Three of the oldest properties in Downtown Lenoir with historic connections to our manufacturing roots are being considered for landmark designation by Lenoir Historic Preservation Committee. The News-Topic reports that the designation could assist the buildings’ owners in obtaining property tax deferrals for rehabilitation that falls within the preservation guidelines. The properties – The Lenoir Cotton Mill/Blue Bell building; Carolina and Northwestern Railway Freight Station and the J.M. Bernhardt Planing Mill/former Bost Lumber factory are located in the Fairfield South small area plan of Lenoir. The area is known locally and lovingly as “Funkytown” for its potential as a “mixed-use” area of side-by-side residential, commercial, and cultural development.