Newsletter - Blowing Rock Historical Society

BRHS
SPRING / SUMMER
NEWSLETTER
The past, the present, the future
Society Forms
Partnership for
Kid’s Program
This is a kiosk similar to the one we
will help sponsor at Price Park.
The Blowing Rock Historical Society and
the Blowing Rock Rotary Club have formed
a partnership to support the Blue Ridge
Parkway Foundation in its Kids in Parks Track
Trail program. The mission is to promote
children's health and the health of our parks
(historical Blue Ridge Parkway) by increasing
physical activity and engaging families in
outdoor adventures that foster a meaningful
connection to the natural and cultural world.
The BRHS Board has approved $3500 to
be matched by Rotary Club for this project.
A kiosk will be built of Grandfather stone
at Price Park. The construction of the kiosk, brochures and maintenance will be
provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
Photo by :Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
We are excited to join in a cooperative project which can help a new generation develop a love and appreciation of their heritage here in our beautiful area.
Another Town Legacy is Saved
Just past the Methodist Church on South Main Street is a greenish-gray low and
long building that was Dr. Mary Warfield’s baby clinic. It was originally a log
structure, but has been redone over the past 80+ years, and was owned by Mike
and Ann Rhyne. It contains approximately 500 square feet, which includes a
living room, kitchen, bath and bedroom. The Rhynes approached the Historical
Society about the building but BRHS could not afford to buy the building, as we
had no way to generate income from it, and were already custodians of two
buildings on Main Street, the 1888 Museum and Edgewood Cottage.
A month or two ago we had a call from Rob Dyer and Lisa Stripling who own
the Ragged Garden Inn and the Best Cellar Restaurant, to talk about Dr. Mary’s
baby clinic building. Keep in mind that about a year and a half ago, Rob and Lisa
purchased the Maple Lodge and refitted it as an additional lodging site on Sunset
Drive; at that time they gave a wonderful old organ to the Historical Society and
we were thrilled that once again they were involved in saving the historic fabric of
our village.
The “dynamic duo” (aka Rob and Lisa) said they were in the process of
purchasing the old (1930s) clinic to use as a weekend rental, or for overflow
visitor/staff lodging. We could not believe our ears, as the property had first been
offered for sale in 2005. For eight years the Rhynes have been seeking the right
owners to save this historic landmark and with blessings from above, have found
the most generous “duo” to save yet another of our precious historical
buildings. We can celebrate Dr. Mary Warfield, and the pioneer days of Blowing
Rock each time we see that building.
Born on October 26, 1894, Dr. Mary Cabell Warfield, a native of Easton,
Pennsylvania, came to Blowing Rock to visit Mrs. James Hill and Mrs. Gertrude
NEW MARKER HONOREES
In case you weren’t able to make it, March 11 was
the date of the town birthday party and Marker
Awards presentation, a collaborative effort of The
Blowing Rock Historical Society, Blowing Rock Art
and History Museum and the Town of Blowing
Rock.
David Harwood, Business Manager for BRAHM, spoke
about the decision process and the sites being honored,
and then made the presentations.
Accepting plaques for the Inn at Ragged Gardens were
owners Rob Dyer and Lisa Stripling; Loyd Smith, representing the Blowing Rock Methodist Church; Joann
Mitchell, executive director of the Blowing Rock Art
and History Museum; and Mayor J.B. Lawrence on
behalf of the first Blowing Rock Town Hall and Chamber of Commerce building, located at the corner of
Main and Maple Street, now the “Take Heart” building.
J.B. and wife Lynn, then led a rousing rendition of
Happy Birthday, and cake and punch were enjoyed
by about 80 attendees afterward.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
AT EDGEWOOD COTTAGE, SEASON 4
See Article on Page 4
Upcoming Events:
APRIL 17 - Calling all volunteers – “It takes a village” to staff
the 1888 Museum and Edgewood Cottage for seasonal visitors.
Anyone wishing to volunteer a few hours this summer or fall
should plan to be at the Town Hall at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday
April 17 . Volunteer days are Wednesdays and Saturdays for
the 1888 Museum and Saturdays for Edgewood Cottage hours are 1 to 4 pm. We need your help.
JUNE 16 – Sunday June 16 is a concert in the park day featuring “The Gray Birds,” performing everything from bluegrass
to folk to pop 40, followed by a wine and cheese reception at
Edgewood Cottage. There will be a charge for this event to
cover the cost of refreshments. Look for your invitation in
the mail and get your reservations in early. Bring your lawn
chairs and prepare to party!
