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-Press Release, Granville County Government
With the installation of a quilt block on a historic tobacco barn, the Granville Athletic Park (GAP) is now included on the Quilt Trails of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers.
The block was installed this past Saturday by the Franklin County Arts Council, connecting the GAP and Granville County to a heritage trail that meanders through eastern North Carolina. A description of the block and a brief history of the park will now be included on a travel guide that takes visitors on a cultural journey from one block to the next, county by county.
“Quilt blocks blend history, culture and community, and help tell the stories of the sites where they hang,” says Franklin Arts Council Director Ellen Queen. “Each block has been carefully designed or chosen to trigger the story of the family home, business or historical site where it resides.”
Pictured with the new quilt block at Granville Athletic Park are Michael Felts, County Manager; Angela Allen, Granville Tourism Development Authority Director; Sue Hinman, County Commissioner; Ellen Queen, Director, Franklin Arts Council; and Zelodis Jay, Granville County Commissioner. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)
The trail includes Franklin, Vance, Warren, Wake, Nash, Martin, Pitt and Granville Counties. This is Granville’s second block to be included on the trail. One has also been installed at a private residence in Oxford but is not available for public viewing.
The barn quilt featured at the Granville Athletic Park is easily visible from the main parking lot and walking trail, with a design that reflects the community’s efforts to preserve the property where the block now hangs.
In 1989, the state of North Carolina had joined a multi-state compact with a goal of building five hazardous waste incinerators for private company ThermalKEM. The following year, a list of 18 potential locations had been narrowed to two, with one being in Granville County.
When concerned citizens learned of the state’s intentions, they took action. Oxford attorney John Pike secured a loan from Adams Tobacco Company to purchase the 48-acre Ellok Jones farm, a tract of land in the middle of the proposed 580-acre incinerator site off Belltown Road.
“Barrister’s Block” has been added to the Quilt Trail of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers and can be seen on the barn along the GAP’s walking path. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)
Pike then sold $5 ownership shares to thousands of local residents as well as to shareholders around the world. Future negotiations with approximately 8,000 property owners, some living as far away as the Soviet Union and South America – in addition to public protests and the possibility of multiple lawsuits – resulted in the eventual elimination of Granville County as a possible site.
On May 21, 2004, the acreage once proposed as the location for a hazardous waste incinerator was dedicated as the Granville Athletic Park and Jonesland Environmental Preserve. Encompassing 69 acres, today’s GAP is the largest recreational park in the county and provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities for residents and for visitors.
The fitting “Barrister’s Block” quilt design is a tribute to the successful community campaign to preserve the land on Belltown Road. As the role of a “barrister” is to serve as a courtroom advocate, Attorney John Pike – with the support of Granville County citizens – was an advocate for preserving the land. The red and white colors of the quilt block are a nod to the Granville County flag.
This project was partially funded through a mini-grant provided through the Granville Tourism Development Authority.
“The Quilt Trails are a great way for visitors to find Granville County,” said Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen, “and, once they are here, they can explore local restaurants, shops, galleries and more. We’re proud to be a part of this heritage trail and to be able to tell the background story of this part of our county.”
To learn more about the Quilt Trail of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers, which is the only trail of its kind in the eastern part of the state, please visit granvillecounty.org for a link to the Franklin Arts Council’s online trail guide and to their website.