Sampson County, NC Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Sec. 1-8 of the county code, adopted May 7, 2012, governs any commemorative monument, memorial, or artwork proposed for county facilities, parks, or public easements in unincorporated Sampson County. A donor first sends a project introduction letter to the County Manager's office, then submits a written proposal to the Staff Review Team, made up of the County Manager, Public Works Director, Planning and Zoning Director, Inspections Director, and Finance Officer/Risk Manager. The HCPC, comprising nine voting members (a Historical Society representative, an Arts Council representative, an arts or design professional, a Chamber of Commerce or Convention and Visitors Bureau representative, and five community members, one per commissioner district), then hears the proposal and weighs criteria under Sec.

1-8-04: appropriate site use, timelessness, community significance (a person may not be honored until at least a year after their death or event), design quality, and a binding maintenance plan. Simple plaques go to the County Manager for final sign-off; every other monument needs a Board of Commissioners vote at a regular meeting with public comment. Once installed, the piece becomes county property. The Sampson County Courthouse grounds sit inside the City of Clinton's Downtown Commercial Historic District, so any monument there also needs the City of Clinton's Historic Preservation Commission's approval under that city's separate Historic District Ordinance.