The Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission is proud to announce that the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee has approved the Waynesville Main Street Historic District for submission to the National Register of Historic Places.  The district is centered on Main Street and includes 55 buildings in a 13 acre bounded by Montgomery, Church, Depot and Wall Streets.  Important historic buildings within the district include the former Citizens Bank Building (1921), the old Post Office (1917), the former Masonic Hall (1927) and the old Haywood County Courthouse (1932).  Within the district the historic character of the commercial buildings framing Main Street still reflect Waynesville's golden age of development from the late nineteenth century through the 1920's.

National Register listing will benefit property owners within the district by enabling them to take advantage of significant federal and state tax incentives for historically appropriate renovation.  The listing will not impose restrictions on property owners but does protect the district from federally funded projects that would be detrimental to the district's historic character.

The Main Street District joins the Frog Level District as the Town's second National Register Historic District.  Research leading to the listing was conducted by Sybil Bowers of Bowers Southeastern Preservation, and funded primarily by a federal historic preservation grant obtained by the Town of Waynesville.  This project is part of the ongoing effort by the Town's Historic Preservation Commission to identify and protect Waynesville's historic buildings.  The Commission maintains an inventory of over 300 historic buildings in and around Waynesville, reviews projects involving historic buildings, and actively seeks grant funds to promote historic preservation.  The Commission encourages interested citizens, especially those who own or reside in historic buildings to learn more about the Commission's preservation activities, particularly the Local Historic Landmark program, which offers significant property tax breaks to the owners of designated Landmarks.  For more information contact Waynesville Planning Director Paul Benson at (828) 456-2004.