WELCOME TO HISTORIC FLAT ROCK, INC. 

Historic Flat Rock, Inc. (HFR) is a non-profit organization founded in 1968. Our purpose is to protect and preserve the historic homes, views and landscapes in the Village of FlatRock and the surrounding area. Become a member or a volunteer and help us reach our goals.

News from Historic Flat Rock

The Old Post Office              The home of            Historic Flat Rock

1. The Flat Rock Gala

2. The Sense Of Place Project

Great News! Historic Flat Rock's Sense of Place Committee has just completed a major project which has required a significant investment of time and money on the part of Historic Flat Rock.

For the past two years, members of Historic Flat Rock's Sense of Place committee have been working together with the Flat Rock Village Council to rewrite the Village's zoning ordinance. The new ordinance is designed to help preserve the Village's unique characteristics. Here are a few of its accomplishments: It will formalize a wide scenic corridor along the main roads in Flat Rock. Developers will be encouraged to leave open space in new developments. Special attention will be devoted to historic properties and landscaping. On May 14, 2009 the Village Council met and formally approved the new zoning ordinance as well as a related subdivision ordinance. The new ordinances will be posted on the Village website at http://villageofflatrock.org/.

Rick Merrill, the HFR Committee Chairman, and Co-Chairman Bob Staton, Mayor of Flat Rock, have provided dedicated leadership necessary for the completion of this complex project. Special thanks are due to the following members of the Sense of Place Committee who worked long and hard: Connie Backlund, Ted Etherington, Dries Jansma, Ed Lastein, Jan Partin, Bruce Recker, Galen Reuther and Hilton Swing.

3. Updating the Flat Rock Historic District

Historic Flat Rock is approaching completion on another major project. Flat Rock was originally established as a historic district in 1973. For many years HFR has been working to update this nomination. This process is called "renomination". Historic Flat Rock has underwritten the significant cost of this effort. We hope to complete it this year.

We are just beginning the final phase of the renomination project. We must photograph every structure in Flat Rock which is 50 years or older and which has not been altered. This will be a major effort. Once it has been completed, the documents and photos will be carried to the State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh. They will review our documents and look at our photos. Then they will come to Flat Rock for an on site inspection. The updated historic designation will be a mojor step forward for us. We believe that it will help us protect our property values and facilitate historic preservation grant funds in the future.

4. Announcing Historic Flat Rock's Annual Meeting

All of our members are invited to our Annual Meeting. It will take place on Friday, August 28, 2009 in the historic Sanctuary at the Church of St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock. The speaker will be Mr. Frederick Taylor, a prominent Washington, D.C. architect and a native of Henderson County. A "members only" reception will follow.