We've been losing farmland to development at an alarming rate in North Carolina. Fortunately, there's a good opportunity to encourage the preservation of an agricultural oasis in the heart of Forsyth County.
The proposed Hope-Fraternity Historic District covers 2,300 acres in the southwestern part of the county. It's within just a few miles of bustling Hanes Mall Boulevard, but it might as well be a thousand miles away -- for now. Mary Giunca wrote in Monday's Journal that the "landscape seems almost untouched since the Moravians first arrived in the late 18th century. Weathered cedars frame gently rolling hills and homespun houses dot the landscape."
The area was settled in the late 18th century by the Moravians and another religious group, the Dunkers. It contains scattered farms, at least two cemeteries and numerous family plots, abandoned roads, an old mill and a fruit-drying operation. The area offers a rare opportunity to see layered history, said Michelle McCullough, the historic resource coordinator of the city/county planning department. "What we're seeing in Hope-Fraternity is the evolution of family ties that started in the 18th century," she said. "Many of the same families are living on the landscape."
The area is to be considered for designation by the National Register of Historic Places. Unlike some locally zoned historic districts, this designation wouldn't place any harsh restrictions on what residents could do with their land or homes. But it would encourage preservation, and provide some measure of protection from federally funded projects such as highways.
There are no concrete plans for a road through the area, said Pat Ivey, the district engineer for the state Department of Transportation, but a long-range planning map does have the southern portion of a proposed beltway going through the area. "We need to make sure that we take that into consideration (any potential historic designation) when we begin the planning for the project," he said. "By law, we have to do everything we can to avoid those."
The designation also means that residents could be eligible for state and federal tax credits for rehabilitating historic structures on their property. The designation could make the district eligible for archeological grants.
And the designation could help people realize the historic importance of the area. "The more you understand something, the more respect you have for it," said Bob Cooper, who bought Meadowbrook Farm in the area in 1974. "You're less likely to change it or to demolish something or destroy the habitat or culture of the area."
Achieving the historic designation for this area is in the early stages. A formal study would be needed, and final approval would come from the National Park Service. We think it deserves serious consideration.
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