Elizabeth City
Historic Neighborhood Association
Let's Be Friends
Façade Grant Program 2025
The Façade Grant Program has been established to assist homeowners in maintaining or improving the street side exteriors of historic homes and advances three of the purposes of the mission of ECHNA as stated in our bylaws:
-
To protect the integrity of the historic neighborhood environment
-
To stabilize property values in the historic neighborhoods of Elizabeth City
-
To foster awareness of and appreciation for the rich heritage contained within the historic neighborhoods
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
An owner, who occupies a residential property located within any of Elizabeth City’s National Register Historic Districts, shown in blue on the map below, may apply. Tenants must submit a notarized owner’s written permission statement with the application.
Elizabeth City National Register Historic Districts
A "Historic" building is one which has been included and/or determined to be a contributing structure in the district as indicated in the National Register Nomination Inventory for the district. The Inventories for the National Register Historic District in Elizabeth City can be found at the following links. Some of downtown to West Main from the Courthouse to Holly Street. (1977) https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK0003.pdf PDF File: Rest of Downtown (2021): https://www.ncdcr.gov/nr/pk1103/open W. Church, rest of W. Main, W. Colonial, Cedar, Elliott, Ashe (1994): https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK0831.pdf Northside (most of area north of Elizabeth, 1994): https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK0830.pdf N. Poindexter (2021): https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK1124.pdf Shepard, S. Road (1994): https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK0833.pdf Riverside Ave, (1994): https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/PK0832.pdf
AWARDS AVAILABLE
Qualifying projects are eligible for a grant of up to $1,000.
USE OF GRANT FUNDS
Grant funds may only be used for materials and supplies in support of structural repairs, exterior improvements or landscaping to historic residential buildings located in any of Elizabeth City’s National Register Historic Districts.
EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS
Painting Porch repairs, replacement of porch flooring Repairing siding, roofing, windows, steps Removing vinyl or aluminum siding Installation of architectural details Replacing roofing Landscaping, walkways, or driveways Handrails, railings, or columns Some or all may require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City Historic Preservation Commission. The City Planning Dept. should be consulted before applying for a grant.
GUIDELINES/RULES/POLICIES
Projects shall be structural repairs, material repairs, and/or improvements to the exterior of a home and/or improvements to a yard area substantially visible from the street. Labor will not be reimbursed. Work shall conform to all applicable zoning and building codes of the City of Elizabeth City. Sign off by a City Building Inspector may be required. For some areas, like Main Street or Seldon Street, a Historic District Certificate of Appropriateness may be required by the City of Elizabeth City. A residential property may include use of the home for employment and/or a home-based business.
CRITERIA FOR GRANT AWARDS
Applicants and their projects must be eligible. The ECHNA Grants Awards Committee will decide on the merit and value of the proposed project. Projects shall respect and reflect the architectural integrity of the entire building and the neighboring streetscape. ECHNA reserves the right to withhold approval of grant applications if color, design, sign design, or other building components are not deemed appropriate to the historic integrity of the structure and/or the District as a whole. Grants will be awarded until the annual budget for the façade grants is depleted. The fiscal year is July 1st through June 30th. Applicants who did not receive a grant award may reapply each year. Applicants who did receive a grant award must wait one year to apply for a new grant. Applications must be approved before work begins, so apply as soon as you think of your project. Completed projects are not eligible for grants. Upon completion, original receipts must be submitted to receive reimbursement. Projects must be completed within twelve months of project approval unless a prior extension is granted. Ownership must be retained for at least 2 years from the date of award for full credit. If ownership transfers within 2 years of award, ECHNA will be reimbursed on a prorated basis equal to 12.5% per remaining full quarter of a year.
Application Process
1. Complete application, determine project plan and color scheme and gather photos, drawings, and samples for project. 2) Applicant reviews application with City Building inspector for code compliance. 3) Applicant reviews application with Historic District Planner for compliance with Historic District Guidelines. 4) Application is submitted with all necessary information and reviews to ECHNA. 5) ECHNA Grant Committee reviews application. A recommendation is presented to the ECHNA Board of Directors, which approves, denies, or conditionally approves the grant. 6) ECHNA Grant Committee notifies applicant of Board action within 60 days of submission and work may begin. 7) After completion of work, the Grant Committee inspects the work and determines compliance with the project plan. 8) Once certified complete, the grantee will be reimbursed by check within 30 days after submission of original receipts.
