Field Note Writing Contest Student WINNER: The Key To Flat Rock

This year, the Arabia Alliance hosted its first-ever Field Note Writing contest, open to writers throughout Georgia. We picked one student winner London Ahyee, whose Field Note about Flat Rock is featured below.

Lyon Farm, located within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in DeKalb County, Georgia, serves as an important tool to understanding the history of the nearby Flat Rock community. Established in the early 1800s, the farm represents more than just agricultural land; it tells the story of how settlement, slavery, freedom, and community development shaped the region. Today, historians and visitors view Lyon Farm as a starting point for learning how Flat Rock became one of the oldest African American communities in Georgia. By preserving this site, the heritage area helps connect the past to present-day cultural identity.

During the nineteenth century, the Lyon family operated the farm using both family labor and enslaved African-Americans. Although the farm was not a large plantation, enslaved people played a central role in maintaining the land and producing crops. After the Civil War and Emancipation, many formerly enslaved individuals who had lived and worked at Lyon Farm remained in the area and began building independent lives. Their transition from enslavement to freedom marked the beginning of a new chapter that directly influenced the formation of the Flat Rock community.

One of the most important figures connected to this history is Hill Lyons, who was born enslaved at Lyon Farm and later became a respected leader in Flat Rock. He helped establish churches, schools, and community institutions that supported newly freed Black families. These efforts transformed Flat Rock into a self-sustaining African-American settlement built on land ownership, faith, and education. Because many Flat Rock families trace their roots back to Lyon Farm, the site is often described as the “key” to understanding how the community began and why it continues to thrive today.

In the present day, preservation efforts led by DeKalb County and the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance aim to restore Lyon Farm and share its full historical narrative. Educational programs, historical interpretation, and conservation work ensure that visitors learn not only about farming history but also about resilience, freedom, and community building. Lyon Farm stands as more than a historic property; it is a symbol of transformation and the foundation of Flat Rock’s legacy. By protecting this landmark, the Arabia Mountain area preserves an essential chapter of Georgia’s history for future generations.

ABOUT THE AUHTOR: London Ahyee is a recent graduate from The Wilson Academy where she was valedictorian of her class. She received a Presidential Scholarship to Florida A&M University where she will begin her bachelor’s degree in the fall.

Read the other Field Note Writing Contest entries that won or were named runner-up below. And please participate next year!

• “The Monk And The Butterfly Counter” by Joseph Goodall
• “A Lifetime Of Experiences On The Arabia Mountain PATH” by Katy King
• “The Tidal Grey Impact Of Arabia Mountain” by Gabrielle Richmond