HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — A design is in place and Mecklenburg County is set to begin construction this year on the transformation of the former Latta Plantation in Huntersville, which was closed in 2021 amid controversy.
“People tend to have romanticism about slavery and talk about, they live there, or they reside there,” said The Rev. Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP. “No, they weren’t living there. They were enslaved and forced to do labor on the land.”
Mack says she worked with Mecklenburg County to revitalize the historic property now called Latta Place.
“I thank God for them, because they were open to seeing things differently, seeing other perspectives,” she said.
Mecklenburg County plans to spend more than $11 million to build a new trail, reflection spaces, and a new visitors center. The redesign will pay tribute to the people who shaped these 16 acres.
“It’s not necessarily an easy subject to talk about, and it brings forth a lot of different emotions for different people,” said Bert Lynn, Capital Planning Division director at Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.
The Latta Nature Preserve, located in northwest Mecklenburg County, features 16 miles of trails and is a popular spot for outdoor activities such as hiking and canoeing. The historic Latta House, built in the early 1800s on what were once cotton fields, will be preserved along with the Meat House. The redesign will pay tribute to the 65 enslaved people who lived on the plantation, with dedicated spaces to honor their memory.
“The people who were enslaved, the people that that lived on and hunted on this land before that. We’ll want to share all the broad perspectives that we can as it relates to the site here,” Lynn said.
Mack hopes it’s a learning experience for all visitors.
“I think history is important. I think the truth matters,” she said.
In 2021, there was a controversial Juneteenth event planned at the site called “Kingdom Coming.”
It promised to tell stories about freed slaves from the perspective of a slave master.
The event was canceled, and the county opted not to renew its contract with the site’s managing nonprofit. It’s since been closed down.
Construction will start later this year and it should reopen in 2026.
“That’s what makes us an intelligent creature. The knowledge that we gain,” said Richard Williams, a visitor who frequents the Latta Nature Preserve.
For information from the March 20 meeting, click here.
VIDEO: Meck County will seek public input on plans for reopening renamed Latta Place
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