GOLD HILL — The foundation which oversees Gold Hill Mines Historic Park has completed renovation of its historic powder house and is moving forward on expansion of its Russell-Rufty shelter.
The Historic Gold Hill & Mines Foundation also continues to raise money and donations to fulfill its dream of restoring the mining office in the Gold Hill village that flourished in eastern Rowan County in the 1800s and early 1900s.
On Saturday, the foundation will sponsor an Oyster Roast at the Park, from 5 to 7 p.m. A few tickets are still available, though Vivian Hopkins, the foundation’s secretary, said organizers expect to pass last year’s 500-ticket total.
The $25 tickets include oyster, flounder, clam chowder, slaw, French fries and hush puppies. For tickets, call Foundation President Edwin Hammill, at 704-279-5047, or Vice President Bob Drew, at 704-279-7117.
The foundation held its annual meeting in February and took note of the Powder House renovation project. The work took 1 12 years, but with private donations, the foundation was able to stabilize and restore one of only two original structures still standing.
Hopkins said the Powder House was built into the side of a hill around 1844 or ’45.
The next project — expansion of the park shelter — already is underway and could be finished by late April, Brad Earnhardt wrote recently in The Gold Hill Miner newsletter. The foundation has hired Tom Webb Construction to enclose the outside covered area, which now seats 75 to 80.
Once complete, the shelter should offer 1,200 square feet of enclosed space, enough to accommodate 100 to 150 people, Hopkins said. She said the foundation is responding to tremendous demand from the community for weddings and other events.
Sonja Taylor, a new volunteer, is now serving as shelter director.
She replaces Ervin McCulloch, who retired last year. Hopkins praised McCulloch, a retired Rowan-Cabarrus Community College teacher who has offered his time and skills since the foundation was created 11 years ago.
Hopkins said McCulloch did all the electrical work on the park when it first opened.
In the newsletter, Hopkins said McCulloch “donated countless hours managing shelter rentals, being available at all hours, and maintaining the shelter itself.”
The foundation has several future projects on its list, including:
- Restoring the Chilean Ore Mill. The mill, complete with mining apparatus, had been moved from the mining village to Horizons Unlimited educational center in Salisbury.
The center had never been able to do anything with the ore mill, and the foundation brought it back to the park for future restoration.
- Construction of another covered shelter with picnic tables near the park’s
ballfield.
At the foundation’s annual meeting, the board elected Teresa Earnhardt, Phil Cline, Gary Russell, Guy Medlin and John Drew to the board. Earnhardt also was named the foundation treasurer.
Other members of the board are Bob Drew, Brad Earnhardt, Edwin Hammill, Jerry Hammill, Betty Lou Leonard, Charles Miller, Charles Newsome, Gary Russell, Tom Small, Mike Vanhoy and Hopkins.
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