Staunton River State Park, in Halifax County, sits at the confluence of the Dan and Staunton Rivers. Funding for the purchase of the site was shared between the State, and the counties of Mecklenburg, Halifax and Charlotte late in 1933. The land was a former plantation site named the “Fork Plantation,” primarily open farmlands with timbered areas along the waterfronts. Staunton River State Park was one of the six Virginia state parks planned, which developed out of the National Park system. The recreation facilities developed on its then 1,299 acres were constructed by 400 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers between 1933 and 1938. The park captures the spirit of the Southern Piedmont region’s rolling hills and forests, and by 1937 additional land purchases had increased its size to 1,776 acres. In 1953, in order to alleviate recurrent flooding, a dam was constructed, resulting in the submersion of 300 acres of park land. The reservoir that was created was originally named Buggs Island Lake, and was renamed the Kerr Reservoir.