JULY – Our annual Tea and Tour – date and location are in
the works – this event will not be open to the public but for
members and their guests only, so look for your invitation in
the mail. Or check our website for updates.
Continued on Page 2
Spring / Summer 2013
Page 1
Message
from the
President
~ Marcia Quinn
Happy Spring to All!
As I write this message for the newsletter,
it is a beautiful day in Blowing Rock.
After a cold, snowy winter, this is a most
welcome change.
Speaking of change, there are several
changes in the Blowing Rock Historical
Society since the last newsletter, of which
the membership should be aware.
*Our website is now available
(blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com) with
many thanks to Melissa Pickett, Rita
White and Lonnie Webster. It is very
informative and will be even more so as it
continues to be tweaked and more historical data is added.
*We now have a new logo. It is already
being used on our website and on the
newsletter. This will now be our official
logo going forward. We are grateful to
Cindy Kebelbeck and Melissa Pickett for
their time and effort in producing the new
logo.
*Our thanks to Ann Williams who has
created a membership data base. It continues to be expanded and updated. This
is a good time to remind our members to
ask a friend to join Blowing Rock Historical Society. Also, if you have any changes
in your phone number, mailing address or
email address, please contact Ann at
[email protected].
*The pictorial (little white) museum is
now officially named the 1888 MUSEUM as voted on by our Board of Directors.
Since 1985 we have evolved as a Society
and can enjoy the positive changes that
have been made.
Another Part of the Town’s Legacy is Saved
Chadbourne in 1928. Like many other visitors, she
fell in love with our area and began her practice in
an informal way to see “if the mountain people
and I could hit it off alright” said Dr.
Warfield. This must have been a perfect match as
two years later, in May of 1930, she moved to
Blowing Rock to establish a year round practice.
Continued from Page 1
Dr. Warfield’s father was president of Lafayette
College in Easton, PA and she attended the Woman’s Medical College in Philadelphia (the only
medical school in the country in the early 1900’s exclusively for women). Dr. Warfield
envisioned herself becoming a missionary, but was a victim of the flu epidemic of World
War I and was considered too weak to go overseas by her Missions Board. She went on to
serve as resident physician of Converse College in Spartanburg, SC.
In the early days of the village, people who were in the remote areas formed the habit of
waiting until the last possible moment to call a physician, after trying all sorts of home
remedies. No pharmacies or drug stores existed, and Dr. Warfield filled this void. When she
arrived she was the only physician within an eight to ten mile radius of Blowing Rock. Dr.
Warfield spent the winter of 1931 studying pediatrics, and one of her first priorities was to
establish a baby clinic, which she promptly did, in the little log building on South Main Street.
Her “preventive” services were provided pro bono for the mountain people. She did however, charge for treating sickness, as she felt the villagers had more respect for treatment and
themselves when they paid, which they frequently did in services or goods, not cash.
Not frail, but a large stocky woman, Dr. Warfield was unassuming and casual, with a quick
sense of humor. She had a German shepherd dog that accompanied her everywhere as a
passenger in the front seat of her car. The dog was well traveled, as Dr. Mary spent many
hours on the road ministering to the sick. In about 1930, she dutifully went to Bailey’s Camp
about midnight on December 22; she returned to town and immediately was faced with
another delivery lasting until late afternoon on the 23 rd; this was followed by another
“delivery” in Coffey Gap, covered in 18 inches of snow. She delivered the baby, finishing
about 2:00 a.m. and was fed a hot breakfast and was ready to set out for home when she
found her carburetor was frozen. She finally got back to town on Christmas Day and found
two families with sick children were waiting for her return. Those calls filled more than
seventy-two straight hours of loving care. What a woman!
In addition to making house calls and running the free baby clinic, Dr. Warfield operated
another clinic one day a month in Bailey’s Camp, sponsored by the Lutheran Church. Her
clinics were given free to examine children’s tonsils and remove them if necessary. One of the
first was in 1928 at the Blowing Rock School where 20 children had their tonsils removed in
one day with Dr. Warfield being assisted by a Dr. Petrie from Lenoir and a team of several
nurses.
