1

Contents

Acknowledgements 3

List of Illustrations 4

Management Summary 6

Locational Data 6

Historical Overview 6

Architectural Description 7

Report Use and Purpose 11

Current Access and Use Information 14

Prior Planning Documents 15

Existing Exterior Signage 20

Historical Information 26

History of Structure 26

History of Objects 32

Recommendations for Structural Repair and Furnishings 33

Administrative Recommendations 39

Interpretive Objectives 39

Recommended Exterior Signage 40

Operating Plan 42

Front Room 42

Back Room 42
 2

Rotating Exhibits 43

Fire Code Safety 44

Open Hours and Staffing Recommendations 45

Furnishings Plan 47

Existing Furnishings 47

Front Room (1) 47

Back Room (2) 48

Furnishings History 50

Recommended Furnishings 53

Front Room (1) 54

Back Room (2) 55

Recommended Furnishings Reasonings 57

Front Room (1) 57

Back Room (2) 59

Appendices 62

Appendix A: Suggested Exterior Wayside Panel 62

Appendix B: Suggested Exhibit Panels - Front Room 64

Appendix C: Suggested Exhibit Panels - Back Room 74

Appendix D: Rack Card Example 76

Appendix E: Sanborn Map 77

Bibliography 78
 3

Acknowledgements

The Fall 2018 Introduction to Historic Preservation class would like to acknowledge

several individuals and organizations for their assistance with this Historic Furnishings Report.

This learning opportunity would not have been available if it were not for the Blowing Rock

Historical Society. Specifically, Rita White, the President of the Blowing Rock Historical

Society, has been kind in providing her time and assistance both in opening the Museum outside

the normal operating hours in order to allow for the initial site visit and in answering numerous

questions. Trent Margrif also made himself available by opening the Blowing Rock Historical

Society archives and going out of his way to select and organize files he knew would be of

assistance to the project. The Belk Library at Appalachian State University proved to be a helpful

resource, specifically the Special Collections. Special Collections staff, particularly Reference

Archivist and Librarian Curator Greta Browning, were generous with their time in assisting

researchers with finding the proper boxes of information. The Blowing Rock Art and History

Museum, open free to the public, provided an additional resource as an example of a current

exhibit of the history of Blowing Rock, including several of the artifacts once located in the 1888

Museum. Last but not least, the authors are indebted to their professor, Dr. Kristen Baldwin

Deathridge, who assigned the project and provided professional guidance throughout the drafting

process.
 4

List of Illustrations

Figures Page Number

1 Blowing Rock Museum sign, east exterior wall. 9

2 Watauga Hotel Cottage historic marker, east exterior wall. 9

3 1888 Museum sign, east exterior wall, in portico gable. 10

4 Project of Blowing Rock Garden Club sign, east exterior wall. 21

5 Historic markers to the north of the Main Street portico,

northeast exterior corner. 22

6 North Carolina Historic Marker: Stoneman’s Raid (ID: N10),

northeast exterior corner. 23

7 Daniel Boone Trail Marker #26, northeast exterior corner. 23

8 Boone Trail Highway stone pillar, northeast exterior corner. 24

9 Information Board - “Directory” side, digital with changing images,

south side of board, east of Museum. 25

10 Information Board - “Information” side, digital with changing images,

north side of board, east of Museum. 25

11 1888 Museum Existing Furnishings Sketches. 52

12 1888 Museum Recommended Furnishings Sketches. 56

13 Historic photo of The Watauga Hotel. 63

14 Sketch of ​The Watauga Hotel​ by artist Victoria Appell. 63

15 Black Bear Trail, from Boone to Blowing Rock. 68

16 Looking toward Lenoir from Blowing Rock, what is today US 321. 69

17 The Yonahlossee Trail, between Linville and Blowing Rock,

now known as Highway 221. 70
 5

18 Artist rendering of the road from Lenoir to Blowing Rock,

from the collection of Janet Wilson. 71

19 Photograph of the road to Blowing Rock, from the collection of the

Blowing Rock Historical Society. 71

20 Front of suggested rack card, created using Canva. 76

21 Back of suggested rack card, created using Canva. 76

22 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Blowing Rock, NC ca. 1927. 77

