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A 1.5-acre pond sits between Buckhorn Branch, the Moore residence <br />(private) and the entrance meadow. Buckhorn branch winds around the <br />pond, with an earthen impoundment at the ponds southern end. No areas <br />of the property are within the 100-year floodplain. <br />Topography and Soils <br />The property slopes gently toward the two creeks. Orange County Soil <br />Survey shows a variety of soil types. The former agricultural field (50 <br />acres) is Herndon B, which has high potential for all recreation uses. The <br />southwest corner (including the meadow) is Georgeville B with high <br />potential for recreation (and urban) use. Narrow bands of wet Chewacla <br />soils are associated with the creeks. <br />Farmstead Structures <br />The Cate family owned the parkland portion of the site for well over 100 <br />years. A dairy farm until the mid-1970s, the land was later planted with <br />corn, soybeans and wheat. Farming on the property ended about 10 <br />years ago. The Cate farmhouse (ca 1929) was built on the site of an <br />earlier house that burned down. The house is in remarkably good shape <br />and is a fine example of a bungalow from that time period. There are <br />several nearby outbuildings, including a large barn (ca. 1930s), tenant <br />house (one room), granary, and chicken house. <br />A 19th Century log house is located on the property; east of ]ones Creek. <br />The two-story house is in poor shape with the chimney and upper floor <br />having collapsed on itself within the past 10 years. The former homesite <br />will be examined as part of a detailed archaeological survey of the <br />property and might become a nice feature for interpretation along future <br />park trail/greenway. <br />A <br />