DURHAM, N.C. -
Aug. 1, 2013 -
PRLog -- (Durham, NC) – In a move that seems entirely appropriate for an organization devoted to preserving Durham’
s historic architecture, Preservation Durham, Inc. (http://preservationdurham.org)
, recently relocated its office from a condominium complex built on Academy Road ca. 1975 to the pre-1930 building at 115 Market Street in downtown Durham – even though it meant downsizing.
“Our old office space was 2000 square feet,”
said Preservation Durham’
s Executive Director Wendy Hillis. “Our new office is only 800 square feet. But we are excited to be in the middle of Durham's historic downtown.”
This location is important to Preservation Durham, Hillis said, “because it puts us in daily contact with key local stakeholders and positions us as an important partner in downtown redevelopment efforts. From our window we can see all of the major construction projects occurring in the downtown historic district.”
In Suite 221, with an almost wall-sized window overlooking a city plaza and historic Parrish Street, Preservation Durham's new office is within walking distance of all major city and county government buildings as well as a host of banks, restaurants, and shops, including those in historic Brightleaf Square.
According to OpenDurham, an online archive and inventory of Durham’
s people, places, and history, the building at 115 Market Street is part Art Deco, part Neoclassical architecture, constructed of masonry, brick, and stone. It was built sometime before 1930 on a lot purchased from John Sprunt Hill. It was used as a Western Union office at one time. Then in the 1950s, the Durham
Herald-Sunbought it and continued to use it as part of the newspaper’
s expanding headquarters until 1990.
“The building has been extremely heavily modified, and it's hard to say how much of the original building remains,”
said Elizabeth Marsh, Preservation Coordinator for Preservation Durham. "Yet we are in a historic building, in the city's historic downtown district, and that's very exciting."
Owned by Self Help Credit Union and now known as the Bull City Business Center, the total building includes 65,000 square feet of office and retail space.
About Preservation Durham:Preservation Durham is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserving Durham’
s architectural heritage. The organization was founded in 1974, originally as the Historic Preservation Society of Durham. Preservation Durham has worked to establish historic districts in Durham that provide tax credits for homeowners of historic houses. Preservation Durham ’s Endangered Properties Fund helps buyers and sellers of historic properties protect them with preservation covenants. Its Renovators Network provides information and expertise to homeowners and other renovators. For more information visit
www.preservationdurham.org.