Tables

1 Recommendations for Exterior Repairs and Changes 37

2 Recommendations for Interior Repairs and Changes 38

 6

Management Summary

Locational Data

The 1888 Museum is located at 1094 Main Street in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The

building is situated between the Martin House, a historic structure now comprised of numerous

shops, and Memorial Park, a pedestrian friendly public space offering game courts, a gazebo, and

numerous annual events. The cottage is centrally located in downtown and is zoned “BR-CB” for

the town’s central business district.

Historical Overview

Blowing Rock has long been a place for America's growing middle class to escape urban

life for a peaceful mountain retreat. Built in 1888, the Museum building was originally part of

several cottages belonging to the Watauga Hotel. The Watauga Hotel opened in 1884, as the

Town of Blowing Rock started to transform its economy to focus more on tourism during the

resort era. Since the mid-1800s, the Town had become a picturesque mountain tourist destination

with people visiting for the lovely weather and peaceful scenery. The cottages were built within

just a few years of the original hotel, which burned down in the early 1900s. Created to take

advantage of the growing tourism industry in town, the cottages served as guest accommodations

with the Watauga Inn, which replaced the burned down Watauga Hotel in the early 1900s. For

many years these cottages continued to serve tourists until the second hotel on site burned down

in 1926. The cottages served guests at fifteen dollars a month, providing a perfect getaway from
 7

urban life.1 Offering dances, social events, and all the amenities available on Main Street, the

hotel and cottages were part of a thriving industry that shaped the Town. The Watauga Hotel and

the other hotels in Blowing Rock prospered by catering to the growing middle class in America's

cities at the end of the nineteenth-century. In the late 1930s, the hotel site was turned into a park

for the Town.2 It was at this point that most of the other cottages were demolished to make room

for the park. The 1888 Museum cottage survived in its location as a realty office until the

building was set aside by the Blowing Rock Commissioners to become a museum in 1994.3 The

Town commissioners, along with the Blowing Rock Historical Society (BRHS), dedicated the

site and officially opened the cottage on March 11, 1997. It was then known as the Blowing

Rock Pictorial Museum.4 Since the beginning, the Museum has been referred to by many names.

Known today as the 1888 Museum, it is owned by the Town, and administered by the BRHS

since 1994. The little Museum has become a popular attraction for visitors to the town and is an

important part of preserving the town’s heritage.

Architectural Description

The building is a white painted, wood framed, cottage. It is one story with two rooms,

with the footprint of the entire building being 420 square feet. The foundation appears to have

been replaced since the original construction because it is currently made of cinder blocks that

1
“Blowing Rock Historical Society Venues,” Blowing Rock Historical Society, accessed October 1, 2018,
https://www.blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com/venues.html.
2
Barry M. Buxton, Jerry W. Burns, and Robert S. Jones, ​Village Tapestry: The History of Blowing Rock (​ Boone:
Appalachian State University, 1989), 8.
3
Booklet titled “The Blowing Rock Museum,” ca. 1999, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood
Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC (hereafter cited as BRHS Booklet).
4
“Picturing the Past,” ​The Blowing Rocket​, March 20, 1997. Clippings file, Blowing Rock Historical Society
Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
 8

are visibly in newer condition than the rest of the building. The cottage has a front gabled roof

with wooden shingles and includes a central, brick chimney that is in running bond. The facade

faces east and is one of the gable ends. There is one door on the facade facing Main Street above

which is a portico with white support columns and a front gabled roof. This door is not original

to the structure, and was originally a window that was likely double-hung, as there is a central,

double-hung window on the opposite, western elevation. Leading to the door is a two-stair, stone

staircase.

To the south of the door is a large, rectangular, wooden sign commemorating the charter

members of the Blowing Rock Museum in 1996 (Figure 1). To the north of the door is a smaller,

oval sign, also made of wood, that gives a brief history of the structure (Figure 2). Above the

door is a similar oval sign that reads “1888 Museum” (Figure 3). These signs are discussed

further in the Existing Exterior Signage section of this report.

