(TLC Board Members and Staff meet with the Board Members of The Jandy Ammons Foundation at the future Sarah and Bailey Williamson Preserve at Walnut Hill in Wake County. L-R: Chris Hitt, Jack Clayton, Jan Ammons, Andy Ammons, Jessie Ammons, Norris Cotton, Wendee Smith, & Sandy Sweitzer)
Triangle Land Conservancy announced today that it will receive a $75,000 grant over three years from The Jandy Ammons Foundation for restoration of an historic pack house at the Sarah and Bailey Williamson Preserve at Walnut Hill in Wake County.
TLC is in the planning process to open Walnut Hill Nature Preserve, a 406-acre property with 130 acres of prime farmland that will be activated with community partnerships to provide a center of cultural, agricultural, and natural heritage significance. The area, known as Shotwell, is one of the last rural farming communities in rapidly urbanizing Wake County with a long history of minority land ownership alongside land grant farms. In addition, Walnut Hill will become the largest green space destination in Wake County along the 26-mile Neuse River Greenway.
The grant from The Jandy Ammons Foundation will allow TLC to create an entryway through a building that was historically used for stables. In addition to restoring the exterior of the pack house, the grant will fund interpretive signage to showcase the history of Walnut Hill and the Shotwell community. TLC’s goal is to eventually refurbish the interior of the structure and adaptively reuse the space for much needed meeting and office space for use by staff and partners who will use the preserve.
“We are grateful to The Jandy Ammons Foundation for its commitment to conservation and historic preservation in the Triangle,” explained Triangle Land Conservancy’s Executive Director, Sandy Sweitzer. “This generous grant will provide TLC with the resources to connect the community to the agricultural and cultural history of the farm and the surrounding community.”
The Board of Directors of The Jandy Ammons Foundation said in a statement, “The Jandy Ammons Foundation hopes to improve our community by supporting innovative, project-driven endeavors in a number of areas, including wildlife habitats and educational surroundings. The pack house restoration project exemplifies the creative, visionary thinking we believe is necessary for lasting impact. We are excited about the work Triangle Land Conservancy has done and will continue to do at Walnut Hill, about the project’s foundational respect for the land, and about the opportunities that remain for community engagement at the property.”
Triangle Land Conservancy strives to create a healthier and more vibrant Triangle region by safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with nature through land protection and stewardship, catalyzing community action, and collaboration.
