Agenda - 01-21-1997 - 9b - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 1997 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND (HPF)APPLICATION FORM State Historic Preservation Office North Carolina Division of Archives and History III. ABSTRACT OF PROPOSED PROJECT When white settlers began arriving in the North Carolina Piedmont during the early-to- mid eighteenth century, many of them traveled south along a trade route used for centuries by native inhabitants. The Indian Trading Path extended from present-day Petersburg, Virginia, to the North Carolina-South Carolina border near Union County and beyond. During colonial times, it was a major route of travel into Hillsborough and Orange County. Farmsteads and plantations were built along the road. Farmers used the ancient path, once trod by bison, to drive hogs on the hoof to Petersburg. The Trading Path spawned numerous villages and became the main corridor for a system of colonial travel and trade. Today, only remnants of the Trading Path remain. Disrupted by settlement and land use patterns, there are only faint reminders of a route that was significant to the growth and development of North Carolina. During the development of Orange County's Preservation Plan, interviews were conducted with members of the Historic Preservation Commission and the local preservation community to elicit their views on preservation priorities for the county. In addition, a series of public meetings was held to seek information and opinions from citizens about places in the County they considered historically significant and worthy of preservation. The St. Mary's Road corridor was consistently cited as an important resource because of its historic association with the Trading Path and its scenic qualities as a gateway to Orange County. Citizens also acknowledged that suburban sprawl threatens the cultural and historical significance of the area. The Historic Preservation Commission advocates measures to protect the integrity of St. Mary's Road as a preservation resource. St. Mary's Road (NCSR 1002) in Orange County parallels and incorporates much of the Trading Path route. As part of the primary trail for colonial settlers migrating into North Carolina from coastal Virginia, numerous historic sites are located along St. Mary's Road.