Stevens Street investigation almost complete in Thomasville

Watch the video to see why preserving Stevens Street is important to our local economy

BROADCAST SCRIPT:
Monitoring historical preservation in the city of Roses.

Anyone who comes from Thomasville knows that the Stevens Street neighborhood has a deep history.

It is known as one of Thomasville's first black neighborhoods.

What you may not know is that 400 buildings in this neighborhood were built before 1983.

Last September, we presented the new effort to save the historic properties still present here.

WATCH THIS REPORT HERE:

Find out which of Thomasville's first black neighborhoods is earmarked for historic preservation

Urban planner Kenny Thompson says about 100 buildings have been lost since 2001.

“About 20 percent of the historic resources surveyed in 2001 were lost when the survey was conducted in 2024,” Thompson said.

He says the city is trying to preserve the remaining historic buildings

“If people want to build new homes in the neighborhood, they need to rebuild them in a way that is appropriate to the historic character of the area,” Thompson said.

The survey was conducted with the support of a $30,000 grant.

The money came from both the state historic preservation office and the city.

He studied the elements that made this neighborhood unique, such as the windows, porches and size of the buildings.

I spoke to Ephraim Rotter who told me that these investments can move Thomasville's economy forward.

He is the curator of the Thomasville History Center.

“It opens up new areas for tourism and makes those areas more attractive to people who want to open businesses,” Rotter said.

Ephraim tells me that all of Thomasville’s historic neighborhoods need to be valued.

“Since the homes are 100 to 120 years old, preserving these neighborhoods and their appearance was just as important as anywhere else in Thomasville,” Rotter said.

A plan Thompson tells me he's proud to undertake.

“We really wanted to make sure we could tell that story as well, and we know Stevens Street is full of wonderful stories, great history and we think that's just as important,” Thompson said.

The survey will be fully completed and shared with the public by the end of July.