By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
Dunn’s Mountain Park will host a dedication and celebration on June 21 for the Charles D. “Chuck” Barringer Blacksmith Shop.
Months in the planning and construction phase by Boy Scouts, the shop honors Barringer, a longtime Scout leader. He died in November 2006 after a fall from a ladder while he was working at his church, Shiloh United Methodist Church in Granite Quarry.
Retired from F&M Bank, he spent more than 50 years in Scouting and spearheaded efforts to build the East Rowan YMCA.
The dedication is at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Dozens of invitations have gone out to family members, officials and friends of the parks system. The event is open to the public, and park officials hope to draw a big crowd.The event will be more than a ribbon-cutting and a few speeches.
Plans include having a working forage with blacksmiths demonstrating their skills, according to Don Bringle, parks director.
Dozens of members of the Barringer family who are having a reunion/homecoming on that weekend are expected to attend.
Bringle said some members of the extended family have indicated they will be making additional donations of blacksmith equipment or items which were part of the Barringer shop.
While the dedication is late in the afternoon, park officials invite the public to come early and check out the mountain and the view from the top.
The park, which opened November 2006, is now open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Sunday, the park is open from 12:30 to 8 p.m.
Transportation is provided on Saturday and Sunday only.
Special arrangements can be made for groups wanting to visit the park Wednesday through Friday by calling 704-216-7818.
The newest of the county’s five parks, Dunn’s Mountain welcomes around 75 to 100 visitors on the weekend.
Dunn’s Mountain is the second-highest spot in the county, with an elevation of 1,008 feet, according to the county’s Geographic Information Systems. Young’s Mountain, near Cleveland, is the highest, at 1,090 feet.
The 82-acre park is funded entirely through grants and private donations, a $250,000 grant from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and $250,000 from the Stanback family of Salisbury.
Officially, it’s Dunn’s Mountain Nature & History Preserve at 1740 Dunn’s Mountain Road.
Creating the park was the last venture of Jim Foltz, the county’s longtime parks director. He worked to mesh the mountain’s history and its spectacular view from the top while preserving wildlife and vegetation.