Historic District

The twelve-member Historic District Commission (HDC) and its staff work with property owners and businesses to make sure that development and renovation in the districts stays in line with the character and features of the district.  

Meetings

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. (except when a city holiday requires a change in date). 

Speak at the Meeting

If you wish to join the meeting via WebEx, contact JT Faucette at james.faucette@charlottenc.gov with your name, email address, phone number, and agenda item of interest no later than 10 a.m. on the Wednesday of the meeting. Once you register, a city staff person will reach out with information about joining the virtual meeting. 

If you wish to observe the meeting only, it can be streamed on the CLT Planning YouTube page. 

Join from the webinar link

https://charlotte.webex.com/charlotte/j.php?MTID=m83976725de8cf1f1b58ef7f9dec8b5ee

Join by phone

1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)

Join by the webinar number

Webinar number (access code): 2309 554 7192

Webinar password: HDC2024 (4322024 when dialing from a phone or video system)

HDC Agendas

Meet the Historic District Commission Staff

Kristi Harpst
Program Manager
Kristina.Harpst@charlottenc.gov 

Candice Leite
Project Manager
Candice.Leite@charlottenc.gov

Elizabeth Lamy
Planning Coordinator, Enforcement
Elizabeth.Lamy@charlottenc.gov

Marilyn Drath
Planner
Marilyn.Drath@charlottenc.gov

Jen Baehr
Planner
Jennifer.Baehr@charlottenc.gov

J.T Faucette
Administrative Officer
James.Faucette@charlottenc.gov

If you wish to make any changes to the outside of a building (including windows/doors) or a property (such as new or replacement fencing and tree removal) in a historic district, you need permission from the Historic District Commission (HDC).  The HDC Design Standards outline the rules about the types of projects and materials that are allowed for proposed changes. The newest Design Standards were adopted in December 2021. 

See the HDC Design Standards(PDF, 95MB)

Permission from the HDC to renovate, modify, or build a new building or make changes to a property, even if a building permit is not required, in a historic district will be granted in a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). A COA is required before any construction work can begin on a building or property in a Charlotte Local Historic District.

Find out if you need a building permit

Need to report work done without a COA? Here is the HDC Potential Violation Form.

Eight of Charlotte's significant older neighborhoods have been named by City Council as Local Historic Districts. Those districts are determined based on their historic value and the character they add to Charlotte. 

Interactive Map of Charlotte Historic Districts

Learn more about Charlotte's eight historic neighborhoods below.

Dilworth 

(Designated in 1983, 1992)

Map of Dilworth's Historic District(PDF, 274KB)

Dilworth was founded in the 1890s as Charlotte's first suburb. It was connected to downtown by Charlotte's first electric streetcar. Dilworth founder, Edward Dilworth Latta, hired the Olmsted Brothers as developers in the 1910s to expand the neighborhood. Their plan was never finished but the curved roads and dramatic architecture became models for much of Charlotte's future development. Dilworth was listed in the National Register of Historic Places(PDF, 11MB) in 1987.

Fourth Ward 

(Designated in 1976)

Map of Fourth Ward's Historic District(PDF, 182KB)

The Fourth Ward was a popular residential area in Charlotte in the mid-1800s because of its convenient location to downtown. When residents began moving to the suburbs, the Fourth Ward saw a downturn. Community leaders in the 1970s led a mission to restore the area and now the Fourth Ward is home to many of Charlotte's remaining Victorian houses and post-modern architecture. 

Hermitage Court

(Designated in 2006)

Map of Hermitage Court's Historic District(PDF, 108KB)

Hermitage Court is a subsection of the Myers Park neighborhood and was founded by F.M. Simmons in 1911. The district is marked by stone gateways at each end of the court. Hermitage Court became a Historic District because of its eclectic mix of Bungalow style houses and several of the revival styles that were popular in the early 20th century. Hermitage Court is listed as part of the larger Myers Park in the National Register of Historic Places(PDF, 7MB). 

McCrorey Heights

(Designated in 2022)

Map of McCrorey Heights' Historic District(PDF, 558KB)

H.L. McCrorey founded McCrorey Heights in 1912 for African American residents. It is located between Johnson C. Smith University and Oaklawn Park. The houses in McCrorey heights fit the popular styles of the mid-1900s, including the American Small House, the Ranch and the Split-Level. Part of the neighborhood was removed in order to build the Brookshire Freeway. 

Oaklawn Park

(Designated in 2020)

Map of Oaklawn Park's Historic District(PDF, 193KB)

Oaklawn Park was developed by Charles Ervin in the 1950s. The neighborhood was designed to fit the area rather than set in a strict grid format. The signature architecture includes brick ranch houses, split-level houses, and cottages. While the houses are similar in size and form, each house has a unique characteristic. The neighborhood was created as cars were becoming popular, so carports and garages are very popular with a walkway connecting the driveway to the front door.

Plaza Midwood

Wesley Heights

Wesley Heights is Charlotte's first Local Historic District and is located on the west side of the city. The neighborhood was developed in the 1920s and still retains much of its look as it did when it was part of Charlotte's electric streetcar system. Bungalow-style homes and tree-canopied streets are the signature features of Wesley Heights, which is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places(PDF, 5MB).

Wilmore

(Designated in 2010)

Map of Wilmore's Historic District(PDF, 172KB)

Wilmore is the sister neighborhood to Dilworth and is also characterized by its curvy streets and family bungalows. It was one of Charlotte's first streetcar suburbs and developed at the start of the 1900s. Wilmore was built on farmland and the land around the Rudisill Gold Mine, which fueled the United States' first gold rush around Charlotte. It also includes the African American village of Blandville. Wilmore is still mainly a single-family neighborhood but now also contains duplexes, apartment buildings, churches and commercial buildings.