The Gist: A park aimed at preserving and celebrating the history of the Promised Land community, a historically significant African American community in southern Gwinnett County, is one step closer to completion as efforts were recently made for the county to acquire the two remaining parcels of land necessary for its development.
What Happened?: The acquisition of these last two parcels of land, after years of work with the Livsey family, will complement the four adjacent parcels already owned by Gwinnett County, which includes the historic Maguire-Livsey Big House at the Promised Land. Once acquired, the county will develop a park to preserve the area’s 200-year history.
Why It Matters: The park will not only preserve the historic Maguire-Livsey Big House and adjacent land but also honor the legacy of the once-thriving African American community that emerged when descendants of the plantation’s slaves purchased the land.
What’s Next?: To ensure the Livsey family’s financial and legal interests are protected, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will continue discussions through a court-supervised process. The Board will consider a resolution to acquire the two remaining parcels of land during a public meeting on April 25.
Thom Chandler
The Georgia Sun is a news and infotainment website devoted to all things Georgia.
