A new 85-acre park will be opening outside Leesburg, Virginia, after the land was donated Wednesday to the Nova Parks system.
Now deemed Cattail Regional Park, the land changed hands from Henry Harris and the Harris family to the park system.
In addition to forests, fields, wetlands and upland bogs — the acreage also holds historic significance.
During the Civil War, fortifications were created along the road at the farm. In the 1960s during segregation, the Harris family allowed local Black children to use their pool and learn to swim.
It was also home to a famous bed and breakfast during the American revolution.
“Parkland is one of our most valued public assets. I would like to thank the Harris family for this remarkable gift. Their contributions to our community run very deep,” Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall said in a statement.
“And I would like to thank NOVA Parks for their continued push to expand parkland, having added nearly 1,000 acres of new parkland in Loudoun County in the last decade! This new park will serve the public for generations to come,” Randall said.
Nova Parks system is planning a new trail network and interpretive signs about its unique features on the property.
No details are available yet regarding the park’s exact opening date.
