Downtown named to national register

Robbinsville – The county’s largest municipality has had its history further acknowledged.

Recently, it was announced that downtown Robbinsville would be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Robbinsville Downtown Historic District was one of 11 new North Carolina additions to the list and includes several historic buildings in downtown Robbinsville.

The district includes buildings in several styles, including vernacular, commercial, Tudor Revival and Modern Movement Ranch. The Graham County Courthouse – which was constructed in 1942 – was already on the register.

Robbinsville Mayor Steve Hooper said he was honored to see downtown added to the list.

Many of the downtown buildings are noteworthy due to their stone construction, as well as in some case being constructed by the Works Progress Administration.

“That is a wonderful honor for the town of Robbinsville to be picked as a leading place in North Carolina, here in western North Carolina,” Hooper said.

Hooper said the evaluators were intrigued with several of the buildings downtown, including the former Scout hut near First Baptist Church, as well as with the number of stone buildings and retaining walls in the vicinity.

He also said that he hoped the new recognition might lead to local groups working to get some of the falling walls – and other issues downtown – repaired.

To be considered for the National Register of Historic Places, an area must be nominated. Affected property owners are then notified of the nomination, and the process will continue if a majority of owners vote in favor of it. At this point, the property cannot yet be listed, but can be forwarded to the National Park Service for a determination of eligibility.

The nominations are then viewed by the state’s historic preservation office and National Register Review Board in a process lasting at least 90 days. Complete nominations will then be submitted to the National Park Service in Washington D.C. for final review by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service makes its final listing decision within 45 days.

Hooper recalled his own memories of downtown Robbinsville from his boyhood. He particularly recalled going to the movies at a movie theater formerly located across the street from the courthouse.

“My parents would let me walk up from Five Points there on Saturdays with a quarter, and you could watch two movies (and get) a bag of popcorn and a drink for a quarter,” Hooper said.

He also recalled another morbid downtown memory.

“I remember going in Snider’s Department store,” Hooper said. “You could buy anything from a hat to a casket.”