Historic buildings represent the architectural roots of our communities. Their loss through demolition by neglect or fire, or simply to install a parking lot is tragic for many reasons.

Downtown Statesville, NC experienced such a tragedy in April when a fire broke out in one of their downtown buildings and spread to others.

Wooden construction of our earliest downtowns allowed fires to spread throughout entire districts. Afterwards, people rebuilt with brick, stone, and terracotta. Flammable wood, of course, was and remains the material of choice for interior buildouts and roofing construction.

Fire suppression systems are not always retrofitted into historic buildings unless required by Code during rehabilitation, and while such a system may not fully prevent such a tragic event, they can help minimize the impact. They are expensive to install. Therefore, DK offers in its Façade Grant and opportunity for a bit of assistance with those costs.

Fun Fact: The first automatic sprinkler system was invented in the 1870's by Philip Pratt.