CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY & CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL
2019 ANNUAL REPORT
PRESERVING
HUNTERVILLE’S RURAL ROOTS Bradford Farm Conservation Easement includes both historic farmland and natural wooded areas.
urd Grier Bradford III (Grier) remembers helping his grandfather tend to chickens and hogs as a little boy. The story of his family’s land, located along Davidson Concord Road in Huntersville, stretches back to 1760. In that year, Great Britain’s King George III gave Grier’s great-great-great-grandfather, David Bradford, a land grant. David moved away from York County, Pennsylvania, and created a homestead much farther south. Catawba Lands Conservancy recently protected 26.5 acres of the Bradford Farm through the acquisition of a conservation easement. Preservation of this property protects the rural nature of the land along McAuley Road, Mecklenburg County’s last remaining gravel road, which runs through some of the most historic agricultural land in the County. “We never wanted this land developed. It’s a beautiful field, and this is a historic road,” Grier said. “I’ve been impressed with Catawba Lands Conservancy and their professionalism. They’re good to their word and have been good to work with. They’re very devoted to their cause.” In 1911, Grier’s great-grandfather, William Bradford, built a general store on the farmland. The store sold farming equipment, groceries, cloth, livestock and a host of other provisions and served as an integral part of Ramah community. William also ran a cotton gin, blacksmith shop and sawmill on the property. His son, Hurd Grier Bradford Sr., operated the store and ran the farm from 1915-1959 while his brothers pursued professional careers after college. His grandson, Grier, reopened the store with his wife, Kim, in 2005 and sold local goods and fresh produce they grew themselves. They also moved the store back from the road, which had been widened over the years. Today the property – including the original general store, a barn built in 1935 and
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cabin – is a registered historic landmark with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. The family’s Queen-Anne-style farmhouse is also part of the designation and sits across the street from the store. William renovated a four-room, one-story building into a spacious, two-story home with two gabled rear additions and a wraparound front porch. When Grier and Kim retired in January 2018, they leased the store out to Thomas McLeod, who runs McLeod Organics at the Bradford Store. There shoppers can find everything from organic eggs, grass-fed meats and local cheese to natural makeup, gardening supplies and topsoil. The Bradfords maintain a winter greenhouse growing lettuces, beets, Swiss chard, kale and collard greens to sell. In the summertime, the lineup includes tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash and perhaps apples and grapes this year. “We have our own beehives and love selling local honey,” Grier said. “There’s also watermelon, cantaloupes, beans, peas, a little bit of everything.” Protecting this property will expand the 737-acre Ramah Creek Conservation Area, started in 1998 by Frank Bragg who donated
easements on his family land. “In an area like Huntersville that is developing so rapidly, having a large, contiguous area of land that is left natural is pretty rare. It’s also important for maintaining water and air quality, as well as building corridors for wildlife to move without coming up against developed property,” said Sean Bloom, Staff Biologist for CLC. Grier most enjoys the openness and beauty of the land and watching his livestock graze on it. He’s proudly preserving the view for generations to come.
The Bradford Conservation Easement includes historic farmland as well as beautiful natural wooded areas.
Conservation easement boundaries are always clearly marked as protected property.