BITS & PIECES
Grants support Oak Ridge’s historic heritage Oak Ridge’s Historic Preservation Commission recently approved its sixth round of historic heritage grants, designed to strengthen and preserve Oak Ridge’s rich historic heritage by providing small-scale, high-impact grants. “This program is a way to leverage thousands of dollars in partnership with private citizens to invest in the town’s cultural treasures,” Benjamin Briggs of Preservation Greensboro stated. “This investment will be done the correct way, respecting historic preservation practices, and it will result in an accurate presentation of the Oak Ridge story and will return value back to the town.” This year’s grants total $3,400. Together with required matching funds and an additional amount contributed by property owners, the grants will support $7,250 in exterior improvements to key historic properties in Oak Ridge. This year’s grants bring total grant funding to $26,200, supporting $132,685 in exterior improvements over seven years. • $1,400 awarded to the Donnell Stone House to remove a tree trunk and dead branches. The tree trunk has displaced a gabled roof on the 99-year-old home and the dead branches are a hazard to the structure. Built in 1923, the D.L. Donnell
(Stone) House was originally a log house (circa 1900s). After it burned, D.L. Donnell rebuilt the house using locally gathered stone.
• $2,000 awarded to Oak Ridge Foundation for restoring the front porch of Maple Glade. The home is among the showpieces of the campus as well as Oak Ridge. Built in 1905, the 117-year-old structure once served as home to the school’s president. One notable project receiving a 2021 grant was recently completed: • $2,000 award to Ralph and Joyce Biggs to stabilize the foundation of the H.C. Garner House. The house was built in 1918 by Harry and Mary Stack Garner and in recent years has served as a commercial property. Maintaining and finding viable uses for historic structures helps ensure their preservation and the town’s history.
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JUNE 16 - 29, 2022
Oak Ridge Military Academy recently received one of two historic heritage grants from the Town of Oak Ridge. The grant will be used to help restore the front porch of the 117-year-old Maple Glade, one of the academy’s most picturesque structures.
SCOUTS COLLECT, RETIRE FLAGS
Historic Heritage Grants are awarded by the Oak Ridge Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and funded by the Town of Oak Ridge. For more information, including grantee contact information and photographs, contact Oak Ridge Town Clerk Sandra Smith at (336) 644-7009 or HPC Chair Debbie Shoenfeld at (336) 643-2504.
Since 2008
Dr. David Lorczak
Photo courtesy of Sandra Smith
Photo courtesy of Scouts BSA Troop 600
Scouts BSA Troop 600 invites the community to participate in one of its service programs for the northwest Guilford area, the collection and retirement of United States flags. Since the troop’s first flag retirement center (shown in above photo) was completed at Oak Ridge Town Park in December 2020 as Stewart Chipman’s Eagle Scout project, the troop has retired over 2,000 flags at the site during ceremonies open to the community. Several other flag collection boxes have since been placed throughout the area, including four that Scout Cooper Gee installed at Oak Ridge Elementary, Stokesdale Elementary, Summerfield Elementary and Revolution Academy for his Eagle project. The troop has also placed flag collection boxes at area fire stations, at Oak Ridge, Stokesdale and Summerfield town halls, and at local businesses including Bi-Rite in Stokesdale, Lowes Foods (two locations), and Food Lion (two locations).
The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996
...more Bits & Pieces on p. 14
