It also offers fine arts subjects, such as printmaking, painting and photography.
Penland offers spring, summer and fall workshops in craft disciplines that include weaving and dyeing, bead work, glassblowing, pottery, paper making, metalworking and woodworking. Many of the small stores sell local mountain crafts inspired by the nearby Penland School of Crafts, which was a great story in itself. In 1901, the little creek overflowed in what was called the “May Flood,” washing most of the town away. The festival, now in its 76th year, is June 16-18.Ĭane Creek runs through the town and its banks form a nice park where one trout fisherman was flyfishing. Nearby on Roan Mountain is the largest rhododendron natural garden in the world with 600 acres. His renovated home still stands and is owned by a part of author John Grisham’s family.įamous for its long running annual Rhododendron Festival, I had visited Bakersville several times in the 1990s to run the accompanying 10K race. Started in the 1850s, the town is named after Revolutionary soldier David Baker. On a day of small towns, this was the smallest but also likely the most interesting. The depot of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad opened in 1914 and is still there along with a restored caboose even though the railroad discontinued operations in 1940.Ī pleasant mountain drive took me to Bakersville, county seat of Mitchell County. While the courthouse is still in use, the old jail next door is now a museum.
The courthouse also houses a correctional facility. The courthouse and jail were both built in 1913. Earlier called “Old Fields of Toe,” the town was renamed Newland after Lt. It’s small but seems to have some of everything. My next stop was Newland, county seat of Avery County.
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