Located just north of Charlotte’s busy city center is a historic and cultural site bursting with over 250 years of rich history. Each year families, school groups and event attendees fill Historic Rural Hill, hiking on its extensive trail route and touring the 18th century farm. Adults enjoy the scenic surroundings and cultural center, while kids are transported into a different era where they can learn what attending school would have been like. Educational tours such as “Light and Heat in the Eighteenth Century” give students a hands-on approach to science while making “fire cakes” out of the simple materials militiamen had on hand gives insight into early American life.
The farm relies on community events such as North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival, Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games and the Sheepdog Trials to stay open to the public and provide low cost field trips. This summer’s record drought caused them to cancel the majority of their top revenue maker: The Amazing Maize Maze. With September weekends and all night mazes canceled due to the drought along with two October weekends ironically canceled due to heavy rains, Rural Hill entered the new year with a lot of uncertainty.
How you can help
Luckily the surrounding communities who rely on Rural Hill as a field trip and family outing destination have pledged to help in their time of need. A GoFundMe page has been set up on the historic site’s behalf with the goal of raising $100,000, the amount needed for Rural Hill to remain in operation. As of January 24 they are almost halfway to their goal with donations totaling $46,199.
Please consider donating to Rural Hill so that families and children can learn and enjoy the farm for years to come. Your tax-deductible donation will go directly to Rural Hill (a 501-c3 non-profit organization) to help them recover from a devastating year. Click the image below to be taken to the GoFundMe page.
