The narrative of the Dix Park site is intricate and significant, shaping the future of this public
space for generations. Over thousands of years, Indigenous people traversed this land for
hunting, gathering, and possibly cultivating it for sustenance. For 150 years, it formed a part of
the Spring Hill Plantation, where enslaved African Americans toiled. Subsequently, for the next
160 years, it served as the location for North Carolina’s inaugural mental health institution,
Dorothea Dix Hospital, and in the last decade, it has functioned as the headquarters for North
Carolina DHHS. The Conservancy, functioning as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, aims to assist the City
in its endeavors, act as a philanthropic collaborator, and play a role in guaranteeing the
establishment and sustained prosperity of Dix Park.