Director

Dubbed the “Father of Tourism” Grover C. Robbins, Sr (1886 – 1956) was a champion of promoting Blowing Rock’s business and tourism interests. Robbins served as Blowing Rock Mayor from 1928-1934, 1939-1944 and 1947-48. He served as the first President of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, developed the Blowing Rock attraction, and lobbied for Blowing Rock to be part of the Blue Ridge Parkway route. Robbins’ sons followed in his footsteps as promoters of area tourism, creating attractions such as Tweetsie Railroad, and the Land of Oz theme park on Beech Mountain. They also planned and constructed the resort communities of Hound Ears Club, Beech Mountain resort and Elk River Club. Some of the third generation are stewards of the Blowing Rock attraction and Tweetsie Railroad.

Historic Miller / Robbins House is now the Blowing Rock Chamber and Visitors Center

Also visit the Blowing Rock Historical Society's Web Site

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Currently home to the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, this historic house was constructed in 1903 for the family of Cicero Miller, owner of Miller General Mercantile. Blowing Rock mayor and civic leader Grover C. Robbins, Sr. and wife Lena, Cicero Miller’s daughter, acquired the home in 1919. Additions to the home were made in 1931, 1941 and 1948. The house has two fireplaces made of local granite as well as clear and wormy chestnut paneling. Currently serving as home to the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Miller / Robbins house is also a visitor’s center and is open to the public.

Miller Robbins House (1903) and the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce

Explore Blowing Rock’s Historic Marker Program through this downtown walking tour. The tour highlights 10 downtown buildings identified with red oval makers and gives a detailed history for each site, immersing you in each site’s unique story. The Historic Marker Program is a long-term, joint project between The Blowing Rock Historical Society (BRHS) and the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) with the goal of educating the public about the rich history of Blowing Rock while adding distinction to individual homes, commercial buildings and sites of significance. A full list of the Blowing Rock sites that have been given the historic marker designation can be found on the Blowing Rock Historical Society website. https://www.blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com/historicalmarkers

In 1885, where Memorial Park stands today, the first major hotel in Blowing Rock was constructed. From 1885 to 1889 the Watauga Hotel saw dominance as the largest and most luxurious hotel in the area and was a mainstay for most of the early visitors to the growing mountain resort. An advertisement from 1886 boasted “First-Class Accommodations. Reasonable Rates. Accessible Location. Excellent Table. Plenty of Ice. All the Delicacies of the Season.” Throughout its first few years “The Watauga” saw unparalleled success and was at capacity every season. The hotel would remain unrivaled until the construction of The Blowing Rock Hotel which opened in 1889 and then The Green Park Inn which had its first season in 1891. The Watauga Hotel’s early success prompted the 1888 construction of six small cottages each containing two rooms. The last surviving cottage was later transformed into the 1888 Museum that stands at the corner of the park.A large hotel with a curious past, “The Watauga” today is known more for its tragic history than for its accommodation of early guests. In 1886 and 1902 large sections of the tin roof were blown off in winter windstorms. Soon after the hotel was completely destroyed by fire. It was immediately rebuilt on the same foundation and renamed the Watauga Inn by new owner Thomas Coffey. In 1926 the Hotel burnt to the ground once again. “The Watauga” was then moved to the building that originally housed The Hob Knob Inn burning a third and final time in 1946. There has not been another building in Blowing Rock with Watauga in its name. After the fire of 1926, the lot which held the then destroyed hotel sat vacant for several years. The first park was constructed in the late 1930s. At that time most of the cottages were torn down. The one exception would go on to become a fixture of the town, hosting the Chamber of Commerce offices and small businesses until the Town of Blowing Rock acquired the property in 1994 and the Blowing Rock Historical Society now uses the cottage to house the 1888 Museum.

Today, Memorial Park is a place for Blowing Rock's residents and visitors alike to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle the town has to offer. However, this community staple holds a secret from a time when Blowing Rock was first getting its start as a resort community. Over 125 years ago The Watauga Hotel graced this spot as the first major hotel constructed in Blowing Rock. Built in 1884, the hotel took advantage of the growing tourism industry. Tourists came to escape the industrial life of late 19th century American cities as well as the heat of lower elevations. The Watauga Hotel set a precedent for a significant tourism business in the town. Nestled alongside Blowing Rock’s Memorial park is a small white cottage known as the 1888 Museum. The cottage, which received a Historical Marker in 2012, is one of several that was built in 1888 to provide additional lodging for the Watauga Hotel.  

The Watauga Hotel (1884-1926)

The small town of Blowing Rock is located approximately 4,000 feet above sea level, in the Appalachian Mountains. Scenic views of these mountains earned the area the nickname “America’s Switzerland.”3 Almost from the start, the town seemed destined to become a major tourism destination. The first tourists arrived in 1875, and, at first, simply boarded in residents’ homes. In 1884, the Watauga Hotel became the first hotel and first major business in Blowing Rock dedicated fully to serving tourists. In 1888, six cottages built by the hotels owners helped them to expand their thriving business. At the end of the 19th century, the rapid industrialization of America allowed many people to have surplus money and time off work to use for vacations. These tourists sought to leave busy urban life and find an “older America,” a simpler and quieter place.4 Blowing Rock and the Watauga Hotel sought to capture this new tourism with the beautiful scenery and idyllic small town life. At the turn of the 20th century, local newspapers were hailing the town as one of the South’s leading resort towns.3 Stars like Annie Oakley, Dwight Eisenhower, and Eleanor Roosevelt have all stayed in Blowing Rock hotels.3 The Watauga Hotel was a modest timber frame structure built near the center of town. The little timber framed cottages were built to provide more rooms and improve the hotel’s business as demand increased. They offered simple and private rooms, that included a fireplace and a few cozy pieces of furniture. In 1888, the cottages took advantage of the increased tourism, but also were needed to compete with the large Blowing Rock Hotel that opened the same year.  The cottages rented for 15 dollars a month and had two separate rooms. The cottages had no electricity and no water. Guests received their meals in the main hotel buildings dining room. The hotel held numerous dances and social events in the summer months. For other amenities, guests simply had to stroll down the main street. Directly across the street, a barber provided a shower for 25 cents per use.1 The Watauga Hotel burned down in the early 1900’s and soon after work began on the Watauga Inn built directly on top of the ruins of the old hotel.3 The Watauga Inn carried on much as the Watauga hotel, even including the cottages. However, in 1926, this hotel, too, burned down. Instead of rebuilding another hotel the land was gifted to the town and became a large central park. Only one cottage remains of the original Watauga Hotel. In the 1990s the town turned the cottage into the 1888 Museum. Between the end of the hotel in 1926 and it being turned into a museum it was used by various commercial groups, such as a realty office. Now run by the Blowing Rock Historical Society, it serves as a museum of the local tourism industry. The museum is divided into two rooms. Artifacts and text panels that describe Blowing Rock's early tourism are displayed in the front room while the the other room serves as a relative replica of what a rental room would have looked like in 1888. All the furniture is original to the period but not original to the hotel. The museum serves as a link to the first tourists who came here at the end of the 19th century and the businesses dedicated to serving them. The 1888 Museum is an iconic part of the tourism industry that has shaped this town nearly from its start.

Nestled alongside Blowing Rock’s Memorial park is a small white cottage known as the 1888 Museum. The cottage is one of several that was built in 1888 to provide additional lodging for the Watauga Hotel. Built in 1884, the hotel was the first to be built in Blowing Rock. The cottages were popular for the peaceful village life they provided. Today, this cottage is the last remaining piece of history from Blowing Rock’s first hotel. Owned by the Town of Blowing Rock and managed by the Blowing Rock Historical Society, the building serves as a museum that emphasizes Blowing Rock's long history of supporting tourism.

The museum is open daily, and admission is free.


1888 Museum 

The turn of the twentieth century brought many wealthy families to the North Carolina mountains in search of cooler summer temperatures. A.W. Washburn, of Charlotte, N.C., joined the ranks of the “cottagers” with the completion of his Blowing Rock home in 1900.The home utilizes chestnut bark for the exterior siding. This use of bark was made popular by architect Henry Bacon who, in the late 1800s, designed several cottages and community buildings in Linville, N.C. utilizing chestnut bark siding. He is best known for his design of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.The chestnut blight of the early 1900s devastated the American Chestnut tree. Consequently, the large amount of chestnut paneling and trim work used on the interior of the Inn is a key feature of the home. The paneling on the first floor, the double doors leading into the reading room and the paneling of the room itself are all made of chestnut.[1] Grandfather Mountain granite is also used throughout the home. [2].The original 11-acre estate included a livery stable, servants’ quarters and two other residences as well as riding trails connecting it to the adjacent forest. [3] A cottage used for extra boarding was added in 1927. The exterior of this second building is made of the same chestnut bark as the home. The home is located near the center of town but the use of stone walls and extensive gardens helps keep the property uniquely separated from the storefronts.[4]

Completed in 1900, the Inn at Ragged Gardens is just a few blocks from Blowing Rock’s Main Street. Originally known as the Washburn House, the Inn began as the private residence of A.W. Washburn. The home became a boarding house and has operated as a bed and breakfast for more than a century. With thirteen rooms, an on-site restaurant and wine cellar, this location is a prime example of chestnut bark construction first made popular in Linville by architect Henry Bacon. In addition to its use as a bed and breakfast, the Inn is currently available as an event venue for weddings and large gatherings with information on the website. From May through October the Inn also hosts Music on the Lawn each Friday evening. A variety of bands perform free concerts for the public. These events are sponsored by nonprofit organizations and The Inn at Ragged Gardens welcomes all on Fridays.[5]

Inn at Ragged Gardens

At the close of the Civil War, northern philanthropists developed an interest in improving the living conditions of North Carolina mountaineers, and their schooling in particular [7]. Alongside that interest, the northern philanthropists realized there was economic opportunity in mountain handicrafts like weaving and spinning [7]. One of those philanthropists, Miss Frances Goodrich, organized a group of mountain women near Asheville, and that group worked to produce hand-woven goods and to teach the hand-weaving tradition to future generations [4]. Goodrich’s efforts resulted in the establishment of the Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild [4]. Another woman, Mrs. George Vanderbilt, established the Biltmore Homespun Industries in 1900 [4]. The two women helped spark a national interest in mountain handicrafts [4].The 1890s were economically disastrous for Blowing Rock, as a region-wide depression hit Watauga County [4]. Accompanying the depression was a movement initiated by Blowing Rock residents to sell their livestock [4]. By 1897, farmers had sold all of their livestock and were searching for a stopgap, uncertain what other goods they had to sell [4].In January 1905, W.G. Randall paid a visit to Reverend Savage at the Episcopalian Mission House, the center of religious life in Blowing Rock [6]. During that visit, Randall outlined a plan to Reverend Savage to build a small house beside the Mission House that would house the best cabinet-makers in the mountains and allow them to hone their crafts [6]. Randall hoped to eventually include other industries like spinning and weaving, and he recommended that they buy a loom and hire women to wield it so that visitors could see the high level of craftsmanship among the mountaineers [6]. Randall wanted to create a workshop that would allow the best mountaineer artisans to demonstrate their expertise and to profit from their respective crafts [6].When W.G. Randall laid out this plan to Reverend Savage, the Reverend expressed doubts in their ability to secure the land necessary for the venture [7]. Fortunately, a lot near the Mission House became available for purchase shortly after their conversation [7]. The Mission House itself was built beside the old post office, and it was the lot that housed the old post office that became available for purchase [4]. The two men moved the old post office building closer to the Mission House, the de-facto Episcopalian Church in Blowing Rock, and remodeled it with the help of the Episcopalian congregation [4,7]. They fashioned the building into a workshop that included both a cabinet shop and a loom room on the first floor [4,7]. On the second floor, they built two art studios that they made available for local art students to use, as W.G. Randall was passionate about the development of local artisans [4,7].Unfortunately, W.G. Randall died from tuberculosis on December 10, 1905, and he never saw the completion of the workshop [7]. In 1906, Reverend Savage placed ads in Raleigh newspapers asking for monetary donations to complete the construction of the building [7]. He asked that people donate funds and furnishings that would allow the Episcopalian congregation to turn the workshop into a community business [7]. He estimated that finishing the project would cost a total of $300, with $150 of that used for construction alone [7]. Reverend Savage made it clear in his ads that the workshop planned to employ only the best mountaineer artisans, in honor of W.G. Randall’s original vision for the workshop [7]. It was W.G. Randall’s vision that drove the project forward, and it was in his honor that the building was named the Randall Memorial Workshop [7].While the building served as a workshop for mountaineer craftsmen, it also served Blowing Rock as a social center [4]. Blowing Rock residents used the Randall Memorial Workshop as a place to purchase crafts and as a community center where they gathered before the fireplace on the first floor to discuss the events of the day [4]. When Reverend Savage moved out of Blowing Rock in 1917, he left the workshop in the care of the Episcopalian Diocese, who used it as a library and reading room that was open to the public [4].In 1923, a horrendous fire swept through Blowing Rock that nearly destroyed the town [5]. The Randall Memorial Workshop, a wooden building, survived the fire [5]. The fire of 1923 was so bad that town residents decided to establish the Blowing Rock Fire Department the selfsame year, and they issued an edict that banned wood construction on Main Street [5]. Because the Randall Memorial Workshop survived the fire of 1923, its current day iteration of the Village Café serves as a historical testament to the architectural styles that preceded the 1923 ordinance [4,5].In 1936, the Blowing Rock Community Club (BRCC) purchased the building and started a lending library [4]. The resident of the second-floor apartment, Mrs. C.V. Henkel, ordered the construction of a one-room cottage to the northeast of the building in 1938 for the local Council of Girl Scouts [4]. The BRCC sold the property containing both the workshop and cottage in 1946 to Charles and Mary Beck, who used it as their summer home [4]. The Beck heirs sold the property to Frances Feely in 1983, who sold it in 1990 to Ann Whatley [4].Whatley brought the property to the attention of local historical societies, in 1990, because she realized the site had played pivotal roles in both the economic and social realms of Blowing Rock’s history, and she understood the significance of the wooden architecture [1,4]. The National Register of Historic Places recognized the Randall Memorial Building, the Village Café, as a Historic Building in 1991 [1,4]. Ann Whatley, alongside her husband, Andy, transformed the workshop into the Village Café, which still functioned as a social nexus for Blowing Rock residents [1,4].

The Randall Memorial Building has changed ownership again, and is now called Cupcrazed Cafe. To access the building, visitors must descend a stairwell from Main Street to a flagstone path that leads to a flagstone patio in front of the Café [4]. In 1907, Reverend William Rutherford Savage, the local Episcopalian priest, opened the site as the Randall Memorial Workshop [1]. The workshop was named for the NC artist, William George Randall (W.G. Randall) [1]. W.G. Randall, born in Burke County, obtained an art degree from UNC Chapel Hill and eventually settled in Blowing Rock, where he fell in love with mountain crafts [1,3]. The Randall Memorial Workshop, once opened, served as a hub for local mountain crafts [2]. The building changed ownership throughout the 20th century until Ann Whatley purchased it in 1990, and she brought it to the attention of local historical societies [1,4]. After Whatley brought the historic significance of the building to the attention of those societies, they submitted it for review to the National Register of Historic Places [1,4]. In 1991, the National Register recognized the Randall Memorial Workshop, the present-day Village Café, as an Historic Building [1,4].

Randall Memorial Building

The Martin House is the second oldest building in Blowing Rock, having been built about 1870. It was built as a private residence by Wesley Moore of Bishopville (then Darlington County, South Carolina) who early in the 1880s turned it into a boarding house that was later managed by Ida Clarke Martin. In December 1891, Ida's husband, Harry C. Martin ("H.C."), a business man from Lenoir and Blowing Rock Mayor (1890-92), purchased the property from Wesley Moore's son, Wesley Vanroe Moore, of Darlington, South Carolina, and they named it the "Martin Cottage." The Martin Cottage, next door to the Watauga Hotel, continued as a boarding house and was called by some a center of social life in Blowing Rock, especially when run by the Martin's daughter-in-law, Johnsie Harshaw Martin, for about thirty years into the 1960s. The Martin House was nearly doubled in size in 1923 by a nine-room addition to its rear, which can easily be seen by looking at the second floor and its expanded lines. It remained as a boarding house until about 1970, when the first commercial uses of its lower level began. Today, seven retail and service businesses occupy the main building and three other business occupy adjacent buildings around the patio. The Maple trees in its front yard are well over 100 years old. The town of Blowing Rock sits upon the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Watauga County and Caldwell County border and at the Eastern Continental Divide. The town's altitude appealed to wealthy residents looking to escape the heat of the Piedmont. A growing tourism industry began when visitors came in the years after the Civil War to the Blowing Rock area to camp in the summer. In order to provide indoor lodging for a growing number of visitors, many Blowing Rock homes were converted into boarding houses and a variety of hotels, such as the Watauga Hotel (1885), the Blowing Rock Hotel and Springhaven Inn (1889), and the Green Park Inn (1891), were opened to tourists. In this time of tourism growth Blowing Rock was incorporated as a town (1889) and elected as its first mayor, Joseph Clarke, who had founded the Caldwell and Watauga Turnpike company, which constructed a road from Lenoir that facilitated easier access to Blowing Rock. H.C. Martin was the town's second mayor.

The Martin House, built in 1870, is the second oldest buildings in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The house was built by Wesley Moore of Bishopville, South Carolina as a private residence but Moore converted the house into a boarding house in the early 1880s. Harry C. Martin and his wife Ida purchased the house in 1891 an continued to operate it as a boarding house, accommodating the growing tourism industry in Blowing Rock. Following the opening of hotels in the late nineteenth century, the owners of the Martin House repurposed the building as a collection of retail shops in the heart of Blowing Rock’s Main Street shopping district.

The Martin House

Clean mountain air, pure spring water and outdoor activity began drawing tourists to Blowing Rock as early as the mid-1800s. Consequently, by the end of the 19th century Blowing Rock officials were committed to promoting the town as a tourist destination. This endeavor created rapid growth in the town leading to a main street that was a collection of poorly built wooden structures. On October 3, 1923, a fire swept through downtown Blowing Rock destroying a large section of the town. Although the fire devastated the town, as Lena Robbins recalls, “it was also a blessing in disguise.” The fire swept away many eyesores and paved the way for new construction. After the disaster an ordinance banning wood construction on Main Street was immediately put in place and by the spring of 1924 reconstruction of the town was booming. Many new brick buildings, including the one built by George Hanna, were beginning to line Main Street. Hanna’s operated in Blowing Rock every summer season between the months of June and October. As Thamena Hanna recalls, at the end of October they shuttered the store, packed up the merchandise and moved back to Sarasota FL, returning the following June to supply rugs and gifts to the summer “cottagers” and summer visitors. The beautiful homes of these prominent families can still be found around Blowing Rock. The Cone Manor, Chetola and Westglow are just a few of the homes that supported the businesses of downtown.Another significant business of downtown Blowing Rock was the Yonahlossee Theater. Constructed of Grandfather Mountain granite, the Yonahlossee Theater was built to replace the smaller Carolina Theater which could no longer meet the needs of the growing population of Blowing Rock. The Yonahlossee was a “summer-only” theater and operated as Blowing Rock’s primary movie theater between 1939 and 1979. After the Yonahlossee’s closing the town struggled to agree on the best use for the building. Finally, in 1981, the location was remodeled and divided into retail space. Hanna’s added the North side of the theater to their business while Christmas in Blowing Rock occupies the South side. Currently Thamena Hanna operates Hanna’s, however, since 1919, four generations of the Hanna family have contributed to running the business. On March 10, 2018 during Blowing Rock's 129th birthday celebration, Thelma Hanna accepted one of the town's historic markers for the Yonahlossee Theater building.

Started1919, Hanna’s Oriental Rugs & Gifts has been a fixture of Main Street Blowing Rock shopping, supplying visitors with a large selection of oriental rugs, antiques, porcelain and fine linens. George Hanna built the brick building currently standing at 1123 Main Street soon after the 1923 fire that destroyed much of downtown Blowing Rock. The building was the summer home for Hanna’s rug business and also provided an apartment for the family. The current entrance is on the south side of the shop in the stone building that housed the Yonahlossee theater between the years of 1939 and 1979.


Hanna's Oriental Rugs & Gifts

In 1890 Church of the Holy Spirit, the first Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock, was constructed on Dogwood Lane and opened for services in 1891. In 1917 Susie Parker Stringfellow led the congregations to build a new church. Financed by a generous donation from W. W. Stringfellow, Susie’s husband and owner of Chetola Estate, the building was completed in 1921. Sadly, Mrs. Stringfellow died in 1920, consequently the church was dedicated to the glory of God and the memory of Susie Parker Stringfellow. With the donation of Dangerfield’s ‘Madonna of the Hills,’ which won the prestigious Clark Prize, awarded for the best figure composition by the National Academy of Design in New York, the church was named St. Mary of the Hills.A prominent figure in the early life of the church, Rev. William Savage, who was appointed head of the Valle Crucis Associate Mission, lived in Blowing Rock and was very active with the Church of the Holy Spirit. Savage lived on Main Street in the Mission House/Library which was constructed as a home for him and a lending library for the community. The building currently houses the Village Café and is on the National Register of Historic Places.In addition to Elliott Dangerfield’s ‘Madonna of the Hills,’ Marjorie Daingerfield Howlett’s statue ‘The Offering’ can be found in the Mary Garden and Alex Hallmark’s sculpture “The Annunciation” is located on the gable facing Chestnut Drive and his 14 Stations of the Cross line the nave walls. The largest of the 4 bells is dedicated to the men from Watauga County who fought in World War I.

In 1918 the Church of the Holy Spirit began construction on their new church home on the corner of Chestnut Drive and Main Street. The building was dedicated in 1921 as the Susie Parker Stringfellow Memorial Church, however, after Elliott Daingerfield’s generous gift of his painting “Madonna of the Hills” the name was changed to St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church. St. Mary of the Hills became a parish in 1972 indicating its ability to be self-supporting and maintain a full-time priest. The church houses significant works of art by Elliott Dangerfield, Marjorie Daingerfield Howlett, and Alex Hallmark, as well as beautiful stained-glass windows depicting the life of Christ, hand stitched kneelers, bells that ring on the hour and an organ built by Lively-Fulcher. https://stmaryofthehills.org/about



St Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church

In 1882, summer resident and boarding house owner Mrs. Alfred M. (Emma Reid) Stewart of Mecklenburg County, NC, sent a letter to the presbytery expressing her concern for the spiritual wellbeing of the inhabitants of Watauga County. She noted the "widespread religious destitution” of the area and proposed “an inexpensive house of worship.” (Saunders p.2) Her efforts combined with those of William J. Martin, a college professor from Davidson and the Rev. Dr. Jethro Rumple, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury eventually lead to the establishment of the Blowing Rock Presbyterian Church on land donated by Mrs. Stewart.Dr. Rumple, a prolific writer and preacher, also pioneered causes in religious education and social concern. After graduating with distinction from Davidson College in 1850, he taught and studied at Columbia Theological Seminary in South Carolina and was licensed to preach in 1856. In 1882 The University of North Carolina honored him with the Doctor of Divinity degree. (Saunders p7)As early as 1872 Rumple spent time in Blowing Rock as part of the Presbytery’s effort to send missionaries to the mountain counties and establish mission schools in the region. By the fall of 1886, just a few months after his dedication sermon at the new church, Rumple along with William Martin, joined the ranks of “cottagers” purchasing lots in Blowing Rock. Rumple would become a lifelong supporter and proponent of mission work in the Blowing Rock area, assisting Munroe with preaching duties when in town and continually promoting the interests of the church.In the spring of 1895 Rev. Edgar Tufts arrived in the NC mountains to be the only permanent Presbyterian minister covering the needs of Watauga and Mitchell County, preaching once a month in Blowing Rock. Tufts legacy would become Lees-McRae Institute, now a full-fledged college, and Grandfather Home for Children, an orphanage, both located in Banner Elk, NC. The Children’s Home would become the primary charity supported by the Rumple congregation. During the 1930s, 40s &amp; early 50s Mr. David Ovens, namesake of Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, “brought performers from the New York Metropolitan Opera Company to Blowing Rock for benefit concerts which become one of Blowing Rock’s summer social scene.” (Buxton 133)

Named for Rev. Dr. Jethro Rumple, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury, Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church was dedicated in 1886 as the Blowing Rock Presbyterian Church. The church was officially organized by Reverend C. A. Munroe of Lenoir on July 17, 1887 and added to the roll of churches with 8 members.  Blowing Rock Presbyterian Church began as a small frame structure on this site, however, after being struck by lightning in May 1888 the original building was replaced with the larger stone structure that was completed in 1912. During the first year of construction of the new Church, Dr. Rumple died. His Salisbury Sunday school class donated a stone marker with the inscription ‘Rumple Memorial’ to the Blowing Rock congregation. Inspired by the gesture and appreciative of Dr. Rumple’s tireless work, the Church was officially renamed ‘Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church’ in 1940. (Buxton p132) The large pulpit Bible and pulpit that remain in the existing church today were generously donated by some of Blowing Rock’s “cottagers” to help furnish the original church building. In addition, the church houses the "Rumple Window," a Tiffany style stained glass window which was installed in the choir loft, "In loving memory of Rev. Jethro Rumple, D.D." (Saunders p.48)

Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church

In 1886, 25-year-old Elliott Daingerfield traveled to Blowing Rock to recuperate from diphtheria. Born in 1859 in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, Daingerfield moved with his family to Fayetteville, NC in 1861. By 1880 he had moved to New York City to pursue a career in painting and by the time he arrived in Blowing Rock he had become a celebrated painter and teacher. Daingerfield found great inspiration in the North Carolina mountains, eventually making Blowing Rock his summer home.Daingerfield taught painting technique from his Edgewood Cottage studio in the summers and at the Philadelphia School of Design in the winters. Several of his Philadelphia students followed him to Blowing Rock and a few became members of the renowned “Philadelphia Ten.” However, while summering in Blowing Rock the locals dubbed the students the “paintin’ ladies.”After the completion in 1900 of Windwood, Daingerfield’s second Blowing Rock home, Edgewood Cottage was occupied by another famous artist, Mr. Jean Jacques Pfister who was known for his landscape paintings and head of the art department at Rollins College.1A deeply religious man, Daingerfield felt a strong link between nature and spirituality. Believing that “art was a vehicle of God’s expression.” 2 He turned to religious painting in the late 1800’s and generously donated the painting St. Mary, the Virgin to the St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Mission which stands across Main Street from Edgewood Cottage.Daingerfield spent nearly every summer of his life in Blowing Rock until his death in 1932.

Edgewood Cottage was designed and built as a summer home and studio by Elliott Daingerfield (1859-1932) in 1890. Daingerfield, a renowned American artist, whose works are found in museums across America, built the cottage as his summer home and studio. In 2008, using Daingerfield’s original architectural drawings, which are on display in the cottage, the Blowing Rock Historical Society reconstructed the cottage to its original form, using some of the  salvaged original materials. In keeping with the cottage's original purpose, the Historical Society primarily uses the cottage for the Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage program which features High Country artists throughout the summer months.  

