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5 <br />1998 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND (HPF) APPLICATION FORM <br />State Historic Preservation Office <br />North Carolina Division of Archives and History <br />III. ABSTRACT OF PROPOSED PROJECT <br />When white settlers began arriving in the North Carolina Piedmont during the eazly-to- <br />mid eighteenth century, many of them traveled south along a trade route used for centuries by <br />native inhabitants. The Indian Trading Path extended from present-day Petersburg, Virginia, to <br />the North Cazolina-South Carolina border near Union County and beyond. During colonial <br />times, it was a major route of travel into Hillsborough and Orange County. Farmsteads and <br />plantations were built along the road. Farmers used the ancient path, once trod by bison, to drive <br />hogs on the hoof to Petersburg. The Trading Path spawned numerous villages and became the <br />main corridor for a system of colonial travel and trade. Today, only remnants of the Trading <br />Path remain. Disrupted by settlement and land use patterns, there aze only faint reminders of a <br />route that was significant to the growth and development of North Cazolina. <br />During the development of Orange County's Preservation Plan, interviews were <br />conducted with members of the Historic Preservation Commission and the local preservation <br />community to elicit their views on preservation priorities for the county. In addition, a series of <br />public meetings was held to seek information and opinions from citizens about places in the <br />County they considered historically significant and worthy of preservation. The St. Mary's Road <br />corridor was consistently cited as an important resource because of its historic association with <br />the Trading Path and its scenic qualities as a gateway to Orange County. Citizens also <br />acknowledged that suburban sprawl threatens the cultural and historical significance of the area. <br />The Historic Preservation Commission advocates measures to protect the integrity of St. Mary's <br />Road as a preservation resource. <br />St. Mary's Road (NCSR 1002) in Orange County parallels and incorporates much of the <br />Trading Path route. As part of the primary trail for colonial settlers migrating into North <br />