News

Halicraft Art Festival

Mountain Road Historic District Informational Meeting

February 5, 2015

HALIFAX, VA - The Town of Halifax Would like to remind all those interested that a Public Meeting will be held at 5:30 pm on Monday, February 9th at Halifax Town Hall, 70 South Main Street to kick off the Mountain Road Historic District Boundary Expansion and National Register Nomination Update Project.  The project, includes the addition of approximately 39 properties to the existing Mountain Road Historic District, which ws listed on the Viurginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  Information on the properties within the existing district boundary will be updated.  The project is made possible by a Cost-Share Grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR).  Marc Wagner, Director of the Capital Region Office of DHR will serve as project manager with Hill Studio of Roanoke serving as the consultant.  The Halifax County Historical Society will support the project by providing valuable research and documentation of the historic properties in the expanded district.

Please plan to attend the meeting on February 9th to learn more about the project and to share information, historic photographs or maps and any other memorabilia you may have that relates to the Mountain Road Historic District.  Marc Wagner (DHR) and members of Hill Studio will be present to answer questions and make copies of information you may bring.  Your information will be invaluable to the survey project and this is a wonderful opportunity to archive information about the Mountain Raod Historic District.  When the survey is complete, all informatin will be available to the public at the Town Offices or the DHR Archives in Richmond.

A survey of the historic resources within the existing historic district and the porposed expansion area assists with town planning and development and is the first step to creating an accurate and comprehensive document for updating and expanding the Mountain Road Historic District, which is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.  All property owners within and adjacent to the existing and expanded historic district will be notified of a public hearing to be held in May prior to the consideration of the updated historic district nomination by the Historic Resources Boad at its June 2015 quarterly meeting.  Designation on the state or national registers places no restrictions on owners of property witnin the existing and proposed district expansion area.  However listing properties as "contributing" to a district's historic character does enable its owners to seek federal and state tax credits for historic rehabilitations which must conform to specified standards for restoring historic properties.

The Department of Historic Resources also provides administrative support for the cost-share projects in addition to the grants.  In 1991 the Department of Historic Resources created the cost share program, which requires matching local funds, to assist localities in meeting a state mandate that they update their comprehensive planning every five years.  The funding for the program is determined by the General Assembly each year.  Cost-share awards are highly competitive.  Last year the Department of Historic Resources received 18 applications and funded 15 grants.  Past projects funded by the DHR Cost-Share Grant program include the Town of Halifax Courthouse Historic District and the Halfiax County Historic Architectural Survey, which along with other resources, provided important data for the Halifax County Historical Society's upcoming publication, An Architectural History of Halifax County, Virginia. 

Details about the Cost Share Program are provided on the website of the Department of Historic Resources at http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/survey/Survey1.htm.

For further information, contact Carl Espy, Halifax Town Manager (434-476-2343) or Alison Blanton, Hill Studio (540-342-5263) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

June 13th Straw Bale Gardening Display & Demo at Halifax Farmers Market

     Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 13th from 8am to 11am at the Town of Halifax Farmers Market for a display on Straw Bale Vegetable Gardening. Southside Master Gardners will have a planting and sowing demo during market hours ending at 11am.  Master Gardeners will be available to explain the art of straw bale gardening and answer all of your gardening questions.

     Straw bale gardening has been around since the Aztecs and was used by the pioneers in their westward movement across the United States. The beauty of the system is that it requires no soil preparation and has many of the benefits of raised beds without the expense. But before you think the system is as simple as cutting a hole in a straw bale and plopping in a plant, a conditioning process is required. This is not difficult but does take about 2 weeks to prepare the bales for planting.

     We all want vegetable gardens that are weed and pest free. Key advantages of straw bale gardens are no weeds and fewer pests especially ground boring insects or soil borne diseases. The straw gardens are adaptable to any space no matter how small. Because the plants are grown at a higher level no stooping is required for harvesting and maintaining. The bales make great compost at the end of the season.

     Getting the right type of bales is a priority. Thinking that you can use any old hay bale you’ve got lying around is asking for a weed nightmare. Straw is the baled remains of small grain crops after harvesting the grain so do not contain seeds. Its hollow stems contain no nutritional value for animals and is normally used for bedding. Smaller bales or “lady” bales are desired because of ease of moving.

            If you want to learn more about this innovative style of vegetable gardening please join the Southside Master Gardeners at the Halifax Farmers Market located at 209 S. Main Street in the Town of Halifax where they will detail the advantages, the conditioning process, the maintenance and where to purchase bales.  Come on out and find out the joy of raising your own nutritious produce in a straw bale.  Also visit the regular vendors offering fresh cut flowers, fresh produce, grass raised meats, fresh baked sweets, fresh eggs and much more.

Growing vegetables in straw bales is an innovative way to raise vegetables without the drawbacks of traditional vegetable gardens. Join the Master Gardeners on June 13^th at the Halifax Farmers Market to learn all the ins and outs of the process.

Mountain Road Historic District Boundary Expansion Project

January 9, 2015

The Town of Halifax announces a Public Meeting to kick off the Mountain Road Historic District Boundary Expansion and National Register Nomination Update Project to be held at 5:30 pm on Monday, February 9th at Halifax Town Hall, 70 South Main Street.  The project, will include the addition of approximately 39 properties to the existing Mountain Road Historic District, which was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  In addition, information on the properties within the existing district boundary will be updated.  The project is made possible by a Cost-Share Grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR).  Marc Wagner, Director of the Capital Region Office of DHR will serve as project manager with Hill Studio of Roanoke serving as the consultant.  The Halifax County Historical Society will support the project by providing valuable research and documentation of the historic properties in the expanded district.  Please plan to attend the meeting on February 9th to learn more about the  project and to share information, historic photographs or maps and any other memorabilia you may have that relates to the Mountain Road Historic District.  Marc Wagner (DHR) and members of Hill Studio will be present to answer questions and make copies of information you may bring.  Your information will be invaluable to the survey project and this is a wonderful opportunity to archive information about the Mountain Road Historic District.  When the survey is complete, all information will be available to the public at the Town Offices or the DHR Archives in Richmond.

In addition to assisting with town planning and development, a survey of the historic resources within the existing historic district and the proposed expansion area is the first step to creating an accurate and comprehensive document for updating and expanding the Mountain Road Historic District, which is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.  All property owners within and adjacent to the existing and expanded historic district will be notified of a public hearing to be held in May prior to the consideration of the updated historic district nomination by the Historic Resources Board at its June 2015 quarterly meeting.

Designation on the state or national registers places no restrictions on owners of property within the existing and proposed district expansion area.  However listing properties as "contributing" to a district's historic character does enable its owners to seek federal and state tax credits for historic rehabilitations which must conform to specified standards for restoring historic properties.

The Department of Historic Resources also provides administrative support for the cost-share projects in addition to the grants.  In 1991 the Department of Historic Resources created the cost share program, which requires matching local funds, to assist localities in meeting a state mandate that they update their comprehensive planning every five years.  The funding for the program is determined by the General Assembly each year.  Cost-share awards are highly competitive.  Last year the Department of Historic Resources received 18 applications and funded 15 grants.  Past projects funded by the DHR Cost-Share Grant program include the Town of Halifax Courthouse Historic District and the Halifax County Historic Architectural Survey, which along with other resources, provided important data for the Halifax County Historical Society's upcoming publication, An Architectural History of Halifax County, Virginia.

Details about the Cost Share Program are provided on the website of the Department of Historic Resources at http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/survey/Survey1.htm .

For further information, contact Carl Espy, Halifax Town Manager (434-476-2343) or Alison Blanton, Hill Studio (540-342-5263) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .