Smithfield’s Town Council made good on its March 5 vote to rename the walking trail at Windsor Castle Park in honor of former mayor Carter Williams, presenting Williams on May 7 with a plaque dedicating the new “T. Carter Williams Trail System.”

Mayor Steve Bowman had proposed the renaming in February to honor his predecessor, who prior to Bowman’s 2022 election had held the title for 12 years.

Williams, as a “trail doctor,” volunteers to clean and maintain the park and walks the trail almost daily with a walking stick he made from twisted English ivy vines found growing against a tree, and outfitted with a nail to pick up trash. The former mayor called the recognition “a humbling experience” and gave credit to former Smithfield Foods Chairman Joseph Luter III, who personally contributed over $5 million toward the town’s purchase and the development of Smithfield founder Arthur Smith IV’s 18th century Windsor Castle manor house and the grounds that opened to the public as Windsor Castle Park in 2010.

“I’ve got to thank Mr. Luter for that trail, he built that trail and he did a wonderful job in hiring Todd Bryant and Lawrence Pitt to do the work in that trail,” Williams said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct a misspelling in the headline.