Harley-Davidson History Could Be History

There’s a race against the clock and the wrecking ball happening in Scotland, and it has ties to Wisconsin.

The ancestral home of the Davidson family, the Harley-Davidson co-founders, is in danger of being razed if a group can’t collect the funds to save it by December.

Netherton Cottage, located near Brechin, was the 19th-century home of the Davidsons before they moved to America, and brothers Arthur, Walter, and William later started the iconic motorcycle company with William Harley in Milwaukee.

The Davidson family left Scotland in 1857. After learning of the rundown home’s history in 2008, three local motorcycle enthusiasts restored Netherton Cottage to the state it would have been in when the Davidson ancestors lit out for the USA 150 years earlier. Since then, it’s served as a museum, visitor center, and a symbol of the community’s history. And it’s a popular pilgrimage for bikers from around the world.

However, the land it’s on is now for sale, and, as it stands, the only bidders are ones set on leveling it to develop new homes.

Fortunately, the Davidson Legacy Preservation Group has been hard at work trying to save the home. They were awarded £250,000 from the UK Government’s community ownership fund, but they must raise matching funds to use that money. They received donations from the community and bikers but still have to raise an additional £55,000 ($71,500) before December to secure the site’s future.

If you want to contribute or forward the link to a deep-pocketed biker in your social circle, you can find their fundraising site here. You can learn more about the cottage and even book a stay there by visiting the Davidson Legacy Preservation Group site. Here’s hoping your reservations don’t get abruptly canceled by some greedy developers.