History

For twenty years I have dreamed of establishing a legacy project on property that my grandfather, James J. Mayfield II, bought in 1907. At the time, my grandfather was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, as well as a geologist and lover of the outdoors. He must have believed, as I do, that this property harbored something special.

Located in a bend of the Black Warrior River and nestled in the heart of what is now called Holt Lake are found 1200 acres of pristine timberland, rolling hills, steep bluffs, natural streams, and meadows of wildflowers. While eagles and blue herons soar overhead, deer, turkey, foxes, and coyotes live among the sprawling hardwood and pine forests that encompass the vast majority of the property. But the river is where the action really lies. Beaver and otter live in harmony with a diverse array of native fishes. Bass, bream, crappie, and catfish are abundant in one of the most beautiful rivers in Alabama.

The Black Warrior River Basin was used for centuries by Native American Indians who based their lifestyle upon coexisting with their environment. Now, this same stretch of the Black Warrior will be home to a community of diversified lifestyles and cultures brought together not by economic status, but by a dream to share common goals of a sustainable lifestyle marked by environmental sensitivity and green-friendly construction. Living in harmony with nature, not encroaching upon it or destroying it, the Black Warrior Project will encompass 1200 acres of undeveloped timberland as well as over a mile of riverfront property. With only 100 home sites to ever be built, this will truly be a legacy residential development of which Tuscaloosa, as well as the entire state of Alabama, can be proud.

Each homeowner will be required to design and build according to a rigid and specific set of architectural and environmental guidelines. Each lot comprises 3 specific areas: a building envelop in which all construction must take place, an open space area that is to remain untouched except for designated meadow areas or restricted cutting of unhealthy or diseased trees, and finally, a 20-foot common border around all lots to foster the use of horse paths and walking trails. All homeowners will be required to participate in the construction of a homestead that blends with the unique topography of their lot. Thus, the natural beauty that God and nature have taken thousands of years to create will be protected. Welcome to the future of rural development in Tuscaloosa County — it is called THE BLACK WARRIOR PROJECT.