Historic Districts

The September 8, 2021 HDC meeting was held as a remote, online meeting.

The meeting can be viewed on the CLT Planning YouTube page. 

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On Friday, November 6, 2020, the HDC hosted a retreat. Topics for discussion included staff research into full commission reviews of commissioner/prior commissioner led projects, rules for procedure, and design guidelines updates. A presentation on the research project discussed at the retreat, is located here.

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All existing deadlines are still in effect. The next HDC application & final plans deadline for full commission review is October 6, 2021.

Due to canceled meetings and the transition to virtual meetings in early 2020 due COVID-19 public safety concerns, full commission review applications are currently running behind schedule. Applications are added to agendas in the order they are received and HDC staff will keep applicants updated as to when their full commission applications will be heard.

​​Seven of Charlotte's significant older neighborhoods have been designated by City Council as Local Historic Districts, in recognition of their importance in the history and character of the city. The twelve member Historic District Commission (HDC) and its staff work with property owners and businesses in the districts to assure that development and renovation occurs in a manner that is consistent with the character of the neighborhood.  Any changes made to the exterior of a property in a historic district requires review by the HDC or its staff. The HDC Design Standards provide guidance on the types of projects and materials that are permitted and if they require review by staff or the commission.

HDC Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)

A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) must be obtained prior to work commencing on the exterior of a resource within a local historic district.  A COA is a document issued by the Historic District Commission (HDC), that indicates the Commission has approved of the proposed work on a resource or property within a local historic district. For more information on the HDC COA process, pre-submittal meetings, deadlines and to apply for a HDC COA, please see the Application for Certificate of Appropriateness page.

Meetings

2nd Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. (except where a City holiday requires a change in date).  Please consult the meeting schedule for details.

Location

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
See the specific HDC meeting agendafor room location.

Charlotte Historic District Interactive Map

The Charlotte Historic District map is an interactive program that allows users to view descriptions of applications for Certificates of Appropriateness which are highlighted on the District maps in bold color. You can search by street address, parcel ID, application number or by clicking on the parcel. If there are multiple projects per parcel, you will be able to advance through each description by clicking on the arrow at the top right of the pop-up box. If you need further assistance there is a help icon on the application. 

   Charlotte's Historic Districts


Local District Information 

(Designated 1983, 1992) 
Map of Dilworth's Historic District
Since its inception in the 1890's, Dilworth has been one of Charlotte's most distinct neighborhoods. Developed as the city's first suburb, Dilworth was connected to downtown by Charlotte's first electric streetcar. The success of the initial development of Dilworth led its creator, Edward Dilworth Latta, to expand the neighborhood in the 1910's, under a plan by the Olmstead Brothers, then the nation's preeminent landscape designers.

Although their plan was never fully implemented, the Olmstead's curved roads and dramatic landscaping set the tone for much of Charlotte's future character. In 1987, Dilworth was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

​(Designated 1976)
Map of Fourth Ward's Historic District
In the 1850's, Fourth Ward was a prosperous residential area, convenient to downtown businesses and shops. As residential development shifted to the suburbs with the opening of Dilworth in the late nineteenth century, all of Charlotte's original residential wards would see an eventual decline. By the 1970's, many of Fourth Ward's Victorian homes had been demolished or converted to boarding houses and offices. Through the combined efforts of civic and community leaders, Fourth Ward underwent a dramatic revitalization in the 1970's.

(Designated 2006)
Map of Hermitage Court's Historic District
In 1911, a new suburban development was announced, to be built on the on the southern edge of Charlotte . This new subdivision, carved out of a cotton farm long owned by the Myers family, became Myers Park, one of Charlotte 's best known and most desirable subdivisions.

The layout of Myers Park was designed by John Nolen, one of the most notable landscape architects and urban designers of his day. Following Nolen's vision of a new town in a forest, The Stephens Company, a family business of the Myers family, developed the overwhelming majority of Myers Park . There were, however, a few small sections that were developed by other interests under the umbrella of the Stephens Company, and within the overall plan conceived by Nolen and his protégé, Earle Sumner Draper.

Hermitage Court was one of these small areas, and was developed by Charlotte builder F. M. Simmons. Simmons was responsible for the stone gateways that flank each end of this section of Hermitage Court. He also built for himself the house at 625 Hermitage Court. This grand Colonial Revival style house, completed in 1913, is one of the oldest existing homes in Myers Park.

A 1914 survey map shows the original street and lot layout for Myers Park , and includes Hermitage Court stretching from Simmon's home east to Providence Road. With the exception of two later multi-family projects, the homes along Hermitage Court were all constructed between 1913 and 1925, and include some of the oldest homes in the neighborhood. The architecture of Hermitage Court is an eclectic mix of Bungalow style houses interspersed with examples of several of the revival styles that were popular in the early 20th Century, including Colonial and Tudor revival homes. Almost a century later, the overwhelming majority of the houses retain their original architectural character.

