The Brevard Historic Downtown Walking Tour Guide is available at the Transylvania County Library and the Transylvania Chamber of Commerce.  It is also available online to download and print.

In
1973 the National Register of Historic Places established May as Preservation
Month to encourage heritage tourism by promoting historic places across the
country. 

There
are several organizations in Transylvania County that actively work to preserve
historic places and our local cultural heritage. The “Our History” page on
Transylvania County’s website provides information about some of the groups dedicated
to protecting our history for future generations and sharing Transylvania’s
story with visitors and local residents.

The Joint Historic Preservation Commission (JHPC) is a county
advisory board that works to designate landmarks and educate the public about
the importance of historic preservation. The JHPC website features 21 buildings
throughout the county that are locally designated as architecturally and
historically significant and two national historic districts in Brevard.

Last year JHPC partnered
with the Heart of
Brevard and the Rowell Bosse North
Carolina Room of the Transylvania County Library
to produce the Brevard
Historic Downtown Walking Tour Guide highlighting
eighteen historic buildings in the Main Street National Historic District.  This brochure provides tidbits of history while you stroll through
downtown.  For more detailed information
on these buildings visit the website at www.transylvaniacounty.org/departments/planning-and-community-development/history
or the Local History Room at the Transylvania County Library.

The
Local History Room is the repository for the photographs and notes of nearly
500 properties included in Transylvania’s architectural survey undertaken in
the early 1990s, as well as hundreds of additional photographs and resources
available to research Transylvania’s people and places.

The
Transylvania Heritage Museum conducts guided walking tours in Brevard’s
downtown area on the second Saturday of each month from April to October.  Visit their website, www.transylvaniaheritage.org,
for more information about specific tours.

By
starting at Transylvania County’s “Our History” website, www.transylvaniacounty.org/our-history,
users can access the information featured in today’s Picturing the Past
article.  Next week’s article will cover historic
properties open to the public.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit the NC Room during regular library
hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional
photographs. For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected]
or 828-884-1820.