20061617 Ver 1_Other Agency Correspondence_20061215

Q~.-T' ~
CH:IRLES GORDON BROR'N
gb ro«n@b rounandbunch. com
V~9LLL4.'~f N BUNCH, III
bbunch@bro~~nandbunch.net
R1LLL411 D. BERNARD
«~be roa=d @ bro«nan dbu n ch. com
A. G1.\'N IR\TN °
vanninin@aoLcom
LE.~4\'N \E.~1SE BRORti
[e-mail]
SCOTT D. ZIMb1ERbUN
sz i m me rm an@ b ro~anand bunch.com
°Board Certified Specialist in Estate
Planning and Probate Law
BROWN & BUNCH, PLLC
ATTORI\'EYS A.\TD COUNSELORS AT LA~V
DL'RHAb1 OFFICE
21 REST COLDNY PLACE
SUITE 250
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA 27705
[phone]
FACSIElILE: [phone]
101 North Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
[phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
November 10, 2006
VIA TELECOPIER, [phone] AND REGULAR MAIL
Mr. Monte Matthews
Raleigh Regulatory
Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District
6508 Falls of Neuse
Raleigh, NC 27615
Field Office
.Road, Suite 1200
Re: Corps Action I.D. No. SAW-2005--20100-292
Dear Mr. Matthews:
RALEIGH OFFICE
4900 FALLS OF THE NEUSE ROAD, SUITE 210
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27609
[phone]
F.4CSIbIILE [phone]
~~~
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R9LEIGHEL'GliLATOgYFIELD OFFICE
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Our firm represents Gene Richardson and Clarence and Ruby
Richardson. We have received a copy of a Public Notice, Issue Date:
October 13, 2006, Corps Ac Lion I.D. Pdo. SALti'-2005-20100-292 regarding
Wendell Falls.
The Public Notice soli-cits comments from the public in order to
consider and evaluate the impacts of 14ende1l Fails. The notice
further indicates that comments will be used to assess impacts on
endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general
environmental effects and other public interest factors.
The Richardsons are in communication with the applicant, Mercury
Development. We hope that issues regarding their properties can be
resolved as a result of these communications. However, because our
discussions cannot be completed prior to the expiration of the comment
period, we wish to provide to you the followirq information regarding
the historic nature of the Richardson properties.
The Richardson Farm is a domestic and agricultural complex
situated at the intersection of Martin Pond Road and Richardson Road.
It is surrounded by woods and over_growrl fields. The farmhouse, which
is believed to date to circa 1870 is a one-s~ory frame dwelling of
Italianate and Victorian character. The house has a two-room-deep
center passage form with an e.tl, an asphalt--shingled gable roof with a.
large front gable, interi_or_ brick chi_~~:_r_e_ys, and a foundation of stone
piers wit'_-_ center block infil_. The fro)it entry has a transom ar_d
double leaf round arch class parlel doors. The entry and the tall 4/4
windows have decorative surrounds f=iat appear to have been inspired by
pattern book models of the time. Tile interior features plaster and

Mr. Monte Matthews
November 10, 2006
Page 2
lath walls and ceilings and retains several Greek/Gothic Revival
mantels with pilasters and peak friezes. In front and to one side of
the farmhouse, across what was formerly the course of Martin Pond
Road, is a one-story commissary of cut-mailed frame construction
indicating a late nineteenth century date. Behind the farmhouse is a
1944-era car shed and smokehouse of frame construction and to one side
is a group of tobacco barns built in the mid to late 1950s.
Richardson Cemetery stands across Richardson Road on a separate parcel
that is currently owned by Mercury Development and/or entities related
to Mercury Development. The yard area around the farmhouse has
several historic plantings and includes old cedars and a pecan tree.
The Richardson Farm is associated with Dr. William E. Richardson
who was a late 19th century business and political leader in the area
that is now encompassed by Wendell Falls. Dr. William Richardson
(1848-1895) established the Richardson Farm on what was part of the
Shotwell Plantation, Richardson's birthplace. Dr. Richardson enlisted
to fight in the Civil War at the age of 15 and was assigned to the
62nd Georgia Calvary, which became the 16th Battalion North Carolina
Calvary. By the end of the war, he had risen to the rank of First
Sergeant. Shortly after the war, at age 17, Dr. Richardson enrolled
in the University of Pennsylvania Medical School.
Dr. Richardson married Verona Curtis Hood in 1867. After
Verona's death in 1881, he married Missouri Whitley. He served in the
North Carolina General Assembly in 1879. According to his obituary,
he was the only Democrat elected on the ticket that year. Dr.
Richardson focused most of his attention on agricultural pursuits
although he also owned a cotton gin that stood across from Richardson
Road from his house. In fact, an accident in the cotton gin resulted
in his untimely death.
After Dr. Richardson's death, his son, William E. Richardson, and
later his grandson, Clarence E. Richardson, continued the operation of
the farm. Cotton was the principal crop until the boll weevil
infestation of the 1920s after which tobacco became the main crop.
After the death of William E. Richardson in 1963, a 150-acre portion
of the farm continued to be operated by Clarence E. Richardson until
his retirement in 1985. Dr. Richardson's great grandson, Donald E.
Richardson, operated the farm until 2000. Gene Richardson acquired
the portion of the farm that includes the 1870s era house, the store
and the car shed/smokehouse for the purpose of maintaining and
rehabilitating it. Clarence and Ruby Richardson still live on
property that is part of the farm.
The Richardson Road alignment proposed as part of the Wendell
Falls Development will require that the Richardson farmhouse and
buildings associated with it either be relocated or destroyed.

Mr. Monte Matthews
November 10, 2006
Page 3
Because these properties may be of historic importance, we feel we
should provide this information to the Corps of Engineers. Mercury
Development is aware of the historic nature of these properties and
has expressed an interest in exploring with the Richardsons possible
alternatives to preserve the historic farmhouse and the cemetery. It
remains our hope that working together with Mercury Development,
solutions to the impact on these historic properties can be found.
However, in the event that solutions are not forthcoming, we felt that
this information should be provided to the Corps of Engineers for its
consideration. In the event that a solution is not found, we would
ask that you also consider this letter a request for public hearing to
~iJ~.uJJ l.hC .ll L.~avt ~~n th~a~ ~_ ~a="~t _. -, .., If the partl_eS f1.nC1 cn
appropriate solution to resolve phis aspect of the development's
impact, we will notify you immediately.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
BROWN & BUNCH, PLLC
LeAnn Nease Brown
LNB/mjl
12924\01\1\008Matthews
cc: Timothy C. Burgess, Wendell Town Manager
Greg Ferguson, Mercury Development
Gene Richardson