Historic Preservation

Historic Districts are established in order to help maintain and preserve areas of the City that have significant historic or architectural value. Regulations are applied through the use of an overlay zoning district, which sets forth rules that require review of all building activity affecting the exterior of buildings, structures, or site features.

Apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness


Historic Resources Commission

The Historic Resources Commission is responsible for reviewing and approving all exterior changes within the designated historic districts and to landmark properties. They also are responsible for conducting public awareness and education programs concerning historic properties and districts within the City of Fayetteville.

For more information, contact the Planning Department at (910) 433-1612.

Fayetteville Design Standards

In 2020, the City of Fayetteville (City) and the City of Fayetteville Historic Resources Commission (HRC) were awarded a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant for Certified Local Governments (CLG) to update the Design Guidelines for Fayetteville’s Historic Districts and Local Landmarks (Design Guidelines) to Design Standards, in accordance with North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) §160D-947. A copy of the Design Standards can be found below.

Historic District Design Standards(PDF, 139MB)

The Design Standards are used by the HRC to conduct evidentiary hearings in compliance with NCGS §160D-406 in the review of Certificate of Appropriateness applications for all real property located in either of the two local historic districts or any of the City’s locally designated Landmarks. There is a strong need to create a tool for citizens, the HRC, and the City that is current with standard preservation practices.