Preston Farmland – Middle TN
The first conservation easement project LTTN ever completed was in 1999 with businessman and landowner Aubrey Preston. The conservation easement protected 224 acres of rolling pastureland along the Natchez Trace Parkway in the historic village of Leiper’s Fork in southwest Williamson County.
Aubrey Preston at an event at Green’s Grocery in Leiper’s Fork.
At the time of the easement signing, Preston said, “By giving easements on our family’s land to The Land Trust for Tennessee, we are helping to ensure that Leiper’s Fork remains a truly Tennessee place, in touch with the land, and connected to its historic roots Working with the land trust allowed us to do exactly what we had hoped to all along. They had the tools. We are so pleased that our children and their children will see this same beautiful valley as we do today.”
Article in a Williamson County Magazine, 1999.
This first easement was intended to protect the scenic, agricultural, and open space values of the land. Preston hoped his efforts would provide scenic and agricultural conservation protection of the valley and protect the context of the village of Leiper’s Fork, a National Historic District. Conservation of the valley would also complement the visitor experience for tourists driving the Natchez Trace Parkway and visiting the historic village.
An article clipping from The Tennessean in 1999.
The project is an excellent example of the kind of work that The Land Trust set out to do in Middle Tennessee. It protects a scenic viewshed, buffers the Natchez Trace Parkway- a linear National Park, and inspires many other landowners to protect more of the scenic view and character of the valley. Since this first project in 1999, The Land Trust has partnered with over 15 landowners in the Leiper’s Fork area to protect over 2,500 acres.