Dr. Warfield dreamed of opening a bigger clinic, which was made possible in 1935 through
gifts of money, labor and materials. By the time the clinic was six months old, they had
treated 70 patients, representing 210 bed days. The running expenses of the clinic for six
months had been $610.94, but the income from patient fees was $263.25, augmented by an
endowment for nurses’ salaries from the Presbyterian Church and other community friends. In
January 1936 Dr. Warfield asked local organizations to include the clinic in their philanthropic
giving.
Although medical and patient services progressed, the clinic’s fiscal health deteriorated, and
the clinic was closed in the winter so Dr. Warfield could assist her aging parents in Pennsylvania. By 1940 Blowing Rock was aware of the need for increased financial support for the
clinic. Charles Cannon, Bishop Henry Phillips, David Ovens, J. Anthony Paunch, and Herman
Cone organized groups to help fund the clinic. Times were changing and Dr. Warfield’s years
of service were coming to an end; as she was preparing to move to Tryon, NC in 1946, she
was involved in a tragic automobile crash. Her injuries lasted the rest of her life. She died on
August 26, 1953.
The original Warfield Clinic building will long remind us of this dedicated woman to
whom is owed so much for her years of selfless service to the community. The Historical
Society applauds Mike and Ann Rhyne for caring for the clinic until the perfect owners could
be found, and once again to Lisa Stripling and Rob Dyer, our heartfelt thanks for saving
another piece of our priceless history. We are all grateful for your many contributions to our
beloved village
Spring / Summer 2013
Page 2
Society Artists Will Co-Sponsor Blowing Rock’s
“ARTS Rock” Month
September 2013 will be the first annual Month of the Arts in Blowing Rock. A volunteer
community effort spearheaded by Sarah Gilley, the September celebration partners include the
Watauga Arts Council, Watercolor Society of North Carolina, the High Country Watermedia
Society, local artist Norma Suddreth, Ensemble Stage, BRAHM, Joe Shannon’s Mountain Music,
and the Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage.
Among the multiple events during the month are Friday night jams at the Inn at Ragged
Gardens, a show at BRAHM featuring artists of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina,
a plein air “paint-out” at Sweetgrass, liturgical art of the Village churches, performances by Mountain Music and a production by
Ensemble Stage.
In conjunction with this month-long celebration of the Arts, the Artists in Residence program will host free art demonstrations and shows
at Edgewood Cottage on the four Saturdays of September from 10am until 4pm.
The artists showing and demonstrating their talents are:
 September 7: Artists of the High Country Watermedia Society
 September 14: Ineke Thomas, fiber artist
 September 21: Bob Stevens, colored pencil artist
 September 28: Nancy Brittelle-mixed media artist featuring her
heavy metal series of wall sculpture on paper
Ineke, Bob and Nancy have all participated in the summer Artists in Residence program at Edgewood cottage, as have several
High Country Watermedia Society members.
We invite you to visit with the artists while they work at Edgewood Cottage on these Saturdays in September and support the Arts in
Blowing Rock all month long by participating in several events.
First Event of 2013 features presentation on “Wine to Water”
We kicked off the New Year in February with our annual
winter potluck dinner and program, which was enjoyed by
about 40 attendees. The group heard from Jessup Marion,
the wine director of Wine to Water, a charity organization
headquartered in Boone that is involved in water projects in
several countries.
According to their website, “Wine To Water is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit aid organization
focused on providing clean
water to needy people around
the world. Nearly one billion
people in the world today lack
access to adequate water and
2.5 billion people lack access
to improved sanitation. We
are devoted to fighting this
epidemic.
Wine symbolizes fortune in
our society. Our goal is to
Spring / Summer 2013
give the fortunate population an opportunity to fight for those
who can’t fight for themselves.”
Society members enjoyed a wine tasting to tempt the taste
buds and encourage folks to buy some of their promotional
wine, which is available locally. About half the cost of a bottle
goes to help fund the W2W initiative. Also available for sale
that evening were copies of founder Doc Hendley’s book,
Wine to Water: How One Man
Saved Himself While Trying to Save
the World. Doc, a bartender in
Raleigh, came up with the concept of W2W back in 2003. As
with the wine, a portion of the
book sales goes to benefit the
well projects.
A special thanks to Rita White,
Ann Rhyne, and Sylvia and
Cullie Tarleton for hosting.
Page 3
Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage
Season Four!
Elliott Daingerfield would be delighted that the “painting ladies” are still
at it at Edgewood Cottage.
Thursday, June 27 will be the opening day of Season Four, with a show
by the 2012 Alumni. This summer’s season will run for eight weeks and
will feature painters, photographers, a mixed media artist, and a potter.