Edgewood Cottage

It is very appropriate to begin a “history” tour of the Blowing Rock Art &amp; History Museum in front of the Brenda Councill statue of artist Elliott Daingerfield in front of Edgewood Cottage, Daingerfield’s first home and studio in Blowing Rock, on the corner of Main Street and Ginny Stevens Lane. Elliott Daingerfield, born in 1859, was a very successful painter and a prominent member of the National Academy of Design. In the summer of 1886, Daingerfield and his wife came to Blowing Rock so that he could recover from a bout with diphtheria. By 1890, Daingerfield had bought this property and constructed his first home and studio here at Edgewood Cottage. He would spend nearly every summer of his life here in Blowing Rock until his death in 1932., and would own three homes here, Edgewood Cottage, Windwood, and then Westglow.  In June 1995, a “Daingerfield Day” celebration was held in Blowing Rock that showcased Daingerfield’s homes here and included an exhibition of his paintings. At that exhibition, a major collector of Daingerfield’s work, Lamont Hudson, was overheard (by Ginny Stevens) to say, “It’s too bad Blowing Rock doesn’t have an art museum, because, if they did, I would donate my Daingerfield collection.” Well, that terrific idea was enough to get the indomitable Ginny Stevens started on a quest to make a museum happen. Ginny and Elliott Daingerfield’s grandson, Joe Dulaney, (who still has a second home here in Blowing Rock), began talking up the idea and putting together an action group of like-minded people. The group soon included Welborn and Patty Alexander who were themselves serious art collectors of American Impressionist work created between 1880 and 1930. By 1999, the group began holding formal meetings. By 2001, the volunteers had organized a non-profit organization and had obtained an official 501 c 3 designation that allowed them tax status as a charitable organization. By 2005, the organization hired an Executive Director, Joann Mitchell. This small but passionate group of volunteers donated thousands of hours to the project, but the question of where to locate the museum remained. Leaders of the nascent organization explored several sites and worked with the Blowing Rock Performing Arts Center group about a potential partnership. By that time, leaders of the Arts Center were far along in their organizational and planning process and it was decided that the community could be home to multiple arts organizations with unique organizational missions. The leaders of the nascent organization talked to civic leaders about utilizing the former fire station building that was being replaced with a new facility. At that time, this property became available and leaders of the movement to create the museum felt it was serendipity. This half block that included the old Edgewood Cottage structure had been inherited by two cousins, Lucy Tiller and Kate Lane, from their aunt and uncle, Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Schmucker. The property had been offered for commercial sale for $1,500,000. But in late 2002, Kate Lane was willing to allow her half interest to be donated to a charitable civic purpose. Knowing that the Town at that time was actively seeking more parking space, the Museum team put together a proposal to the Town that would have the Town buy the property for half price and enter into a ground lease with the Museum organization for the footprint of the Museum, would allow the Blowing Rock Historical Society to attempt to rescue Edgewood Cottage. The city built a parking structure to accommodate the new museum and support additional public parking. The Main Street area would be a park-like campus setting compatible with the lawns of the two churches on opposite corners. It was a major attempt at public/private collaboration with the museum group supplying the architectural and engineering plans an museum volunteer and engineer John Calvin agreed to oversee both the museum and the parking structure construction. With this agreement in place, the museum team was encouraged and felt that they had a head-start for their ambitious project. The land was both a prime downtown commercial location and available at no cost while they also benefited from the future parking structure. The next goal was to create a museum building that “looked like it grew here” in the words of project leaders. The volunteer group began serious fundraising that included events like art exhibitions and auctions of exhibited work, a 2003 presentation about the art-collecting Cone Sisters that featured talks by staff from the Baltimore Museum of Art where much of that collection is housed, sponsored trips to different cities with tours of museums and private collections, and sponsored art and antique shows. They initiated a Young at Art program to bring working artists and art instruction into the elementary schools. They also raised over $7 million in personal donations to build the museum with the goal of opening the doors debt-free. Ground was broken for museum construction in 2010, and the doors were opened on a snowy, blustery day, October 1, 2011. The museum opened fittingly with an exhibition “Elliott Daingerfield: Art and Life in North Carolina” which was attended by many of the museum volunteers who led the effort from the beginning such as Ginny Stevens, Welborn and Patty Alexander, John Calvin, and the many, many others, and also by collectors Lamont and Cora Hudson who provided the initial spark, and by Elliott Daingerfield’s two grandsons Joe and Elliott Dulaney and their families, and excited members of the public. Since then, the Blowing Rock Art &amp; History has continued to amaze the public with its remarkable diversity of exhibitions and community outreach programs.  From the very beginning, the Museum founders and volunteers realized that the story of art here could not be told without explanation of the rich cultural heritage that fostered it, and that the story of regional history here could not be told without telling the stories of the varied artistic and creative people and collectors who were part of that history. So, from the beginning, it has made sense that this needed to be an Art and History Museum. In 2015, Lee Carol Giduz became the museum's new Executive Director. Visitors to the museum will notice reception, exhibition, and shop space on the building's main level with exhibition space, office space, and meeting rooms on its upstairs second level. The museum's educational and storage space can be found on the lower level. Seasoned museum goers are regularly ask how this little Appalachian community with a regular population of fewer than 1,300 people were able to create and support a museum of this size. In many ways, the story of this museum is one of the community and its residents, as well as the unique connection between the arts and the people of Appalachia.

Established in 2011, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) promotes the Arts and Southern Appalachian heritage and history through educational programs, exhibitions, activities, and permanent collections. The museum was made possible by the generosity of donors and opened in 2011. Today, the museum features ten galleries, five of which rotate exhibitions seasonally. These exhibits along with the impressive permanent collections are quickly making BRAHM a "rock star" in the local community of Blowin Rock and a model for other small-town museums.

Downtown Blowing Rock Historic Marker Walking Tour

Miller Robbins House (1903) and the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information