Latta Place
Latta Place is a 16-acre historic site in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Latta Place occupies about 16 acres within Latta Nature Preserve on Mountain Island Lake. Before Latta Place was closed in 2021, it was a circa-1800 living history museum and farm that gave visitors glimpses into 19th century life in the Carolina backcountry. Throughout history, the land was lived on by Indigenous tribes, more than 65 enslaved men, women and children, and colonial and post-colonial landowners.
Latta Place is a historic and cultural resource site managed by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. Since closing the site, the County has embarked on a thoughtful and community-driven process to create a new chapter for Latta Place. It will serve as a key place in Mecklenburg County for identifying and addressing the legacies of a plantation economy, as well as a place for healing and retrospection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mecklenburg County owns the 16-acre site, which sits in the Latta Nature Preserve in on Mountain Island Lake. From the 1970s to 2021, the County contracted with a vendor to operate the museum and farm.
In June 2021, an event not in line with Mecklenburg County program standards and values was planned for the museum. The event was canceled, and Mecklenburg County opted not to renew its contract with the managing nonprofit, Historic Latta Inc.
The change in management presented Mecklenburg County with an opportunity to revisit the site's past, reimagine its future and tell a more complete story. Since the 2021 closure, Mecklenburg County and a group of diverse, dedicated residents have embarked on a thoughtful process to reopen the site.
The goal is to share Latta Place’s complex and painful history in an honest, sensitive and unbiased way, so all who seek knowledge and understanding might learn from the past, and work toward a more transparent and united future.
In February 2022, the site previously known as Historic Latta Plantation was renamed Latta Place to reflect the historic name of the property when it was owned by James Latta circa 1800.
In March 2025, Mecklenburg County shared with the community the final design concept for Latta Place.
The design concept features a new interpretive trail, a new visitor center and updates to the plantation farmstead that will uncover the entangled stories of the people and cultures that shaped Latta Place and its natural environment, including enslaved people, Indigenous people, tenant farmers, artisans, historic landowners and more recent stewards.
More information about the design, including conceptual renderings and illustrations can be found at PublicInput.com/HistoricLatta.
Mecklenburg County anticipates Latta Place will reopen to the public in 2026. As with all construction projects, some delays may occur.
Community engagement has been a top priority throughout the project. In addition to the resident-focused Latta Partners Steering Committee, whose members have informed every step of the redevelopment, Mecklenburg County has regularly engaged with the public through surveys, community events, an active webpage for project updates and feedback, presentations and updates to the Board of County Commissioners, and more.
Project Milestones
| Historic Latta Reimagined Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Date | Milestone |
| June 2021 | Historic Latta Place closes and the redevelopment process begins. |
| August 2021 | The Latta Partners Steering Committee, comprising Mecklenburg County staff, local historians, scholars, museum professionals, natural resources experts, community leaders, descendants and others, forms to guide the future of Latta Place. |
| September 2021 to October 2022 | Mecklenburg County administers two surveys, a community-wide survey and a statistically valid survey, to understand community values, knowledge and perceptions about Latta Place. An ongoing project survey is opened. |
| June 2022 | The Design Minds, an interpretive planning and exhibit design firm, is hired to develop an Interpretive Master Plan for Latta Place. |
| February 2023 | The County releases initial Interpretive Master Plan exhibit and design ideas to the public for feedback. These options set a vision but are not final. |
| February to April 2023 | The County hosts community listening sessions to gather input on the unfinished Interpretive Master Plan and the vision it will set. The ongoing project survey continues. |
| May to June 2023 | The Interpretive Master Plan is presented to the Latta Partners Steering Committee, finalized and released to the public. |
| July to November 2023 | The County seeks to hire a design services consultant and issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to call for qualified firms to apply. |
| December 2023 | Landscape architecture and planning firm Agency Landscape + Planning is selected as lead design consultant, with subconsultant services from Kimley-Horn, McIntosh Poris Architects, Perkins&Wills, and The Design Minds. |
| February 2024 | The concept design phase begins, and an architectural assessment is performed on historic structures. |
| April to May 2024 | The County hosts a Community Grounding Event and launches a complementary survey online to gather public feedback that will advance the site design process. |
| June to July 2024 | The concept design phase concludes, and an archeological and cultural landscape assessment begins. |
| September 2024 | The archeological and cultural landscape assessment concludes, and the schematic design phase begins. |
| October to December 2024 | The Arts and Science Council (ASC) issues an RFQ calling for applications from qualified artists interested in creating artwork at Latta Place that honors the experiences of enslaved people and their families. The County issues an RFQ for construction management at risk services. |
| January 2025 | The County selects Elford Inc. for construction management at risk services to work in conjunction with County staff and design consultants. |
| February 2025 | ASC, in partnership with the County, begins selection process for artist and Latta Place artwork. |
| March 2025 | Schematic design phase concludes and County hosts Latta Place Community Meeting to reveal final project design. |
| Early to Late 2025 (Subject to Change) | Construction documentation and permitting process. |
| Late 2025 (Subject to Change) | Anticipated groundbreaking and start of construction. |
| 2026 (Subject to Change) | Anticipated reopening of Latta Place. |