All of the artists are members of the Blowing Rock Historical Society
and have ties to the High Country. Each show week will open on
Thursday and close the following Tuesday. Edgewood Cottage will be
open and artists in attendance from 10:00am until 6:00pm, except Sunday when the hours are Noon until 6:00pm. The
Cottage will close on Wednesdays.
We hope that you will avail yourself of this free opportunity to experience the art of the High Country this summer.
The mission of the Blowing Rock Historical Society’s annual Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage program is to
promote, publicize, and celebrate the arts by showcasing the work of our members who are North Carolina
High Country artists.
The exciting lineup of artists featured this year is:
June 27-July 2: Alumni artists from 2012 season
(watercolor, acrylics, oils, pottery and mixed media)
July 4-9: Susan Powers of Lenoir-watercolor, oil, acrylic and collage
July 11-16: Ann Abgott or Florida and Linville-watercolor
July 18-23: Pat Grant of Todd-acrylics
July 25-30: Jim Ruff of Blowing Rock-photography
August 1-6: Kathy Reece of Sugar Grove and Raleigh-oils
August 8-13: Karen Havighurst of Boone and Pittsboro-watercolor and collage
August 15-20: Kim Abernathy of Boone-oils amd
Barbara Balesty of Blowing Rock-pottery
Spring / Summer 2013
Page 4
US HWY 321 WIDENING PROJECT
The US 321 widening project now underway from Blackberry
to Possum Hollow Road has taken its toll on our town’s historic
viewscape.
Completion date has now been pushed back a year as a new contractor
takes over from the original company, which has gone bankrupt.
Meanwhile, rows of orange-and-white barrels are the most conspicuous
sight as one drives the bypass.
Society Has Launched
Its Website!
WE’VE FINALLY DONE IT!
Much needed and long in the planning, the
Blowing Rock Historical Society website is here
thanks to the efforts and good work of Melissa
Pickett and Rita White.
Check it out at the easy to remember and oh-sological: BlowingRockHistoricalSociety.com
We have a wonderful photo gallery, a list of
upcoming events, and tabs for history, membership,
and programs as well as a terrific new logo (hopefully
you noticed it on this newsletter) that Cindy
Kebelbeck and Melissa Pickett designed.
By maintaining our own website we will finally
have a way for folks to get our contact information,
whether by email or snail mail, and to learn about
some of the programs we offer each year, such as
dates and times of the annual Artists in Residence
and the Marker Programs. The public will now be
able to download a membership application rather
than wondering how to join or where to find a form.
Lonnie Webster has provided us with a couple of contrasting photos,
taken before work began and in early April 2013. He will continue
updating the visual record as work resumes with the warmer weather.
We can only hope for an attractive outcome.
The site will be a good resource for those seeking
information on their families, or items of a historical
nature. We also offer links to other websites such as
the Blowing Rock Chamber and the Blue Ridge
Parkway.
We’ve learned to crawl and walk, and now we’re
up and running. As time goes by we’ll add more
links, pictures, and a way to pay your membership
online if you choose.
So take a look – you’ll be impressed!
Photos by Lonnie Webster
Spring / Summer 2013
Page 5
Our mission is To protect &
preserve the historic
resources important to the
heritage of blowing rock
Elliott Daingerfield’s Edgewood Cottage
Editor: Donald Saunders
([email protected])
Graphic Artist: Teresa Carman
([email protected])
Next copy deadline: July 8, 2013
BLOWING ROCK
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Post Office Box 804
Blowing Rock, North Carolina 28605
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
Permit #35
The past, the present, the future
Standard Mail
U.S. Postage Paid
The Blowing Rock Historical Society
Post Office Box 804
Blowing Rock, North Carolina 28605
For Renewal or New Member – Please mail to the address above
Name_________________________________________________________ Renewal___ New___
Summer mailing address: ____________________________________________________________
City___________________________ State_____ Zip_________ Phone______________________
Winter mailing address:_____________________________________________________________
City___________________________ State_____ Zip_________ Phone______________________
Email address:___________________________________________________________________
Our membership year begins August 1 and expires the following July 31. Your Dues and Contributions are Tax Deductible.
_____Individual $35
_____Benefactor $250
_____Family $50
_____Founder $500
_____Patron $100
_____Sustainer $1,000
Suggestions for events, projects or other activities for the Society are welcomed: ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Committee for which you would like to volunteer: _____________________________________________________