Let’s recap on some of the history of Country Park. In 1781, a war broke out against colonies in North America; a war more famously known as the Revolutionary War. One of the most significant battles of the Revolutionary War occurred right here in Greensboro, specifically at Guilford Courthouse (approximately an 8-minute drive from Country Park). At Guilford Courthouse, the British managed to gain a tactical victory over the American troops; however, the British also lost many members of their army at this specific battle. To preserve the prestigious piece of land in which the battle was fought upon, the Guilford Battleground Company purchased and adopted the land to be used as a national military park. The land that the company had acquired was a total of 125 acres. They made the decision to split this land into different pieces and represent them differently to the public. From the 125 acres obtained, a large portion was given to be used as a natural park. In 1924, the name “Country Park” was introduced. Just ten years later, on the Independence Day of 1934, Country Park had its official opening. As soon as it opened, Mayor Paul Lindley insisted that work must be done to the park so that it could act as a tourist destination. Immediately, funds and assistance flowed from the Civil Works Administration to “beautify” the natural piece of land. The Federal Works Administration also aided in making the natural space vast and beautiful. Now, Country Park is located within the Battleground Parks District, which also contains the Greensboro Science Center, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, and Forest Lawn Cemetery.
What Happened With the Land in that Century?
As soon as the war was over, the land stood there still, no human had touched or modified it. Trees were blooming in the woods, as well as deers and squirrels were relaxing in their homes. I learned in my APUSH class last year that during those years North Carolina was known for having large pieces of open, vast land. Eventually, people began to trade and purchase pieces of the land that comprised the, now, Battleground Parks District. It began when John Hamilton took possession of the land but later sold the land tract to William Reed in 1794. Then Reed sold it to Smith Moor in 1797, then Moore sold it to John Moore in 1798, then to Robert Lindsay in 1804. In 1828, the land was split and distributed to many people to begin renovations to “preserve the legacy.” They used trees to make the boundaries, for example, a beech tree marking the southwest corner of the land tract. Eventually in the mid-1880s after exchanges of the land and plans the land was given to Paul Lindsay who had the option to decide how he wanted to represent it, which he decided to make it a family-friendly park. Paul Lindsay left some of the nature to thrive and grow on its own; however, he added many human-made features to catch the eye of many visitors in the future.
I hope you guys enjoyed a glimpse into the history of the land comprising Country Park. Obviously, you can see that the land was just purchased and sold for most of the years, but during that time the land was left to be preserved and away from the public, with the hopes of keeping the legacy and essence of what the land is famous for. See you guys later!
