Community voting on project outcome 

 

TRYON—Nina Simone’s Tryon residence is located at 30 East Livingston Street on a 0.21acre lot at the intersection of East Livingston and Fred Lyles Circle. The house is set back approximately 25 feet from East Livingston and approximately 35 feet from Fred Lyles. Fred Lyles Circle is a cul-de-sac containing multiple homes recently constructed by Habitat for Humanity Thermal Belt.  

The Nina Simone house is a Certified Historic Building according to North Carolina Building Code; as such the building is exempt from NC Energy Conservation code. In addition to its state as a historic building, the structure received special consideration in regards to building code application in order to preserve historic materials and character of the home while meeting life safety and accessibility requirements. 

The house has been assessed and severe water damage was found in the southeast section of the home. In addition to the prolonged water damage, exterior siding in multiple areas has been severely weathered or is altogether missing. The roof and the floor supports of the house also needed to be further inspected and assessed once those areas were made accessible during construction. The only electrical systems remaining in the home were single bulbs hanging from wires in the roof. The house does not have any plumbing of any kind, there are not any water, drain, or sewage pipes on the property.  

As construction begins to restore the historic building, the Nina Simone Project has put up an online poll to decide what the building should be used for after it is renovated. To keep up to date on the project follow the Nina Simone Project on Facebook or at their website, https://ninasimoneproject.org/. To take part in the online poll visit, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M9YN3SF. 

—By Samuel Robinson 

Sam.robinson@tryondailybulletin.com