There are fewer than forty prehistoric or historic sites known in the county; a comprehensive survey is needed for planning and archaeological research purposes.
Architectural surveys were conducted in Shelby in 1982 and Kings Mountain in 1979, and in 1998 a comprehensive architectural survey of the county was completed. These cooperative local-state projects have been accomplished with grants and staff assistance from the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.
State grants in Cleveland County totaling $110,000 include a $40,000 grant to restore the Courthouse in 1983, a $30,000 grant for restoration of the Shelby Carousel in 1984, and a $25,000 grant for the Kings Mountain Post Office/Museum in 1994. A county survey and surveys in Kings Mountain and Shelby are among the projects that have received federal grants totaling $31,233.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
Eleven county listings in the National Register of Historic Places include the Banker's House, Joshua Beam House, Central Shelby Historic District, John Lattimore House, and the Dr. Victor McBrayer House.
LOCAL PRESERVATION COMMISSIONS
Upon local request, the Historic Preservation Office provides technical assistance to the Kings Mountain Historic Landmarks Commission, which designated the First Andrew Mauney House as a local landmark in 1999.
Ten income-producing tax credit projects have been completed in Cleveland County at a total construction investment of $3,995,000, including the Masonic Temple Building and O. Max Gardner House in Shelby. Four additional income-producing projects are currently undergoing rehabilitation, including the Belk-Stevens Building in Shelby. The Historic Preservation Office reviews and provides restoration technical services for all tax credit projects.
Technical restoration assistance has been provided to the Old Cleveland County Courthouse, Webbley, the Shelby City Hall, and numerous other buildings in Shelby though cooperation with the Uptown Shelby Association. Technical assistance has also been given to El Nido, a Spanish Colonial Revival style bungalow in Shelby owned by Preservation North Carolina. Staff also has advised the Town of Boiling Springs on the Old Boiling Springs General Store and Post Office.