Site X and the Salmon Creek Natural Area

In eastern North Carolina’s Bertie County lies a remarkable piece of land where history and nature intertwine in unexpected ways. The nearly 1,292-acre Salmon Creek Natural Area not only serves as a haven for wildlife but may also hold clues to one of America’s most enduring mysteries – the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. Through an extraordinary effort led by North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, this treasured landscape is protected now and for future generations.

A Special Place

The Salmon Creek State Natural Area overlooks the confluence of the Chowan River, Salmon Creek, and the Albemarle Sound, providing sweeping views of the water and features several diverse landscapes. The property boasts three-and-a-half miles of water frontage along Salmon Creek and has been recognized by the NC Natural Heritage Program for its ecological significance. Bald eagles soar overhead, wood ducks paddle along the creek, and prothonotary warblers flit through the trees, making this land a paradise for wildlife.

In addition to the ecological significance of the property, its location holds strategic importance as well – three training routes for F-15s from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base converge in the skies above. This made protecting the land from residential development and wind turbines crucial for maintaining military readiness.

Historical Significance

Historical records tell us that the Salmon Creek State Natural Area was once owned by Thomas Pollock the colonial governor from 1712 to 1714. Going back further in time, archaeological evidence and generations of oral histories that long before colonial days, the area was home to different Native American tribes. Then, in 2005, archaeological surveys conducted by the James River Institute of Archaeology on a 4-acre parcel along Albemarle Sound produced an intriguing and exciting discovery. Alongside Native American artifacts, the James River Institute found early English pottery and other items that predated the known colonial occupation of the property. These 4 acres are now known as “Site X.”

Photos left and center: an excavation site and Algonquian paint pot courtesy of the First Colony Foundation.

A Connection to the Lost Colony?

The archaeological findings at Site X took on new significance when viewed alongside historical records. The English pottery discovered was of a specific type manufactured only from the mid-16th until the late 17th centuries, known as Surry-Hampshire Border ware, and only found at two other sites in North America: Roanoke Island and Jamestown. Archaeologists also uncovered other telling artifacts: a three-inch aglet (a cover for a 16th-century shoelace), a distinctive type of flintlock called a Snaphaunce Firing Pan, and pieces of North Devon plain baluster jars used for preserving food during sea voyages. These discoveries hinted at an unexpected possibility – could Site X be connected to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

To understand the significance of these discoveries, we must step back to 1587, when Sir Walter Raleigh, acting under a royal patent from Queen Elizabeth I, sponsored what would later become known as the Lost Colony. Led by John White, 117 English settlers – including men, women, and children – set sail with plans to establish a permanent settlement in the Chesapeake Bay region. Among them were White’s pregnant daughter, Eleanor, and her husband, Ananias Dare.

Though intended for the Chesapeake, the colonists were forced to stop at Roanoke Island when their ship’s captain refused to sail further. Arriving too late in the growing season to plant crops and with dwindling supplies, the colonists convinced White to return to England for provisions. What should have been a brief journey stretched into three years as war between England and Spain prevented White’s return. When he finally made it back to Roanoke Island in 1590, he found the settlement abandoned. The only clues were the words “CROATOAN” carved into a fence post and “CRO” carved into a tree.

Despite numerous search attempts, including by Jamestown settlers two decades later, the fate of the Lost Colony remained a mystery. White believed the colonists might have relocated to “Croatoan Island” (now Hatteras Island), but a hurricane prevented him from searching there.

A Hidden Secret

The plot thickened when the First Colony Foundation examined John White’s 1586 map “La Virginea Pars.” White, who would later become governor of the Lost Colony, created this map during earlier expeditions to the region. The map contained two patches, and when British Museum experts examined them using X-ray spectroscopy and other light imaging technology, they made a stunning discovery. Under one patch was a hidden symbol for a fort, located at Site X.

This revelation aligned with White’s written testimony that before he departed the colony in 1587, the settlers had discussed moving “50 miles into the maine.” Site X lies 55 miles from Roanoke Island, and its location near the Chowanoke people would have made it an ideal refuge for the struggling colonists. With this archaeological, historical, and cartographic evidence, the First Colony Foundation postulates that a splinter group of the Lost Colonists ended up and stayed at Site X for an unknown period of time.

Used with permission from the Trustees of the British Museum.

Coastal Land Trust Visits the Property

When Coastal Land Trust staff first visited what is now the Salmon Creek State Natural Area in July 2016, they immediately recognized its extraordinary potential. The property owners had originally planned for a residential development with a marina, but the economic downturn of 2007 put those plans on hold. A decade later, there was an opportunity to protect this special place—forever.

The Coastal Land Trust quickly assembled a coalition of partners. The NC Natural Heritage Program advocated for protecting the mature cypress-gum swamp and bottomland hardwood forests. Seymour Johnson Air Force Base recognized the property’s strategic importance to its training missions. The NC Division of Parks and Recreation leadership envisioned a new State Natural Area that would complement Bertie County’s ecotourism efforts. Local government officials saw the potential economic benefits for their community.

Photos left and right: excavation sites courtesy of the First Colony Foundation.

Taking Action

The significance and urgent timeline of the Salmon Creek project inspired the Coastal Land Trust to take unprecedented action. For the first time in its history, the organization decided to take out a loan to purchase 997 acres of the property, which included the 4-acre Site X, rather than wait for all funding to be secured – a bold move that required careful consideration and strong partnerships.

The strategy proved successful. In July 2017, the North Carolina General Assembly approved legislation establishing the new Salmon Creek State Natural Area. By August, the Coastal Land Trust had purchased the property. Through a combination of military partnerships, private donations, and grants, the organization was able to pay off the loan early and transfer the property to State Parks in November 2018. The Coastal Land Trust hosted an on-site Dedication of the Salmon Creek State Natural Area in March 2019.

In July 2020, the Coastal Land Trust was successful in obtaining federal and state grant funding to purchase the adjoining 297-acre Bal Gra Harbor tract along the Chowan River. The Coastal Land Trust then transferred that property to State Parks to expand the Salmon Creek Natural Area to nearly 1,300 acres.

The impact of this conservation effort does not end with these two projects. Immediately to the north of the Salmon Creek State Natural Area is a 137-acre property known locally as the Tall Glass of Water. Bertie County purchased the property and operates it as a park complete with trails and 2,200 feet of linear shoreline overlooking the Albemarle Sound where the Chowan River begins. Taken together, the Salmon Creek State Natural Area and Tall Glass of Water protected 1,429 acres.

To be a part of saving more lands like these for the future, donate online today!

This project was made possible thanks to a loan from The Conservation Fund and grants from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act program, the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program through the United States Air Force, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and the Attorney General’s Environmental Enhancement Grant Fund.