements to Route63 1, Albemarle County,
Virginia. Archaeological Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. Submitted to
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1991 A Phase II Historic Architectural Survey for the U.S. Route 29 Corridor Study, Charlottesville
andAlbemarle County, Virginia. John Milner Associates, Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania. Submitted to
the Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond.
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Landmarks.
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1980 Historic Roads of Virginia Early Road Location: Key to Discovering Historic Resources?
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Virginia. Submitted to Albemarle County Department of Planning, Charlottesville.
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to the Sverdrup Corporation, Falls Church, Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Transportation,
Richmond.
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the Ohio River. The Virginia Canals and Navigation Society, Richmond.
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Treatment Projects (draft). Richmond, Virginia.
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1993 Back of the Big House: The Architecture of Plantation Slavery. The University of North
Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
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County. Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond.
Weissberg, Nina
1991 Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Crozet Crossing Project, Albemarle County, Virginia:
Department of Anthropology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Submitted to Albemarle County
Department of Planning, Charlottesville.
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1986 Draft Report: Department of Historic Resources Archaeological Survey of Albemarle County,
Virginia. Ms. on file, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond.
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