Sally Murphy: Cowan Farm

With the protection of the Cowan-Wagoner House, which was built circa 1810, The LandTrust has now protected three of the oldest properties in Rowan County. The other two properties are the Alexander Long House, built around 1783, and the Michael Braun House, built around 1766.

The historic Cowan-Wagoner farm and frontier property was received by John Cowan in 1774. Sally Murphy now owns the 121 acres around the Cowan-Wagoner House, where she grew up and still lives today. The historical importance and her strong family ties to the land led her to place a conservation easement on this significant property.

The Cowan farm is nestled in an important area where a lot of exciting conservation activities are occurring. This property nearly borders the Kannapolis Lands Project, which the LandTrust and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are acquiring. The farm is also within several miles of other farms protected by The LandTrust. In addition, the Piedmont Research Station is just two miles west of it.

This beautiful farm was recognized by Land and Farm Magazine as one of the outstanding properties of Rowan County. The importance of this land is also evident by how highly the property ranked on our Land Protection Criteria, which indicates its high conservation value. The LandTrust has been working with Ms. Murphy since 2002, and she continues to be a strong voice for land and water conservation in her local community.