The Village Heritage Awards
Cashiers Historical Society is requesting nominations for the 2023 Village Heritage Award.
The mission of Cashiers Historical Society is to preserve the history of Cashiers Valley through education, stewardship and advocacy. CHS is especially active in efforts to preserve the historical character of Cashiers Valley through publications, events, projects and awards.
An award given that represents CHS stewardship mission is the Village Heritage Award. This award has been presented annually since 2003 with nominations by area residents. Residents based on the criteria nominate an old or new property that has been built or repurposed in keeping with the Old Village feel.
Criteria also includes that the property have an attractive landscaping with native materials and moderate lighting. In addition, the nominees must be located in the area within the boundaries of Highway 107 North to the Continental Divide, 107 South to the Methodist Church; Highway 64 East to the Humane Society and Highway 64 west to the Continental Divide.
In 2003 the Village Heritage Award was presented to Alexander Gardens and in recent years recipients have included Cornucopia, Narcissus, Hotel Cashiers and the 2022 recipient was McKee Properties. Nominations for the year’s Village Heritage Award are to be submitted by September 1st. Nomination forms are available at the library and the CHS office.
For additional information contact CHS at 743-7710. The Village Heritage Award committee members include Ann Austin, John Barrow, Amelia Golcheski, Helen Harmon, Lesley Madden, Sandi Rogers and Thomas Taulbee.
Historical Nominations
2003 Alexander Gardens
2004 The Van Epp House
2005 Viewfinders Building
2006 Mountain Laurel Shops
2007 Zonnie Sheik Cottage
2008 Tommy’s Coffee Shop
2009 Laurelwood Mountain Inn
2010 The Village Green Commons
2011 The Cashiers Community Center
2012 The Old Cashiers Post Office
2013 Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center
2014 Dovecote House
2015 Fiddlehead Designs
2016 Grace Anglican Church
2017 Sashay Around
2018 Cornucopia
2019 Narcissus
2020 Hotel Cashiers
2021 Whiteside Art Gallery
2022 McKee Properties
2023 .........................................
Your 2023Nominations
The purpose of the Village Heritage Award is to recognize and celebrate historic preservation in Cashiers. In selecting an award winner, the CHS Preservation Committee seeks to promote preservation of the village character of Cashiers and encourage adaptive reuse of existing structures.
Each year, the CHS Preservation Committee selects an award winner from nominated properties. Criteria used to choose the winning property include the following:
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The property is located within the boundaries of Highway 107 north to the Continental Divide, 107 south to the Methodist Church; Highway 64 East to the Humane Society and Highway 64 west to the continental divide.
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The architecture of the property is in keeping with the Old Village feel of Cashiers, with vernacular style, materials, and scale.
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The property is an adaptive reuse of an older existing structure.
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Attractive landscaping with native materials is used.
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Moderate exterior lighting to enhance night sky visibility.
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Enhances Village feel and a sense of community.
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Enhances area businesses.
Nominations must be submitted in writing via this paper form, or below. In making a nomination, please note how the subject property meets the criteria above.
You are encouraged to include information about the property’s history and identify other ways in which the nominee promotes the preservation of the village character of Cashiers and encourage adaptive reuse of existing structures.
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Nomination forms available August 4 at CHS, Albert Carlton Library ,
and online (form below)
Nomination forms due to CHS September 1 (return to CHS office)
Preservation Celebration -TBA
If submitting a paper form please submit to:
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Cashiers Historical Society
Village Heritage Award
PO Box 104
Cashiers, NC 28717
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Or by e-mail: info@cashiershistoricalsociety.org
CHS mission and the Village Heritage Award
In 1996 a group of individuals met and organized with the purpose to preserve the history of Cashiers. It was also in 1996 that Cashiers Historical Society was formed. During most of the first years of the Society, the membership was dedicated to the preservation of the Zachary-Tolbert House. However, the membership remained focused on its overall mission to preserve the heritage of the entire Cashiers Valley through stewardship, advocacy and education.
To help ensure the character of the Valley, CHS began taking a more proactive role in raising awareness for the Valley’s historic buildings and commissioned architectural historians to research and assemble a list of historic sites in Cashiers. From this research, CHS established the annual Village Heritage Award in 2003.
The purpose of the award is to recognize and celebrate annually the historic preservation in Cashiers of an existing structure that has been nominated by local residents. Based on the criteria, residents nominate a property that is an adaptive reuse of an older existing structure and also, enhances village feel and a sense of community. Additional criteria includes that the property have an attractive landscaping using native material and moderate lighting. Nominees must also be located within certain boundaries.
Past recipients beginning in 2003 are Alexander Gardens, the Van Epp House, Viewfinders Building, Mountain Laurel Shops, Zonnie Sheik Cottage, Tommy’s Café, Laurelwood Mountain Inn, Village Green Commons, Cashiers Community Center, Old Cashiers Post Office, Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center, Dovecote House, Fiddlehead Designs, Grace Anglican Church, Sashay Around, Cornucopia, Narcissus, Hotel Cashiers, Whiteside Art Gallery and McKee Properties.
Nominations for the 2023 Village Heritage Award must be submitted in writing.
Nominating forms are available beginning Friday, August 4 at the CHS office, the Albert Carlton Library, or online via the above form. Nominations are due by Friday, September 1. Presentation of the Village Heritage Award will be at the annual Preservation Celebration, date to be announced.
A final thought-
Dwight Young of the National Trust for Historic Preservation on a visit to Cashiers in 2021 stated
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“In truth, every area has its own character, which defines its heart. How that community grows and continues to be defined relies on the preservation of its character.”
Knowing the history of an area’s buildings helps generations to see the past. Fortunately CHS is a group that has an interest in preserving the Cashiers of yesterday and today for tomorrow.
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