Downtown Sanford Historic District (Additional Documentation)

Downtown Sanford is a compact commercial district of 96 structures covering about 36 acres in the center of the city, bounded by Gordon Street, Chatham Street, Cole Street and Horner Boulevard. The town grew up around railroads, and the surviving buildings are mostly one to three stories of solid masonry, set flush with the sidewalk. Most date from the boom between about 1895 and 1930. Decorative brick, stonework and molded terra cotta reflect the local brickmaking industry. Landmarks include the Railroad House, a Gothic Revival cottage built for the first depot agent, the brick passenger depot, the 1920s Temple Theater, the Masonic Lodge, the six-story Wilrick Hotel and the 1930 Carolina Hotel. Later infill is plainer, and some older fronts have been covered with metal, stucco or permastone. Even so, the district keeps the look of a pre-World War II commercial center and remains the area's main shopping district, with rehabilitation projects and a redevelopment corporation supporting it.