Race Street Historic District

The South Race Street Historic District lies on the southwest side of Statesville, and is a densely developed community of houses, churches, and neighborhood stores associated with the manufacturing and rail corridor which skirts the southern edge of the district. Bordering to the east and north are the Mitchell College Historic District and the Academy Hill Historic District.

Well-preserved and largely intact, the historic district is comprised of 84 contributing resources and 38 non-contributing ones. The non-contributing resources include small, brick houses and low-scale apartments from the post-World War II era as well as older buildings which have lost integrity through alterations and additions.

Developed initially during the pre-automobile era, the houses tend to be set on narrow lots, close to the street. The district is a mixture of both large, two story houses and smaller, worker housing. A number of the more substantial, stylish dwellings are found on South Race Street. The larger homes are generally sited on corner lots. The streets within the district are lined with tree lined planting strips.

Residential construction predominated in the area. Houses are found on the east-west West Sharpe, West Bell and Armfield streets and Western Avenue as well as on the north-south Oak and South Race streets. The earliest houses date from 1894 to the turn of the century, and a number of these survive on South Race Street and West Sharpe Street and one at the corner of Armfield and South Race streets.

South Race Street Historic District Map

South Race Street Historic District Survey (completed in 1995)