Home Care In Cedar Grove, NC

When we’re talking berries in North Carolina, it’s strawberries in the spring and blueberries in the summer. That means we’re in the middle of blueberry season right now, so the time is right to get our fill.

You can get NC-grown blueberries in many grocery stores during the summer months, or at the local farmers markets. But you can also pick them straight from the bush. (And unlike strawberries, you don’t have to bend over to get them!)

Pick-your-own — sometimes called U-Pick — blueberry farms are scattered around the state, including in the Triangle. To help you plan your blueberry-picking adventures this summer, we’ve compiled a list of some farms in the area, divided by location.

Ready to pick some blueberries? Let’s get started.

Note: Blueberry season in North Carolina typically begins at the beginning of June (sometimes late May), but can vary by the weather each year brings, as well as by the individual farm. We recommend checking with each farm before you head out, either by calling or checking their website or social media, to get up-to-date hours for this year’s blueberry season and other information for picking.

(Did we miss any U-Pick blueberry farms in the Triangle? Let us know by emailing [email protected].)

? Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm: Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm’s sister businesses are Botanist and Barrel and Persimmon Hill Farm u-pick flowers. Where: 105 Persimmon Hill Ln., Cedar Grove Info: cedargroveblueberry.com

? Hawk Hill Berry Farm: U-pick berries are $4.50 per court, per the farm’s website. Where: 3009 Hawk Hill Farm Rd., Mebane Info: hawkhillberryfarm.com

? Minka Farm: Check their website for some tips on freezing your blueberries so they last all year. Where: 120 Minka Farm Ln., Efland Info: minkafarm.com

? Eno River Farm: Berries are priced at $3.95 per pound, per the farm’s website. Where: 2127 St. Marys Rd., Hillsborough Info: enoriverfarms.com

? Herndon Hills Farm: Bring your own berry-style bucket for $1 off, the website says. Where: 7110 Massey Chapel Rd., Durham Info: herndonhillsfarm.com

? Tailgate Farm: Their website says there are 12 different varieties to pick. Where: 2610 Olive Branch Rd., Durham Info: tailgatefarmnc.com

? Busy Bee Farm: The farm’s Facebook page shows that the U-Pick season has begun. Where: 1092 Dewitt Smith Rd, Pittsboro Info: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057479079024

? Farrells Creek Farm: Blueberries are $7 per pint, $14 per quart and $30 per gallon, per the website. Where: 1970 Martha’s Chapel Rd., Apex Info: farrellscreekfarm.com

? Creekside Farm: Products from this Johnston County farm can be found at the Clayton Farm & Community Market, the website says. Where: 300 Pine Tree Rd., Selma Info: creeksidefarmberries.com

? Ronnie’s Berry Farm: Berries are $4 per pound, the website says. Where: 18409 NC HWY 210, Angier Info: ronniesberryfarm.com

? Dr. Young’s Pond Berry Farm: This berry farm has been in operation since 1988. Where: 10865 NC-210, Angier Info: dryoungspondberryfarm.com

? Rabbit Ridge Nursery and Berry Farm: And pre-picked blueberry pints are buy one, get one 50% off, the website says. Where: 125 Lisa St., Coats Info: rabbitridgeberryfarm.com

Reporter Korie Dean contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 24, 2022, 9:05 AM.

Feb. 12. By Dave Yochum. A wife and husband team from Cornelius is spearheading an effort to preserve Cedar Grove, the historic home on Gilead Road which was once the center of a significant plantation.

Cornelius residents Abigail Jennings and Randolph Lewis have joined with the seventh-generation owner, Torrance Banks, to form Torrance Preserve LLC, with the mission “to preserve and share Cedar Grove and the surrounding properties.”

Partnership

The new partnership plans to fully restore and rehabilitate Cedar Grove and decorate the home in 19th-century style with original furnishings from the Torrance family along with curated antiques. Although the current intent is to keep the home as a private residence, they plan to open the home for tours, events and luxury accommodations.

In addition, they are working to connect the property with the surrounding historic properties to establish a history and nature destination. The project is expected to take around two years.

