Lexington, NC

North Carolina cities and towns are increasingly discovering that historic preservation is an effective means of improving quality of life by stabilizing property values and stimulating new investment in older residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. Through relatively low public expenditures, cities and towns have seen a boost to their tax base as preservation efforts stimulate tourism and commercial activity. The improved physical appearance of areas affected by historic preservation is a useful tool in the recruitment of new industry.

Representatives with historic preservation backgrounds serve on the Planning Board and must have demonstrated special interest, experience and/or education in history, architecture, archaeology or related fields.

The City of Lexington's participation in the Certified Local Governments program as requires these members and staff to complete annual State Historic Preservation training.

Owners of local landmarks and of property in local historic districts are required to obtain certificates of appropriateness (COA) from their Commission before making significant changes or additions to a property, before beginning new construction, or before demolishing or relocating a property. The Commission reviews each COA for compliance with the adopted design guidelines to ensure that the proposed work is appropriate to the special character of the district or landmark.

The historic guidelines and COA process is outlined in Section 3.11 of the Unified Development Ordinance. 

To apply for a COA, contact the Office of Business and Community Development.

The historic guidelines and COA process is outlined in Section 3.11 of the Unified Development Ordinance. 

The City of Lexington submits an annual report to State Historic Preservation Office in compliance with the Certified Local Government Program (CLG). The CLG designation allows the City of Lexington to participate in the national framework of historic preservation programs and apply for grant funds for eligible survey, planning, pre-development, or development activities. Below is an expanded summary of the local historic preservation activities within each CLG reporting period. 

2024 Historic Preservation Report