Carroll County Awarded $100K Conservation Grant

Carroll County recently finalized a $100,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for the development and rehabilitation of the 485-acre Moore’s Bridge Park.

The county is required a cash match of $50,000 for the grant, which will be paid from the 2003 and 2008 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

In 2009, Carroll County purchased the parkland from the Trust for Public Land for use as passive recreation. The land is located near Whitesburg, running adjacent to the Chattahoochee River for 1.4 miles.

The park itself is layered with history; it was the site of the only Civil War battle in Carroll County, and it touts significant sites for both Native American and African American history. In addition, the park once served as the gateway to southern Carroll County, and for these reasons and more, priority will be placed on conserving the property’s rich historical features.

A key element of Moore’s Bridge Park is the Historic James Moore House. James D. Moore was originally the landowner of the property, and his house is the most historically-significant feature still standing on the site, dating back more than 150 years. It’s yet to be seen how the house will be utilized in the park.

The county has applied for a grant for a transportation/museum center, though it’s yet to be seen if the county will be awarded these funds.

Another notable component of the park is the Horace King Covered Bridge site. The first Moore’s Bridge was built in 1857 by Horace King, who was a one third owner of the bridge along with Moore and Charles Mabry. This 480-foot-long wooden covered bridge spanning the Chattahoochee River was burned by Union troops on July 14, 1864, though two years after the war ended, King rebuilt the covered bridge. This second bridge was destroyed when it was washed away in the flood of 1881.

During the early 1900’s, the Jones family acquired the site, and the family erected a metal bridge across the Chattahoochee in 1917. Remnants of the 1917 metal bridge are still visible to this day.

Outside of historical sites, the park will also feature miles of hiking trails and plenty of areas for camping.

Preliminary work is already underway, and Phase I—which will include trails and various signage—should be completed by late fall, at which point the park will be opened to the public.