Downtown Sanford Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease)

Downtown Sanford is a compact commercial district of about 96 structures covering roughly 36 acres in the center of the Lee County city. Sanford grew up because of the railroads, and the tracks still divide the older eastern section from the western blocks. Most development dates from a boom between about 1895 and 1930, producing one- to three-story masonry buildings set flush with the sidewalk, with decorative brick, stonework and molded terra cotta, reflecting the town's role as a brickmaking center. Landmarks include the Railroad House, a Gothic Revival cottage built for the first depot agent; the brick passenger depot; the 1910-era City Hall with its domed tower; the Masonic Lodge; the Temple Theater; the Carolina Hotel; and the six-story Wilrick Hotel, the tallest structure. Later infill is simpler, and some early facades have been covered with metal, stucco or permastone. The district still reads as a pre-World War II business center, and it remains the main retail area for the city and county.