The deed for the Lake Campus land was officially transferred to Davidson from Duke Power in 1963 and it came with few usage restrictions. The principal among them was that the Lake Campus property was to be used for recreational use only by Davidson College faculty, staff, and students. The College would forfeit the deed back to Duke Power if it ever tried to sell the land, develop it, or use it in any other for-profit venture.

Map of Lake Norman area. Credit: Davidson College Archives. RG 2/11.14 President D. Grier Martin. Lake Campus. Davidson College Archives, Davidson, NC.
To this day, the Lake Campus remains one of the most unique properties on the lake, where housing and commercial developments have taken firm hold on the region. Decades later, the College would have an appraisal of the Lake Campus conducted. The appraiser was unable to find any other like property on the lake, citing the uniqueness of the untouched tracks of forest and otherwise well-preserved land. These characteristics are largely due to the conditions established by Duke Power decades ago.
Click here to see images of the actual deed, made out on May 31, 1963.
References
Brawley, Irvin. Personal interview by Scott Sellers, Devin Gorsen, and Christopher Ragsdale. 24 March 2014.
Martin, Sterling. Personal interview by Scott Sellers and Devin Gorsen. 3 March 2014.
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