(Designated 2020)
Map of Oaklawn Park's Historic District
Oaklawn Park is a mid-twentieth century neighborhood that was developed by Charles Ervin for the African American community from 1955 to 1961. The Charlotte-based developer created new subdivisions in various locations surrounding the existing city taking advantage of the post-war housing boom and new financial mortgage tools created by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veterans Administration (VA).  

Oaklawn Park streets are laid out to follow the topography of the land as recommended by the FHA instead of a strict grid. The entire neighborhood is designed to limit connections (and thus traffic) from and to surrounding roads and other areas.

Oaklawn Park contains houses that have similar designs, size, forms and siting. Most of the neighborhood consists of ranch houses with some split-level houses and cottages interspersed. The ranch houses are all one story with brick veneer walls. The automobile was common at the time of Oaklawn Park's development thus carports or garages were often built at or around the same time as the houses in Oaklawn Park. Concrete driveways were part of the original construction and walkways typically connect the front door to the driveway, instead of the front door to the sidewalk. Many Oaklawn Park houses also feature unique built-in brick planters and decorative columns.

(Designated 1992)
Map of Plaza Midwood's Historic District
Developed in the 1910's and 1920's, Plaza-Midwood is the product of several different developments undertaken by various interests. These early small neighborhoods grew together over the years to become today's Plaza-Midwood.

Fluctuating economic conditions during the area's growth and the differing visions of the many developers involved came together to create the most eclectic of Charlotte's local historic districts. The Plaza-Midwood Local Historic District came about as a result of efforts of neighborhood residents, and its designation created the model for the designation process today.

(Designated 1994) 
Map of Wesley Height's Historic District
Charlotte's only Local Historic District located on the Westside, Wesley Heights retains an amazing degree of its original character.

The neighborhood was developed primarily in the 1920's, and involved some of the same interests responsible for the creation of Elizabeth. Wesley Heights has survived some dramatic changes in its history, and yet still appears much like it did when it was served by Charlotte's streetcar system. The neighborhood's Bungalow style homes and tree canopied streets compliment the involvement of Wesley Height's residents, whose efforts led to the listing of the area on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994

(Designated 2010)

Map of Wilmore Local Historic District

Wilmore, located to the southwest of downtown Charlotte, was developed as a streetcar suburb in the early years of the 20th Century. Wilmore mirrors the single family bungalows and wide curvilinear streets and sidewalks of Dilworth, and shared the streetcar line from the center of town with this sister neighborhood.
The early history of the area that became the Wilmore area included its long use as farmland. It also contained parts of Blandville, one of several African-American villages that lay just outside the town of Charlotte. The Rudisill Gold Mine, one of the most productive of the mines that fueled the country’s first gold rush in and around Charlotte.

In 1906, developer F. C. Abbot and the Southern Realty Company purchased the land that would become Wilmore from several owners.  Abbot combined the names of two of those former owners, the Wilson and Moore families, to create the name “Wilmore for the new planned suburb just south of the rapidly growing town of Charlotte.  

Wilmore contains a wide range of styles and materials in its buildings, with the majority exhibiting the low overhanging roofs, full-width front porches and craftsman details typical of the Bungalow style. Although it is primarily a single family neighborhood, Wilmore is also home to numerous duplexes, apartment buildings and churches, as well as commercial and industrial buildings.


​Commission Staff

Ms. Kristi Harpst
Program Manager
E-Mail
704-336-4697

 

Ms. Cindy Kochanek
Planner
E-Mail
704-336-1477

 

Ms. Candice Leite
Associate Planner
E-Mail
704-336-2302


Ms. Linda Keich
Administrative Assistant
E-Mail
704-353-1133


Historic District Commission Information

- 2021 Meeting schedule & deadlines

- Agendas & Minutes 

- HDC Roster

- HDC Year In Review 2020

- HDC Year In Review 2019

- HDC Year In Review 2018

- Rules & Procedures


Quick Links

- Charlotte's Local Historic Districts Map

- Design Standards

- Do I Need a Building Permit?

- FAQ's

Resources & Neighborhood Information

**Active Delay of Demolition Properties**

Oaklawn Park Open House

- Charlotte Architectural Survey Ph. 1 Report

- Charlotte Architectural Survey Ph. 2 Report

- Local Historic District Maps

- National Register Maps

- American Small House

- Preservation Resources

- Repairing Old Windows 

For more information regarding the Historic District Commission contact:

Charlotte Historic District Commission
600 East Fourth Street (8th Floor)
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
(704)-336-2205
charlottehdc@charlottenc.gov