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MURFREESBORO – The history of Murfreesboro is intertwined with the Meherrin River that winds around the edge of town. And now new recreational offerings on the river will help boost the town’s future as well.

A fishing pier and kayak launch were recently added to Murfree’s Landing, located at the end of Hart Street. The site is the culmination of a project which started more than a decade ago.

“It’s the area where Murfreesboro was founded,” explained Mayor Hal Thomas. “It had barge traffic coming in and delivering goods up until 1966.”

Thomas said a fire that year destroyed the warehouse at Murfree’s Landing, and the port was inactive after that. Now there’s only a concrete slab left behind to mark the warehouse’s former site and concrete structures that used to support the fuel tanks. After the town gained possession of the land, they cleaned up the area in preparation for the pier.

The project got rolling more than a decade ago, Mayor Thomas said, after a group of people suggested Murfree’s Landing be restored as a point of pride for the town. He noted that Percy Bunch and members of the Murfreesboro Historical Association led the charge. Several people donated money, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission offered help as well.

But the fishing pier construction was stalled for years due to the area being designated as a part of a “100-year flood zone.” That meant they were unable to obtain a permit until the issue was resolved. The town consulted with their engineers until they eventually came up with a solution.

“They bought the materials some five years ago,” Thomas recalled, noting that those materials waited in storage until they finally got permit approval last Fall.

At the same time, the town – in partnership with the Mid-East Commission – received a grant from CAMA (Coastal Area Management Act) to add a kayak launch to Murfree’s Landing as well.

The kayak launch is an ADA accessible floating pier which makes it easier for kayakers to get into the river. Thomas noted that it’s smaller than the fishing pier.

Once the pier construction was finally approved, Thomas said it took only a few weeks for it and the kayak launch to be completed. Since then, the area has been open for everyone to come enjoy fishing, kayaking, and other activities.

“The place has been frequented on every sunny day since Christmas,” he said, adding that he’s visited several times himself, even bringing his grandkids on some occasions.

Transforming Murfree’s Landing into a recreational area is a way to give residents and visitors another place to enjoy the outdoors. Mayor Thomas said naysayers often say things like “there’s nothing to do in Murfreesboro,” but this addition to the town shows that’s not the case.

“We are going to try to make it a destination,” he said.

Even though the fishing pier and kayak launch are open, Thomas said there are still more things the town wants to do at the site in the future. Adding a gazebo or pavilion, for example, would provide shade for those enjoying time down by the river. The town’s beautification committee has proposed adding more landscaping and a mural on one of the old concrete structures. And eventually, the town will run water and electricity down to the site as well.

But for now, Mayor Thomas encourages people to continue coming to Murfree’s Landing. Spend some time casting a line for fish or explore the Meherrin River up close from the seat of your kayak.

“If we have something nice, people will come. And we have something nice down there by the river,” he concluded.