Apex Historic District | |
Location | Apex, North Carolina |
---|---|
Built | 1873 |
Architect | Frank B. Simpson, J.W. Stout, others |
Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Italianate, Modern Movement, Late Victorian, Early Commercial |
MPS | Wake County MPS |
NRHP reference No. | 94000185 [1] (original) 95000210 (increase 1) 02000016 (increase 2) 07001502 [1] (increase 3) |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | March 17, 1994 [2] |
Boundary increases | March 10, 1995 February 14, 2002 January 31, 2008 |
The Apex Historic District is the historic commercial and residential center of Apex, North Carolina, a satellite town of the state capital Raleigh. The district revolves around Salem Street, the main thoroughfare in downtown Apex. [3] In 2007, CNNMoney.com ranked Apex as the 14th best place to live in the United States. [4] The report cited the Historic District as one reason for the award and described the district as "quaint, impressively intact, and with an array of commercial and residential buildings now serving visitors and residents alike." [5] [6] On March 17, 1994, the Apex Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district boundaries were expanded in 1995, 2002, and 2008, and include Hunter, Center, Chatham, Cunningham, Holleman, and Hughes Streets. [3]
The town of Apex was incorporated in 1873, and named for being the highest point on the Chatham Railroad line between Richmond, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. The town's residential and commercial buildings were constructed near the Apex Union Depot on Salem Street. During the next several decades, Apex became the rail, trade, and shopping destination for western Wake County. In February 1905, a fire broke out in the commercial area of downtown Apex and destroyed several frame buildings. Owners rebuilt their businesses with fire-proof brick. On June 12, 1911, another fire broke out in Apex's commercial district. The Merchants and Farmer's Bank, Postmaster's house, and many other buildings were destroyed. Townspeople once again rebuilt downtown Apex businesses and a new train station was constructed in 1914. [7]
Like many small U.S. towns, downtown Apex businesses began closing in the 1970s and 1980s. By 1985, half of the buildings in downtown Apex were empty. [8] In 1995 town leaders began improving Salem Street in an effort to increase local business and attract visitors to the historic district. Utilities were placed underground, sidewalks were repaved, and landscaping was added. In 1996, Apex received an award from Wake County's Capital Area Preservation organization for the efforts put forth in revitalizing the historic district. [9] Because of Apex's population boom (1990 population: 4,500; 2008 estimated population: 34,000), [8] further development of the district has begun and includes additional office space, a hotel, theatre, churches, six parks, and over 800 homes. [10]
Apex Historic District contains 60 buildings that were constructed from 1870 to 1940, and has been described as a "Gucci Mayberry." [8] Architectural designs of the district include: Bungalow, Craftsman, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Italianate, Modern Movement, Late Victorian, and Early Commercial. Salem Street is lined with one-and two-story brick buildings, such as the Town Hall and the Union Depot [2] [9] The retail section of the district includes art galleries, bakeries, restaurants, and boutique stores. [8]
Raleigh is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeast, the 41st-most populous city in the U.S., and the largest city of the Research Triangle metro area. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of 147.6 sq mi (382 km2). The U.S. Census Bureau counted the city's population as 467,665 in the 2020 census. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. The city of Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the now-lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.
Pittsboro is a town in Chatham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,743 at the 2010 census and 4,537 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Chatham County.
Winston-Salem is a city in and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina, the third-largest urban area in North Carolina, and the 90th-most-populous city in the United States. With a metropolitan population of 675,966, it is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. Winston-Salem is home to the tallest office building in the region, 100 North Main Street, formerly known as the Wachovia Building and now known locally as the Wells Fargo Center.
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. At its southern border, Apex encompasses the community of Friendship. In 1994, the downtown area was designated a historic district, and the Apex train depot, built in 1867, is designated a Wake County landmark. The depot location marks the highest point on the old Chatham Railroad, hence the town's name. The town motto is "The Peak of Good Living".
Wake Forest is a town in Franklin, Granville and Wake counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina; located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601. That is up from 30,117 in 2010, up from 12,588 in 2000. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population to be 47,601 as of April 1, 2020. In 2007, the town was listed by Forbes magazine as the 20th fastest growing suburb in America, with a 73.2 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2006. Wake Forest was the original home of Wake Forest University for 122 years before it moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.
Cary is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 Census, its population was 174,721, making it the seventh largest municipality in North Carolina, and the 148th largest in the United States. In 2022, the town's population had increased to 180,388.
Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County and the largest suburb of Winston-Salem. The town is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. A small portion of the town is also in Guilford County. The population was 26,481 at the 2020 census, up from 23,123 in 2010. Kernersville is located at the center of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, between Greensboro to the east, High Point to the south, and Winston-Salem to the west. Some of the farmland surrounding the town has been sold and turned into large middle-to-upper-class housing developments.
Elkin is a town in Surry and Wilkes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, along the Yadkin River. Elkin shares its name with the surrounding township of Elkin Township. The population was 4,083 at the 2020 census.
Interstate 540 (I-540) and North Carolina Highway 540 (NC 540) are part of a partially completed beltway around the city of Raleigh in the US state of North Carolina, forming the Raleigh Outer Loop. When complete, the route will completely encircle the city, meeting its parent route of I-40 in two locations.
The Galena Historic District is a historic district located in the city of Galena, Illinois, United States. The historic district encompasses 85 percent of the city of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The downtown area consists of three successive tiers made up of Main, Bench and Prospect Streets. Within the boundaries of the district are such notable homes as the Ulysses S. Grant Home and the Elihu B. Washburne House. The Galena Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
The Apex Union Depot is a historic railroad station located on Salem Street in downtown Apex, North Carolina and is the centerpiece of the Apex Historic District. Constructed in 1914 by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the building shared service with the Durham and Southern Railway, but now houses the Apex Visitor's Center, Apex Chamber of Commerce, and meeting rooms rented out for special events. A 37-foot Louisville and Nashville Railroad caboose is located beside the building. In December 1998 the Apex Union Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bridge Street Neck Historic District is a predominantly residential historic district in Salem, Massachusetts. It encompasses most of a peninsula of land northeast of downtown Salem, on the route connecting Salem to Beverly, which has been the scene of residential, commercial, and industrial development since the early settlement of Salem in the 1630s. Bridge Street, the spine of the district is a thoroughfare connecting Salem to the bridge leading to Beverly. The district is roughly bounded by railroad tracks to its west, the shore of the peninsula to the east, On the north it is bounded by modern (post-1952) developments, and on the south it abuts the Salem Common Historic District. In addition to properties on Bridge Street, the district includes properties on side streets between March/Osgood Streets, and Howard/Webb Streets. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
The Central Troy Historic District is an irregularly shaped, 96-acre (39 ha) area of downtown Troy, New York, United States. It has been described as "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the [country]" with nearly 700 properties in a variety of architectural styles from the early 19th to mid-20th centuries. These include most of Russell Sage College, one of two privately owned urban parks in New York, and two National Historic Landmarks. Visitors ranging from the Duke de la Rochefoucauld to Philip Johnson have praised aspects of it. Martin Scorsese used parts of downtown Troy as a stand-in for 19th-century Manhattan in The Age of Innocence.
The Fort Madison Downtown Commercial Historic District has a collection of late-19th century store fronts centered on Ave. G, from 6th to 9th Street, and Ave. H from 7th to 9th, in Fort Madison, Iowa. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
The Apex Town Hall, called Apex City Hall in the National Register of Historic Places is a historic town hall at 237 N Salem Street in the historic district of downtown Apex, North Carolina. It was built in 1912 after the June 12, 1911, fire destroyed several downtown buildings including the previous home of the town hall, Poe Brother's Store.
The Greenwich Avenue Historic District is a historic district representing the commercial and civic historical development of the downtown area of the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1989. Included in the district is the Greenwich Municipal Center Historic District, which was listed on the National Register the year before for the classical revival style municipal buildings in the core of Downtown. Most of the commercial buildings in the district fall into three broad styles, reflecting the period in which they were built: Italianate, Georgian Revival, and Commercial style. The district is linear and runs north–south along the entire length of Greenwich Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Downtown Greenwich, between U.S. Route 1 and the New Haven Line railroad tracks.
Frank B. Simpson (1883–1966) was an American architect. A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
Ivey-Ellington House is a historic home located at Cary, Wake County, North Carolina. The house was built about 1870 in the gothic cottage stye. It is a 1+1⁄2-story, "T"-plan, frame I-house with board-and-batten siding. It has a steeply pitched roof, decorative scalloped gable trim, and pointed-arch windows.
The Main and Franklin Streets Historic District is an historic district encompassing most of two city blocks in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. Roughly bounded by Main, Franklin, Federal, Portland, and Salem Streets, the district includes a well-preserved concentration of commercial buildings constructed during Worcester's economic height in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.