Lake James
Encyclopedia
Lake James is a large reservoir
in the mountains of Western North Carolina
which straddles the border between Burke and McDowell Counties. It is named for tobacco
tycoon and benefactor of Duke University
, James Buchanan Duke
. The lake lies behind a series of 4 earthen dam
s, and was created by Duke Power
between 1916-1923 as a hydro-electric project. It still generates power today, and is the uppermost lake on the Catawba River
system.
In 1999, several bald eagle
s were found nesting in trees on the northeastern shore of Lake James, stopping housing development in their vicinity. A small species of jellyfish
also lives in its waters.
1780 and Old Wildlife Club can only have 1 home per 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Roughly 72 miles (115.9 km) of the 150 miles (241.4 km) of shoreline will never be developed. These developments include Black Forest, Dry Creek, 1780 and Old Wildlife Club. Black Forest is 600 acres (2.4 km²) and could have included 1200 homesites, but has only 54. Dry Creek is around 400 acres (1.6 km²) and was supposed to have 600 homesites, but has only 64.
1780 and Old Wildlife Club are unique communities in that they do not have a minimum square foot requirement for homes built. They do not allow homes over 6000 square feet (557.4 m²). Only natural or natural looking materials are allowed. No brick, stucco, or vinyl allowed. The two communities do not allow clear cutting to the water, but do allow the owners to limb up trees to get a view. This ensures that the lake will continue to look natural and beautiful to both residents and boaters.
All waterfront lots in 1780 and Old Wildlife Club have a minimum of 200 feet (61 m) of waterfront. Some lots have over half a mile of shoreline. Lots range in size between 1 to 8 acres (32,374.9 m²). Larger lots can have family compounds, meaning multiple cottages (up to 3) can be built if the topography allows for it.
is located on the lake's southern shore. Crescent Resources worked with the State of North Carolina and Foothills Conservancy of NC in 2004 to expand the state park, adding 3000 acres (12.1 km²) to the park's original 605 acres (2.4 km²). This now represents North Carolina's largest waterfront State Park. http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.php
Meetings of many of the Lake James area's housing associations are held at nearby Saint Paul's Episcopal Church.
In 1992 Lake James was a filming site for the Daniel Day-Lewis
movie The Last of the Mohicans
, where it doubled as Lake George
, New York
and a replica of Fort William Henry
was constructed.
In the fall of 2006, the first of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of new pathways on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT) was certified by the National Park Service. The trail, which received its historic designation from President Jimmy Carter in 1980, commemorates the march of the “Overmountain Men,” a patriot militia who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings mountain during the Revolutionary War. The new section of the trail runs through the 1780 community, which is named after the year the militia marched through the Lake James area. Plans have been discussed to connect the OVNHT to the Mountains to the Sea Trail.
Unlike the smaller Lake Tahoma
in Marion
, Lake James allows jet skis, and encourages fishing and camping in designated areas.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in the mountains of Western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
which straddles the border between Burke and McDowell Counties. It is named for tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
tycoon and benefactor of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke was a U.S. tobacco and electric power industrialist best known for his involvement with Duke University.-Personal life:...
. The lake lies behind a series of 4 earthen dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s, and was created by Duke Power
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
between 1916-1923 as a hydro-electric project. It still generates power today, and is the uppermost lake on the Catawba River
Catawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...
system.
Development
Lake James contains 10.2 square miles (26.4 km²) of surface area and more than 150 miles (241.4 km) of shoreline. Housing development on the lake has been considerable since the 1980s, and is concentrated on its southern and eastern shores. Most of the non-developed area around Lake James is owned by Crescent Resources, Inc., a joint venture between Duke Energy and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund.In 1999, several bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s were found nesting in trees on the northeastern shore of Lake James, stopping housing development in their vicinity. A small species of jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
also lives in its waters.
1780 and Old Wildlife Club can only have 1 home per 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Roughly 72 miles (115.9 km) of the 150 miles (241.4 km) of shoreline will never be developed. These developments include Black Forest, Dry Creek, 1780 and Old Wildlife Club. Black Forest is 600 acres (2.4 km²) and could have included 1200 homesites, but has only 54. Dry Creek is around 400 acres (1.6 km²) and was supposed to have 600 homesites, but has only 64.
1780 and Old Wildlife Club are unique communities in that they do not have a minimum square foot requirement for homes built. They do not allow homes over 6000 square feet (557.4 m²). Only natural or natural looking materials are allowed. No brick, stucco, or vinyl allowed. The two communities do not allow clear cutting to the water, but do allow the owners to limb up trees to get a view. This ensures that the lake will continue to look natural and beautiful to both residents and boaters.
All waterfront lots in 1780 and Old Wildlife Club have a minimum of 200 feet (61 m) of waterfront. Some lots have over half a mile of shoreline. Lots range in size between 1 to 8 acres (32,374.9 m²). Larger lots can have family compounds, meaning multiple cottages (up to 3) can be built if the topography allows for it.
Attractions
Lake James State ParkLake James State Park
Lake James State Park is a North Carolina state park in Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Nebo, North Carolina, it covers 565 acres and borders the southern end of the Lake James with a shoreline....
is located on the lake's southern shore. Crescent Resources worked with the State of North Carolina and Foothills Conservancy of NC in 2004 to expand the state park, adding 3000 acres (12.1 km²) to the park's original 605 acres (2.4 km²). This now represents North Carolina's largest waterfront State Park. http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.php
Meetings of many of the Lake James area's housing associations are held at nearby Saint Paul's Episcopal Church.
In 1992 Lake James was a filming site for the Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
movie The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation...
, where it doubled as Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and a replica of Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
was constructed.
In the fall of 2006, the first of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of new pathways on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT) was certified by the National Park Service. The trail, which received its historic designation from President Jimmy Carter in 1980, commemorates the march of the “Overmountain Men,” a patriot militia who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings mountain during the Revolutionary War. The new section of the trail runs through the 1780 community, which is named after the year the militia marched through the Lake James area. Plans have been discussed to connect the OVNHT to the Mountains to the Sea Trail.
Unlike the smaller Lake Tahoma
Lake Tahoma
Lake Tahoma is a private lake in the mountains of Western North Carolina, United States, in McDowell County fed from the waters of Buck Creek, located about 5 miles from downtown Marion. Lake Tahoma is a private lake in which there is a ban on speedboats and jetskis.There is a local legend about a...
in Marion
Marion, North Carolina
Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,943 at the 2008 estimated census. It is the county seat of McDowell County.-Geography:Marion is located at ....
, Lake James allows jet skis, and encourages fishing and camping in designated areas.