An excerpt from the draft minutes of the March 20th Joint Meeting of the Virginia State Review Board and the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, with some editing for clarity.
A word on the responsibilities of the two Boards referred to below: The State Review Board [SRB] is an expert advisory board of composition mandated by the Federal government. It reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and advises the State Historic Preservation Officer [in Virginia, Director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources Kathleen Kilpatrick] whether the nomination should be forwarded to the Department of the Interior, where the final determination is made whether the “property” (building, structure, site, object, or district) is entered into the National Register. The Virginia Board of Historic Resources is a gubernatorial commission, and its vote binds properties into the Virginia Landmarks Register. No further official action is required with respect to the VLR.
[Virginia Board of Historic Resources] Chair Patrick Butler opened the floor for public comments about the Fifeville-Castle Hill Historic District. Individuals speaking in opposition to the nomination included: Antoinette Roades, property owner; Kendra Hamilton, former City Council member and Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville; and Stanley D. Sweeney, property owner. Each expressed concern with the nomination’s coverage of historical information, the adoption of “Castle Hill” as name for part of the district, and with the nomination process. Individuals speaking in favor of the nomination included Jane Covington, property owner; and Mary Joy Scala, Charlottesville Preservation and Design Planner. Members of both the [State Review Board] and [Board of Historic Resources] engaged in discussion with staff and members of the public regarding the adoption of the name “Castle Hill”, matters of process, the district’s boundaries, the potential for the inclusion of additional African American history, and the potential for later amendment of the nomination. Mr. Wagner and Director Kilpatrick addressed the Boards’ questions, and Margaret Peters, one of the nomination’s authors, also spoke to the decision of adoption of the “Castle Hill” name. When asked, Ms. Scala confirmed that the City of Charlottesville has no intention of seeking a local conservation district in the area, and that this is on record. Board members asked if a name change required public notification, and Mr. [Marc] Wagner [Virginia Department of Historic Resources Director, Resource Information Division,] answered that it did not, but that the [VDHR] staff would recommend that this be done.
Mr. [Brian] Broadus announced that he would abstain from voting on this nomination, as he was past president of an organization with ties to the area. With a motion from Mr. [Addison] Thompson and a second from Ms. [Helen] Murphy, the [BHR] voted to approve the nomination with the following conditions: that more African-American history is included and that a better name for the district is found in consultation with local residents. With a motion from Mr. [Madison] Spencer and a second from Dr. [Lauranett] Lee, the SRB approved the following motion in relation to the district: “We approve of the district with the proviso that to whatever extent additional research might be made, conducted, or presented that buttresses information regarding African American history as it pertains to slavery, reconstruction, and 20th century history it will be added as addenda or revisions to the document.” Dr. Lee also recommended public involvement in the revisions.