Nearly 250 years of history

Built of brick made on the Cedar Grove plantation by James Torrence—over the course of 250 years, the family name changes from Torance, to Torrence, to Torrance—the Greek Revival mansion is adjacent to the Hugh Torance House and Store.

Both sit on property purchased by James’ father Hugh Torance in 1779.

According to the Mecklenburg County Historic Landmarks Commission, Hugh Torance and his son James accumulated a “substantial tract of land and by 1840 owned over one hundred slaves; a concentration of wealth that was not common for this area.”

Honor all who contributed

“We especially want to tell the stories of all who contributed to Cedar Grove, and honor all hands that built this home and worked this land. There is something very special about being here that makes history come alive and humanizes the individuals that lived here.” said Jennings.

Jennings, the president of Cornelius-based Lake Norman Realty, said Cedar Grove is in very original condition which means a substantial investment is needed to preserve it and make it truly livable for the 21st century.

The vision

“When I met Torrance Banks and learned more about the rich history of the home and surrounding land, I thought, ‘if I could write the future for this amazing property, what would it be?’ Randolph and I started dreaming, and when we shared our thoughts with Torrance, he was very happy to be part of the next chapter for his family’s homeplace. His parents, Dick and Belle Banks, put their heart and soul into restoring the property, and we’re excited to continue their work to rehabilitate the property and share this important historic landmark with the greater community,” said Jennings.

Property details

The main parcel that includes the 1831 mansion is assessed at $357,800 by Mecklenburg County, but the restored value is incalculable.

The store parcel, assessed at $216,300, is also priceless in terms of history. A mercantile business was operated out of the building from 1805 until 1825, making it the oldest standing store in the state.

Cedar Grove sits on one acre, buffered by a 4-acre tract owned by the State, and flanked by Mecklenburg County-owned land to the north and south. The McDowell Creek Greenway and Carolina Thread trail are planned to run to the west of the property in the future. Torrence Preserve LLC hopes to establish partnerships with the State and County to connect Cedar Grove with the historic store and ruins surrounding the home to create an interpretative history and nature walking trail.

The National Register of Historic Places added two Orange County properties to its listings on Friday.

The Orange County Historic Preservation Commission announced both the Cedar Grove School and the Schley Grange Hall are now officially national historical sites. Both properties gained approval from the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and were nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer to achieve the feat.

Peter Sandbeck, who works as Orange County’s Cultural Resources Coordinator, said both landmarks have been protected well by community members through the years and credited their efforts to the properties earning this title.

“These historic structures were achieved through years of hard work, determination and perseverance on the part of the residents of their respective rural farming communities,” he said in the county’s release. “Their stories help tell the diverse history of the people of Orange County—our hard-working farm families, black and white, who sought better lives for their children.”

The Cedar Grove School, located off North Carolina Highway 86 in North Orange County, opened in 1951 as the first consolidated school to be built in the county for African American students. It was often used as a meeting spot for parents and the community to advocate for desegregation and was closed as a school in 1969 with the full integration of county schools. Beginning in 1980, the building housed Orange County’s Northern Human Services Center before undergoing renovation and reopening in 2016 as the Cedar Grove Community Center.

The Schley Grange Hall is a brick, Colonial-style building made in 1949 to replace the schoolhouse where members of Schley Grange No. 710 previously met. The group won the grand prize in a national competition sponsored by the Sears Roebuck Foundation and the National Grange to have it built. Today, the property continues to serve as a meeting place and recreation center for the agricultural community of Schley, which is north of Hillsborough.

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of buildings, structures, objects, sites and districts worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology and culture. These additions mean Orange County has 46 individual properties on the National Register, along with seven Historic Districts.

To view the full release from Orange County about the new national historic sites, visit the county’s website.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Among the trees and autumn leaves lies some of Charlotte’s richest history.

What You Need To Know

“It looks like it sunk, which is really unfortunate,” said Kevin Donaldson. “It needs to be repaired.”

