Cradle of Forestry
In the early 20th century, the Appalachian forest was subjected to devastating large-scale commercial exploitation for the first time. At the same time, pioneering conservationists were devising reforms for forest management. In 1889, George Vanderbilt hired a young...All Souls Episcopal Church
George Vanderbilt established All Souls Episcopal Church in 1896 to serve the workers on his Biltmore Estate near Asheville. The church was the centerpiece of the village he constructed to house his workers, a community known as Biltmore Village. Richard Morris...Black Mountain College
In 1933, Black Mountain College opened near Black Mountain, North Carolina. Dedicated to the arts, it marked a radical departure from most colleges of the time. It was an experiment in progressive education and communal work.
Craft Guild
In 1892, Frances Goodrich, a New England educated Presbyterian Missionary, moved to the Madison County community of Allanstand. Her goal: to improve the quality of life for mountain families. Her means was the promotion of traditional crafts to a growing American market for authentic handicrafts. . .
Highlander Folk School
The Highlander Folk School was founded in 1932 in Monteagle on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Its founders envisioned an adult education center where mountain people could tackle community problems. . .