Crowd Funding Could Save Harley-Davidson Founder’s Home

Situated on the east coast of Scotland between Forfar and Brechin, the Davidson cottage was where the story all began, as it was the birthplace of William C Davidson.

Originally home to Alexander ‘Sandy’ Davidson in the 19th Century, the Davidson family lived there until 1858, when they moved to Milwaukee. William C Davidson was born in the cottage in 1846, a boy said to be born with a love for all things mechanical… We all know the story from there, with brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson going on to set up the Bar & Shield brand alongside Bill Harley.

The house has been on the market since 2021, although the current owners, who bought the quaint stone-wall property in 2008, have only received offers that would see the cottage razed to the ground, and used as open for a larger development.

They have been running it as a holiday getaway, which no doubt had Harley-Davidson fans from across Europe flocking to check Willie C’s childhood home. Those days are over now, though, and unless a buyer can be found who will keep the house as it is, it looks to be lost forever.

To try and save the historically important property for future generations, Nyree Aitken and the Davidson Legacy Cottage are looking to raise funds, but they have a fair way to go. At the time of writing the GoFundMe was sitting on £3,200, based on 94 donations. To be successful it needs to reach the £70,000 park, though, and there isn’t long left to hit the target. 

Part of the property is being paid for via the UK Government Community Ownership grant, a fund to help communities take ownership of assets at risk of being lost. A caveat of that coming into force, though, is that the rest must be matched by donations.

If you want to check out the GoFundMe for yourself or to make a donation, head to the official crowdfunding page.

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