It’s hard to believe, but a few weeks ago Donaldson was standing inside the Cedar Grove Cemetery.

The cemetery sits right across the street from University Park Elementary school, and buried there are influential African Americans from Charlotte, dating all the way back to the late 1800s.

“I see other cemeteries in the city that are very well kept,” he said. "I would love to see this one get back to that.” “I see other cemeteries in the city that are very well kept,” he said. "I would love to see this one get back to that.”

Donaldson is a UNC Charlotte graduate student studying public history.

“I’ve always been interested in history though … big, big fan,” he said.” Lot of history in South Carolina and Georgia in my family so a lot of things to keep up with there.”

Growing up in Charleston, he’s always seen the importance of cemeteries. So once he learned about Cedar Grove and the state it was in, he knew he had to do something.

“It was a shame to see neglect, really, and I know that a lot of families come out here and maintain their graves, but it takes a village really to get these places back to where they once were,” said Donaldson.

Donaldson learned about this cemetery through local historian and Professor Willie Griffin.

Griffin just recently found out about Cedar Grove and is hoping to share some of the history he knows to help Donaldson with this project.

“Looking at prominent headstones, you realize this was an important person, and so if you want to begin researching, you have to begin there,” said Griffin. “Who were the people in the community who were the movers and shakers.”

Along with Griffin, Donaldson is working with County Commissioner At-Large Pat Cotham to find descendants and soon begin the work of restoring this cemetery.

He knows it will be a lot of work, but it’s important work, not just for our community, but also for the many African Americans who lay at rest there.

“This is just as important as a museum,” said Donaldson. "It’s just as important as we revere in our society, and it really deserves to be kept up.”

Donaldson is hoping to talk to those who have loved ones buried in this cemetery.

If you are interested in reaching out, you can contact Donaldson here.

NEW BERN, Craven County — Two historical plaques are being placed in city cemeteries honoring at least a dozen African Americans who were disinterred from Cedar Grove Cemetery during the early 1900s.

In 2014, an article appeared in the New Bern Sun Journal newspaper recounting the story of several African Americans whose graves and remains were removed from Cedar Grove Cemetery in 1914 and re-interred in Greenwood Cemetery in order to make room for more whites. The article explained one of many laws that grew out of the Jim Crow era that banned African Americans from being buried at Cedar Grove.

The disinterred remains were taken to Greenwood Cemetery and buried in a mass grave near the entrance.

After the article appeared in the newspaper, a group of citizens led by Reverend Robert Johnson and Ben Watford approached the city with their concerns.

The City contacted Dr. Charles Ewen, Director of the Department of Anthropology at East Carolina University, and last March Dr. Ewen and a group of students from ECU’s Bioarchaeology Laboratory excavated the mass grave at Greenwood. They found only a few fractured bones and the remains were significantly commingled. Ben Watford and Reverend Johnson recommended the remains stay put at Greenwood.

Over several months, the City and the concerned citizens' group discussed ways to honor, restore respect, and bring dignity to these people which led to Saturday's planned placement of two historical plaques, to be installed near the entrances to both cemeteries.

“I would like to thank the City of New Bern and the Parks & Recreation Department for their assistance in making this project successful,” said Ben Watford. “The staff have shown such empathy for this situation and we are grateful for their help to bring this day forward.”

The ceremony will begin at 1:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s AME Zion Church on Queen Street, and then temporary plaques will be placed at each cemetery site.

“This is the right thing to do to bring closure to a devastating situation,” said Reverend Robert Johnson. “We can finally put this matter and these citizens to rest. Through this process, we become better citizens who truly care about people. We can help restore healing for those who’ve been hurt by this situation. I am so happy to be a part of this team. We are making history for New Bern and beyond.”

The final plaques are expected to be delivered and installed in mid-March.

“It is difficult to find words when a tragedy such as this occurs,” said Mayor Dana Outlaw. “What happened here out of indifference is now a place where all people can come together to mourn these New Bernians. It was our duty, as a City and a community, to make it right.”

All are welcome to attend Saturday’s events.