Preservation Raleigh

10/09/2026

Your vote shapes the future of Raleigh's history! 🏛️🗳️

With the November 3, 2026 General Election coming up, featuring Federal, State, County, and City of Raleigh contests, it’s important to know where candidates stand on issues like historic preservation, zoning policies, and neighborhood stability.

Preservation Raleigh reached out to candidates across local and state races to bring you their responses alongside background and context from our board.

Click the link in comments to read the responses, get informed, and prepare to vote!

10/08/2026

The City of Raleigh is updating the City’s Historic Design Standards to help preserve the special character of each historic overlay district and landmark as Raleigh continues to grow and change.
Please share your input:

Community Survey The City of Raleigh is in the process of updating its Historic Design Standards. This survey is a follow-up to two community workshops held on August 11 and 13. If you attended one of those workshops some of the questions in this survey will be familiar but we would still love to he...

10/01/2026

SUNDAY TROLLEY TOUR: Hop on the Historic Raleigh Trolley this Sunday and learn about the fascinating history of historic house moving in the City of Oaks. Ride around in the air conditioned trolley while a tour guide shows you houses that have been moved, and explains why! 🏠

The City of Raleigh hosts regular Saturday Tours that leave from the Mordecai Historic Park on Saturdays from March through December. This weekend features three special tours on SUNDAY, leaving at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00! Cost is $15 and you'll need to register ahead on RecLink. Learn more and register below:

Discover Raleigh’s 200-year history of relocating historic structures! Hop aboard the Historic Raleigh Trolley this Sunday, Oct. 4, departing from Mordecai Historic Park.

Get more details & purchase tickets: https://bit.ly/4y5ZynG

10/01/2026

Learn more about how you can help write the new Raleigh historic preservation plan!

10/01/2026

Preservation Raleigh friends attended the awards ceremony for the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance on September 30. Congratulations to all of the recipients!

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance recognize outstanding new contributions to the character, environment, and appearance of the City of Raleigh. Since 1983, the Raleigh City Council has presented more than 200 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards to developers, designers, building owners, community groups, civic clubs, churches, and citizens.

Awards winners listed below.

09/30/2026

*2026 Annual Historic Church Walk and Open House- THIS SATURDAY!

*9:00 - noon, Saturday October 3

*Downtown Raleigh, NC

Have you ever driven by the beautiful old churches downtown and wondered what they look like inside?

The historic churches surrounding the North Carolina State Capitol will open their doors for those participating in the annual Community Historic Church Walk. Visitors are invited to meander through the sanctuaries at their own pace and then stroll down the sidewalk to the next church on the Walk.

Greeters will be on hand to answer questions and point out details and items of interest, as each church offers a unique glimpse into its physical and spiritual presence in the Downtown Raleigh Community. Balloons and "Community of Historic Churches" signs will mark the locations, and Church Walk handouts will be available at each of the participating churches.

Please join us for this free, popular family event!

Start anywhere, and visit in any order you wish.

Look for balloons at church entrances and "Community of Historic Churches" signs along the route.

Handout with map and information available at every church on the Walk.

Churches are numbered in chronological order from 1811 to 1879.

1. Edenton Street United Methodist Church: 228 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27603
2. First Baptist Church, Salisbury St.: 99 North Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 2701
3. First Baptist Church, Wilmington St.: 101 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
4. First Presbyterian Church: Morgan Street at Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
5. Christ Church: 127 E. Edenton, Raleigh, NC 27601
6. St. Paul A.M.E. Church: 402 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27603
7.Church of the Good Shepherd: 125 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603
8. Sacred Heart Church: 200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Learn more: https://www.downtownraleighchurches.org/

09/26/2026

Each month, Preservation Raleigh publishes our newsletter! We encourage you to subscribe to it to learn more about the many issues we are advocating for.

For September, learn more about the
Tourist Homes that lined Wake Forest Rd. in the 1930s, our Hidden Gems tour of the NC State Belltower, rezonings in the news, 4th Ward Recognition, and our Volunteer of the month Chris Crew.

Link in bio or here: https://mailchi.mp/03fc82c8fd63/sept2026

09/25/2026

SURVEY SAYS? The City of Raleigh is updating the Historic Design Standards. This summer, they held community sessions and now there is a survey open. Please fill out the survey, linked below! We will be sharing more about the design standards updates over the next year.

09/24/2026

September News from Preservation Raleigh: Tourist Homes * Hidden Gems * Litchford House * 4th Ward * Volunteer of the month + more! https://mailchi.mp/03fc82c8fd63/sept2026

09/24/2026

Featured Coverage: Should NC's government sell its underused historic Raleigh houses? WUNC News Article (Aug 26, 2026) linked below

A recent WUNC News report highlights growing concerns over several state-owned historic homes near the governor’s mansion in downtown Raleigh. While properties like the Jenkins House (1928) host state office workers, others—such as the Wilson House (1918), the Handy House (1908), and the Andrews-London House (1924)—are currently used as storage facilities for exhibit boxes and fire extinguishers, or sit vacant and deteriorated due to a lack of maintenance. A state-mandated real estate inventory due in November 2026 may prompt legislators to consider selling underutilized properties. However, preservationists and neighbors warn against unconditioned sales, citing one of our Places in Peril the Beckwith-Farlow House (1898), which faces potential demolition if a buyer cannot move it to clear space for a planned state parking garage. (pictured here) Please read the full article by Colin Campbell at the link.

**Preservation Raleigh Response**

Historic properties, like those mentioned in the WUNC article, carry with them the responsibility of proper stewardship to ensure they will remain part of the built environment that gives Raleigh its unique character. If a governmental entity like the State of North Carolina owns the properties, it is their duty to maintain and monitor them, including appropriate use and occupancy. If the government entity chooses to transfer ownership to private parties, the stewardship responsibility remains the same. The new owners must agree to the same level of maintenance and care to ensure the longevity of the historic properties.

An addition of protective easements prior to any private sale would ensure that these historic structures remain assets to our community for generations to come.

One of the properties mentioned in the article, the Beckwith-Farlow House on Wilmington Street, has no such easements or municipal protections. This has put it in an especially precarious situation, and it is an example of what can happen when there is no regulatory oversight.

Preservation Raleigh will continue to advocate for the preservation of these historic homes, and post updates as we are able. Thank you to North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC for this reporting!

https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-08-26/nc-state-government-sell-underused-historic-raleigh-houses-oakwood-storage