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Advocacy

The Leaky Roof Fund

Established in 2003 to support local preservation projects, The Leaky Roof Fund pursues donations and partnerships to preserve and rehabilitate our community’s historic and architectural treasures.

It was inspired by the story of a local historic building with a leaking tin roof.  The owner wanted to preserve the site, but was unable to afford the repairs, unwilling to sell the property because he feared it would be torn down, and unable to donate his primary home and remaining asset.

Direct Preservation Support

The Leaky Roof Fund can provide direct preservation support by the following process:

  • Accept project-directed donations
  • Place protective covenants to assure the long-term preservation of a site
  • Advise the owner in arranging appropriate repairs and then disbursing the funds for them
  • Monitor the repairs and long-term condition of the site in accordance with the covenants

Donors may direct funds to a particular project or may allow contributions to be directed by Historic Charlotte.  Current beneficiaries include The Lower Providence Community Center and Pinewood Elmwood Cemetery. 

 

We use PayPal for secure credit card transactions.

 

Easements

The Historic Charlotte Leaky Roof Fund will consider accepting preservation easements for buildings of historic or architectural significance.  This includes buildings listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or sites that have been certified as historic by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.  All easements must be approved by the Historic Charlotte Board of Directors.  The exact terms of the preservation easement, as well as the extent to which those terms limit alteration of an historic building or protected land will be negotiated on a case by case basis.

Community Redevelopment

Historic Charlotte has presented seminars and lectures to numerous community groups on the use of Preservation as a catalyst for community redevelopment.  Partners include Steele Creek Neighborhood association, Historic Rock Hill (SC), Grier Heights Community Development Corporation, and Wesley Heights Neighborhood.

Planned Giving

When property owners donate historic properties or sites to Historic Charlotte Leaky Roof Fund, they can claim a charitable deduction on Federal income tax. Historic Charlotte will place an in perpetuity preservation easement on all donated properties before future resale or repurposing of the property. In most cases a property donation or an easement donor may deduct the value of the property, for up to thirty-percent of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income, from Federal taxes. Excess value may be carried forward up to five years. The value of the property is based on the fair market value of the property. For further guidance on determining the value of a property a professional appraiser should be consulted.

The Fund is pleased to consider partnerships and encourages new funding sources. If you would like to be involved with The Historic Charlotte Leaky Roof Fund, please contact the Historic Charlotte at our office at 704-375-6145 or email Diane Althouse, Executive Director of Historic Charlotte, Inc. at D.Althouse@HistoricCharlotte.org.

Active Projects:

  • Gibbon Farm House – planned giving of the Gibbon property (circa 1868 farm house and various farm buildings and some land)  to HCI as stipulated in Mr. Gibbon’s will.
  • Hall House – consulting party Section 106 review
  • Lower Providence Community Center – fiscal agent
  • Pinewood Elmwood Cemetery – fiscal agent
  • Plaza Midwood – National Register Historic District Update
  • Wilmore Neighborhood – advisor on Local Historic District Designation and management of interns working on Historic District documentation