Community Profile


Many Hands Worked Together to Create
'Most Unique Park in the United States'

Jim Foltz loves his job. Absolutely loves it. You can tell it in his voice, by the expression on his face, by the way he walks around Dan Nicholas Park, describing what’s new and what’s still to come at this 450-acre park in eastern Rowan County.

Foltz is executive director of the Rowan County Parks and Recreation Department. Along with Dan Nicholas Park, he oversees Baker’s Creek Park in Kannapolis, Sloan Park in Mount Ulla and Ellis Park in Salisbury.

They’re all unique, he points out, but Dan Nicholas Park is the largest — and the most visited by far. Foltz estimates that more than 800,000 people visit Dan Nicholas Park each year. Special events such as the Easter Egg Hunt draw thousands of visitors. Autumn Jubilee brings more than 50,000 visitors to the park over two days in October.

Foltz’s focus remains on the youngest visitors. “That’s our philosophy,” he says. “Keep the little kids happy, and everyone else will look after themselves. We have something for all ages. We work at that.”

Foltz has been with Dan Nicholas Park since its inception in the 1960s. Dan and Murtis Nicholas had visited a park in Roanoke, Va., and they wanted something similar for Rowan County. Nicholas died two weeks after Foltz was hired, but Foltz went with Murtis Nicholas back to Roanoke to visit the park.

“There were kids playing there and having a great time with their parents and grandparents,” Foltz remembers. “She said that was what Dan had in mind. Mrs. Nicholas was a big financial helper.”

The Nicholas family gave the land for Dan Nicholas Park. Over the years, the original 225 acres have grown to more than 450 acres. The park opened in 1969. There were only dirt roads then, and one large shelter. The lake was put in but the water came later. Seth Murdock, then county manager, oversaw the first construction at the park.

Murdock worked to get matching grants from the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. That allowed the construction of more shelters, shower houses and 80 campsites in the early ’70s. “From then on, each shelter had a name on it, because donors contributed to the construction, which helped build more shelters,” Foltz says. Eight of the park’s nine shelters are named.

The park soon became a gathering place for family groups and Girl Scout groups. And the residents of Rowan County rallied around it. “About 75 percent of what you see in the park is through donors and the good people of Rowan County,” Foltz says. Ironically, about 60 percent of the park’s visitors come from outside Rowan County — many of them from out of state.

The nature center was built in 1975. Free programs are presented to school groups, seniors’ groups, Girl Scout groups and the public. An 18-hole miniature golf course was built in 1973. A second course was added the next year. Both are newly refurbished.

One of the highlights for young visitors is riding the train and the carousel, located side by side. Spencer Moose, F&M Bank and T.M. Stanback each donated a train. The Hurley family donated the carousel and Hurley Station, where folks go to purchase tickets and souvenirs. The train was dedicated in 1996; the carousel followed two years later.

The Miner Moose Gem Mine opened in 2000, courtesy of Spencer Moose, Cheerwine and Central Carolina Bank. This summer, for the first time, children could mine for shark’s teeth and seashells.

The playground area, located between the carousel and miniature golf course, has grown over the years to become a first-class recreation spot for children. “We’ve had all kinds of donors in the playground area,” Foltz says. Nick’s Playground is a new addition to this space. It is wheelchair accessible for special-needs children, although all children are welcome here. Three mothers of special-needs children helped design the playground.

But Foltz’s biggest undertaking is a multimillion-dollar, phased expansion of the petting barn and nature center. Although its centerpiece will be a new and expanded habitat for Nick and Lolli, the park’s beloved bears, each animal will get its own new habitat. “This is going to happen,” Foltz says, “but it will not happen overnight.”

He hopes to accomplish the entire project through private donations. He also wants to expand the train ride, extending the track to the steel bridge at Lake Murtis. “This is the most unique park in the United States,” Foltz says. “I believe that.”     — Susan Shinn

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