Preservation Durham established the Historic Plaque Program in 2001 to encourage the preservation of Durham’s historic resources and to educate the public about the community’s heritage.

Residential plaques measure 10″ x 14″ and list the historic name of the home and its date of construction. All plaques are cast in solid bronze and feature the original Historic Preservation Society of Durham logo. Plaques remain the property of Preservation Durham, and will be removed if the historical integrity of the structure is damaged. Pricing for plaques are as follows: $475 for 10.25″ x 14.5” and $625 for 12″ x 17.75”.

A structure must be at least 70 years old and its history must be thoroughly documented before it will be considered for a plaque or marker. We will help building owners who are researching their properties as much as we can, but we require that the majority of the application be completed before asking for assistance from the Historic Plaque Review Committee; many people who purchase Historic Plaques elect to hire a private consultant to assist with the application, and we are happy to provide recommendations for this service.

• Historic Plaque Application
• Directions and Checklist of Sources for Historic Plaque Application
• On Line Resources for Historic Plaque Research
• How to Research Your Old House by Tom Miller

Preservation Durham also helped to place a Historic Marker at the site of the Lincoln Hospital on Fayetteville Street; the Marker was unveiled on August 18, 2001. Founded in 1901, Lincoln Hospital provided health care to Durham’s African-American community and trained 900 nurses before it was closed in 1976.