Morrisville Town Center Plan - 2007

Threads of the Morrisville Story

Morrisville lies at a historical crossroads. A number of different themes run through the history of the town. A series of motifs have been developed for the Town Center Plan, with each motif symbolizing a different thread in the Morrisville story. Each chapter of the plan features a different motif.

The star motif is drawn from the wrought iron fence that encircles the Page Family Cemetery on the property of the First Baptist Church. It symbolizes the rich family history of the town, with a number of families having a longstanding presence in the community, both in the area around the historic crossroads and in the Shiloh community to the north. The train tracks represent Morrisville’s emergence as a railroad town and its connections to the region and the outside world, which have only grown with its proximity to additional transportation improvements including Interstate 40, Interstate 540, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The cannon symbolizes Morrisville’s role in the Civil War. The town was the site of the last cavalry charge of the war on April 13, 1865. It was also the location where a request for peace was probably first tendered by General Johnston to General Sherman that led to the largest troop surrender of the war and the beginning of a return to normal life for soldiers and civilians. The scrollwork, a motif visible on a number of historic homes in Morrisville, ischaracteristicof thevernacular Italianatearchitecture in vogue during the late 19th century. The scrollwork symbolizes the post-Civil War economic resurgence that enabled some Morrisville residents to indulge in architectural ornamentation to demonstrate their growing prosperity. The church steeple motif is drawn from the old Christian Church. It symbolizes Morrisville’s religious history and its significance to the community, with houses of worship serving as important institutions in the life of the town. The mill building doors symbolize Morrisville’s participation in the textile industry. In the early 20th century, Samuel Horne ran a knitting mill on the site of the current day Ruritan Park. Unfortunately, the mill burned down in the 1930s, but a number of mill houses remain and are still being used today as residences.

│ Town Center Plan

January 2007