The Town of Franklinville, located in Randolph County, is making a $10,000 revitalization grant from Central Park NC go a long way. Town Commissioner Perry Conner planned and is overseeing the projects, which include purchasing a very small parcel of land and extending the Deep River Rail Trail, building a paddle access on the Deep River in the Town Park, installing steps that allow walkers on the rail trail to get down to river where they can see a Native American fish weir. “It’s somewhere between a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand years old — hard to tell because it was constructed by moving river stones around,” said Conner.

The Deep River Rail Trail runs alongside the river through a sustainable residential development called Living Well Community. With the funds, Franklinville is also installing three disc golf stations in the town’s riverside park and planting a memorial tree. Franklinville’s grant was part of Central Park NC’s Rural Community Development Initiative, funded by USDA Rural Development.