“This grant from Clean Water Management Trust Fund allows us to move forward,” said Jason Walser, of the LandTrust for Central North Carolina. “Without it, I’m not sure we could purchase and conserve the site at this time. The timing is very ideal.”
According to a Jan. 9 press release by the group, the LandTrust received $187,000 from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to purchase approximately 13 acres of the Fort York historic site along the Davidson and Rowan county border.
Walser said the site was home to one of the last Civil War skirmishes, despite the war having officially ended prior to the battle. April will mark the 150-year anniversary of the war’s end, as well as the battle.
“It was a fort that guarded the railroad bridge over the Yadkin River during the War Between the States,” he said. “There are significant ecological, natural and cultural resources. We desire to protect them.”
Walser said the LandTrust plans to work with Davidson County as a way to make the land a tourism resource. The Fort York property is near the Wil-Cox Bridge, which the North Carolina Department of Transportation is preparing to transfer to the county. It will become a pedestrian bridge.
Guy Cornman, planning director for Davidson County, said the county is watching with interest what is taking place with the LandTrust and Fort York.
“We are thrilled that the site is going to be preserved, and it will be another asset for folks to learn about,” he said.
Cornman said it will be a tourism draw for the county, combined with the Wil-Cox Bridge and the access to the Yadkin River.
“That will be another reason for folks to pull off the highway when they are going through Davidson County,” Cornman said. “They will be able to pull off there and learn about the whole history of the entire river corridor there.”
The land is owned by a private family, and once the LandTrust takes over, it will temporarily remain private property. In the future, the LandTrust hopes to make the site a historical area complete with walking trails, history markers and more.
“It’s going to take some time to plan and make it available for public use, education and recreation,” Walser said. “We want to get all the main players together to figure out how to best interpret this site.”
Walser said the LandTrust wants to work to make the site be accessible to the public while keeping the land pristine.
According to the press release, the funds come from revenues for specialty license plates and money from award recipients who return unused portions of funds in previous years.
The trust fund is a program within the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The LandTrust of Central North Carolina covers 10 counties, including Davidson.
Walser said the LandTrust hopes to purchase the land this year. The LandTrust secured the option to buy the property in 2014.
“We’ve been working hard with a variety of different potential funders, public and private, including some foundations,” Walser said. “This is regionally a very significant site, if not nationally significant. It’s been on our radar screen for a long time.”
Wil Petty can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at wil.petty@the-dispatch.com. Follow Wil on Twitter: @WilPetty
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