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The McCoy Family’s Legacy of Land and Water Protection
For over 250 years, the McCoy family has cared for the land surrounding Gar Creek and Mountain Island Lake, ensuring its forests and waters remain unspoiled. Their commitment continues with the Joseph Bennett McCoy Preserve, a newly protected 60-acre property adjacent to Gar Creek Nature Preserve in Mecklenburg County.
This generous donation from Tom, Sally, and Robin McCoy nearly doubles the conserved area along Gar Creek, a key tributary of Mountain Island Lake, which provides drinking water for over one million people in the Charlotte region. By permanently protecting this land, the McCoy family is ensuring clean water and healthy ecosystems for generations.
A Legacy of Stewardship
The preserve includes 45 acres of the original McCoy Centennial Farm, one of Mecklenburg County’s oldest working farms, plus 15 acres purchased by the McCoys’ grandfather. Their family first settled along Gar Creek in 1768, farming and protecting this land for over two centuries.
Though transferring ownership was bittersweet, Tom McCoy reflected on the decision:
“Beaty and Margaret Alexander McCoy came down the old wagon road from Cecil County, Maryland to land straddling Gar Creek in northern Mecklenburg County in 1768. The McCoys were the first, and so far only, Europeans to settle on and work the land. Although it is sad to see ownership pass from the family, it is a joy to see it fall into the loving arms of Catawba Land Conservancy.”
Protecting Water for the Future
Gar Creek is a crucial part of the Mountain Island Lake watershed, naturally filtering stormwater and helping to ensure clean drinking water. Thanks to the McCoy family’s generosity, these lands will remain a natural water protector forever.
To support conservation efforts like the Joseph Bennett McCoy Preserve, make a donation today.
GO BACK TO THE CONSERVATION STRATEGY
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GAR CREEK CONSERVATION AREA:
221 Acres Protected in Last Week of 2023 – December 2023 – https://catawbalands.org/end-of-year-conservation-projects-protect-223-acres/
Catawba Lands Conservancy protects 60 acres in Mountain Island Lake watershed – May 2020 – https://catawbalands.org/catawba-lands-conservancy-protects-60-acres-in-mountain-island-lake-watershed/
Explore the Joseph Bennett McCoy Preserve