Blackwood Farm Master Plan - final report (adopted 3-3-2011)

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Future Blackwood Farm Park—Master Plan Report Adopted March 3, 2011 In terms of natural resources, around half of the existing vegetation on the property is mixed-age hardwoods, part of which includes an identified Natural Heritage site, the "New Hope Church Road Basic Forest," in the southwest corner of the property. Another portion of woodlands to the northwest was planted in pine around 20 years ago. Two unnamed streams flow through the property and separate farm fields and forests, with one of the streams feeding a three-acre pond. A wetland "seep" also exists along the eastern edge of the site, north of the existing driveway entrance from NC 86. The cultural and archaeological survey identified and evaluated significant cultural resources located on the property so that they will be protected from development and available for future interpretation of the site. The survey identified six previously unrecorded archaeological sites, including the historic roadbed, the building complex and cemetery, and five "high probability" areas. A summary of the survey findings and report recommendations is provided as Appendix 2. Two sites were determined to be "potentially eligible" for the National Register of Historic Places. The first site, a ceramic scatter, is located north of the large pond, near the northern property boundary. The second site is the former Chapel Hill-Hillsborough roadbed. In addition to the archaeological sites and cultural landscape features, such as agricultural field terracing, the report states that the entire Blackwood Farm property may be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places because its "rural historic" and/or "historic vernacular" landscape is representative of the type of farms operating in Orange County during the early-twentieth century, many of which are no longer extant or have lost most of their landscape features due to commercial and or residential development. Challenqes and Opportunities When Orange County acquired the Blackwood Farm property in 2001 the site was envisioned as a future park with a combination of recreational and educational uses. The County determined that portions of the forest and open land (agricultural fields) could support a variety of low-impact activities without compromising the more historic features of the property (farmstead, old roadway and scenic vistas) and the more significant natural features including the New Hope Basic Forest natural area. The historic house and farm structures provide unusual opportunities and challenges. The house could, with substantial upgrades, be used for a variety of purposes. The restored farm buildings could include exhibits and demonstration areas showing traditional farming practices from the region. Interpretive signs 4