Original park entrance
Morrow Mountain State Park has been around for a while. The original deed and plan for the park dates to 1935. That year, the Civilian Conservation Corp also began work which spanned the next 7 years. The CCC built gravel roads including the road to the top of Morrow Mountain. They quarried argillite at a site near the park headquarters for building projects throughout the park. Those stones give Morrow Mountain State Park a unique character. A great place to see the stone is the visitor center and its large stone patio. The boys' work can be seen today all about the park.
At the peak of CCC activity, 400 young men were working in the park. As with other CCC camps, they were not local boys. Many were from cities with little construction experience. The camps had a boot camp type atmosphere with role calls, group exercise and parade grounds.
Initially the CCC boys were housed at Camp Doughton in downtown Albemarle. The government leased the property for 5 years. When the lease ran out, the boys moved to a camp right at the original park entrance. The original entrance was on a road which led to Lowders Ferry located at the park's current day boat launch. I have followed this road and seen where the original roadbed deviates slightly in places from today's Long Loop bridle trail. Originally, this would have been the Salisbury/Fayetteville Market Road. A ferry operated here dating back to the late 1700s.
Roaming around this area where the camp was constructed, you can see several concrete foundations, pits where water pipes and septic lines are visible, piles of rusting metal and scattered quarried rock. The brick structure above looks like an incinerator but there is no visible soot on the bricks. A lot of broken glass and china is on the ground, so it may have been a trash depot. Old, heavy duty, trash cans are nearby as well. One of the foundations appears to have been a bathroom/bathhouse. A number of drain pipes disappear into the ground.
Very basic china for the boys
I don't know what this structure would have been. It would be a great way to get on a horse but I doubt that was its function.
Not far from the camp is the former Kron family home and farm. Dr Kron bought 234 acres in 1834 from Rev McGregor whose memorial stone and grave is in a small cemetery plot on the former Kron property.
Kron family cemetery
Dr Kron and his two daughters are buried in the family cemetery near the homestead. The stone enclosure is constructed of more recently quarried argillite.
All the headstones in this cemetery have been knocked over.
Reconstructed Dr Kron homestead
Kron greenhouse
Dr Kron filled his property with many fruit and nut trees and is said to have had every vegetable available in the country, in his garden.
a hidden pond
On the side of Hattaway Mountain, a small pond lies hidden from any road or trail. It is surrounded by mountain laurel and quite a sight in late spring. It appears this was a water source for part of the park at one time.
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