The path to Fiddlehead Corner started with a small group of people with a long name: Triangle Traditional Music and Dance Retirement Society, which we call 2T. For over a decade, this 501(c )3 worked hard  to imagine the place they wanted to live together, and age together. See details at 2TNC.org.

One of the most difficult parts of the project was finding land. Once the land was located, 2T decided to form a cooperative as a way to share the cost and the risk – and the benefits – of the land purchase. The Hands Four Development Cooperative (H4D) was formed in February of 2023 and closed on the land in August of 2023.  

These 90 acres of land in Orange County, NC include gently rolling hills, creeks and beautiful woods that we will preserve as much as possible.  H4D values affordability, sustainability and conservation of natural resources. 

With the help of experts, we are developing the application to apply to Orange County in October 2023 for the zoning needed to accomplish this project.  Fiddlehead Corner (FC) will be a vibrant arts village with multigenerational housing that incorporates supportive care for aging in place.  Eventually, around 145 modestly-sized dwelling units will be built to universal access standards.  We envision detached homes and homes with shared walls (duplex/quadplex), and multistoried buildings with smaller units. Housing will be clustered to preserve most of the land in its current wooded state. We plan to include climate-friendly geothermal and solar energy production.

The common building will have a dance hall and small gathering rooms, and a kitchen in which to prepare community meals. There will be walking trails and preserved green spaces, creative arts opportunities and accessible gardens.

The community intends to generate a continuum of care that includes neighbors helping neighbors, but also utilizes innovative telehealth with the goal of staying in one’s own home as long as possible. We are studying ways to build one licensed care home with an option to build an additional one as the community grows.