Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Environment Fifty three acres in land trust
Posted by Gabe Webb on Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 3:45 PM
Oliver Blair Daugherty owned 53 acres on the White River, near Keystone at the Crossing. An undeveloped rose — in Daugherty's family since the 1800s — among the thorns of concrete, parking lots and urban sprawl, Daugherty rejected numerous offers from potential buyers of his property.
Daugherty, who shied away from the public eye, had a simple wish for his land. In an interview with Indy Parks' Jeff Kollath in 2003, he said, "I'd like to see what's here stay here." Now, the land will be protected forever.
The land has been given to the Central Indiana Land Trust (www.conservingindiana.org), a nonprofit dedicated to conservation, and it will become Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve. The property's acreage includes a mix of woods, restored prairie and nearly a mile of riverbanks. The land also includes Daugherty's house, built as a Dutch Colonial in the 1800s, with some more contemporary additions. The home will become the Land Trust's headquarters.
According to the Land Trust's website, the preserve will not open to the public until 2011, pending the completion of the transaction. However, some parts of the land are currently in easement with the city and serve as parts of the Town Run Park mountain bike trials. The Land Trust says plenty of events will allow the public to see the land.
A public celebration, including tours of the property, will be held on June 12 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Daugherty House, 8825 River Rd. For those interested, RSVP to info@conservingindiana.org or call 317-631-5263 by June 7. Parking on-site is limited, so guests are asked to park on the second and third levels of the garage at 3925 River Crossing Parkway. A shuttle will be running to the site.
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