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The Southern Appalachian Historical Association's Hickory Ridge Living History Museum is home to seven log structures dating from the 1770s to the 1930s. Each cabin is used to portray a particular part of life from the North Carolina Backcountry in the 18th Century. Every Tuesday through Saturday their are tours of these cabins given by Historical Interpreters in period attire.

The Coffey Cabin

The Coffey Cabin

The Coffey Cabin was built as a wedding gift from Thomas Coffey to his new wife Ellen Cook Coffey in 1875. Tom had it constructed by housewright Jules Triplett in a different location so that he could perfect the cabin before setting it up permanently in Aho North Carolina. In each log there are roman numerals carved to show how the cabin was assembled and moved. Tom and Ellen would have thirteen children two of which unfortunately died as infants. The cabin was donated to SAHA in the early 1960s. It originally was located on the far end of the parking lot where part of the Watauga Farmers Market sits today. While there it served as the Horn in the West gift shop and also eventually served as a Boy Scouts of America museum and meeting place. In 1987 it was moved to its current location on Hickory Ridge and lights and electricity were installed. Today the cabin is used to portray what types of crafts were done during the 18th Century in the North Carolina Backcountry. Inside there are three spinning wheels that are used to demonstrate spinning fibers. The main artifact in the cabin is a larger Barn Loom. The loom belonged to the Tatum family and id believed to date to the late 1700s. It is still fully functional and is used to demonstrate weaving.  

Canipe, Steve. In the Evening West, Historical Reflections of the 60-year Tradition “Horn in the West 1952-2012. Southern Appalachian Historical Association, Boone, 2012.  

“The Cabins of Hickory Ridge”. Southern Appalachian Historical Association, Boone, 2020, https://www.horninthewest.com/museum-cabins.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wendy Fletcher , “Coffey in the Snow ,” The History of Horn in the West and Hickory Ridge Living History Museum, https://sahahistory.omeka.net/items/show/50.