Mace Chairs

  The Mace family of western North Carolina became famous for their comfortable chairs, called “settin’ cheers.” Beginning after the Civil War, several generations of Maces made functional, curved-back chairs. As durable ash and hickory wood became scarcer, they...

Plott Hounds

The Plott Hound is an agile, muscular dog with a short, often brindle colored coat and historic mountain heritage.  Of the 7 breeds of coonhounds recognized by the United Kennel Club, the Plott alone does not trace its ancestry from foxhounds. Its ancestors came from...

Cecil Sharp

In 1915 Cecil Sharp, an important collector of traditional English ballads, was informed that many Appalachian singers were singing old English songs …

Shape Notes

Shape Notes

    Shape notes were invented in the late 18th century to simplify teaching people to sight-read unaccompanied sacred musical scores. They were called shape notes because, instead of drawing all of the music scale’s seven notes with round shapes, each note was...
Cornhusk Crafts

Cornhusk Crafts

  Appalachian people, of Cherokee, European, and African origin, all share a long history of making useful and decorative items from the outer leaves of ears of corn, known as cornhusks, or corn shucks. The husks are soaked, shaped, and then dried into the...

Brown Mountain Lights

  Since the early 1700s, travelers have reported seeing the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights on clear, moonless nights. According to local folklore, the lights are actually the spirit of a slave searching for his lost master across ridges and through the valley....