 9

Figure 1. ​Blowing Rock Museum sign, east exterior wall.

Figure 2. ​Watauga Hotel Cottage historic marker, east exterior wall.

 10

Figure 3. ​1888 Museum sign, east exterior wall, in portico gable.

The northern elevation (original facade) has two bays, featuring two evenly spaced,

double-hung windows that are not original to the structure. These windows replaced the two

exterior doors on the facade of the original structure, which were the only entranceways to the

two separate cottage rooms. This elevation also originally featured a ground-level, wooden porch

that ran the length of the facade and had a hipped roof supported by four equally-spaced,

white-painted, square wooden posts along the front edge. The western elevation has one bay with

a single window in its center. This elevation also features electrical boxes, meters, and wires to

the south of the window, which are all painted white to blend in with the siding. Power lines

extend from the roof on the southern half of this elevation. The southern elevation has three bays

with two windows identical to those on the northern elevation and a third, half-size window in

the center that has been covered with a white-painted, wooden board. The window on the west

end of the southern elevation that accesses the back room is broken. It is unknown whether or not
 11

these window styles are original to the structure. Above the boarded window is a small, box-like,

metal protrusion, which is open on the end and may vent air from the interior of the cottage.

Report Use and Purpose

This Historic Furnishings Report is meant to help provide the Blowing Rock Historical

Society and the Town of Blowing Rock guidance in future planning decisions regarding the 1888

Museum. These decisions include the objects housed within the Museum and managed by the

BRHS as well as items within their archives. Operations, staffing, signage, and interior and

exterior elements all are discussed with possible recommendations that can be examined by the

BRHS and Town. The purpose of these recommendations, and the examination of the historic

site, is to help offer solutions to best improve the site. These recommendations regard the

structure as well as the use of the building. Improving the BRHS’s ability to educate the public

who visit it and working to increase visitation is vital to ensuring that it will last for future

generations. To ensure this ability to educate the public, we recommend that the building remains

a museum and keeps the name “1888 Museum.”

In the course of researching the information and recommendations included below, the

authors discovered that the address of the 1888 Museum was listed differently in different places,

which can be confusing for visitors. The authors were able to confirm the address as 1094 Main

Street and successfully submitted a formal request to correct the address on Google Maps.

The Museum is not only a place of education, but also a repository for many unique

historical artifacts. This report highlights the objects currently on display and provides

recommendations on the placement of those objects as well as different objects recommended to

 12

be put on display. It also sets a specific period of significance for the Museum, within which all

of the provided recommendations fall. The current proposal recommends the period of

significance for the 1888 Museum to be set from 1889 to 1914. A period of significance is a span

of time during which significant events occurred.5 For the purpose of interpretation in the

Museum, this period of significance was chosen by the authors in order to best portray the time

period the Watauga Hotel Cottage was in use as well as the resort era simultaneously occurring

in Blowing Rock. This time frame is in line with the original plans for the Blowing Rock

Pictorial Museum as outlined at the dedication ceremony on March 11, 1997.6 Further

recommendations include the addition of exhibit panels in order to improve the guest’s

interactions with the objects and promote a better understanding of the history that the Museum

represents.

This report also includes suggestions to alter the exterior of the building. Making

structural changes to include original design features and modern accessibility features could be

expensive but is an option to be considered. By partially restoring the building to the way it

looked during the period it was used as a rental cottage, the structure would not only provide the

visitor with a more historically authentic experience but these changes would also make the

Museum more accessible to all visitors. This report and its recommendations are intended to

provide helpful guidance to the Blowing Rock Historical Society and the Town of Blowing Rock

on the future endeavors of the Museum. The Museum is a great resource for locals who want to

5
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “Research: Researching a Historic Property,” National
Register Publications, accessed December 9, 2018,
https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb39/nrb39_ii.HTM.
6
​“Museum Committee Seeking Pioneer Names.”
 13

learn more about their history and tourists who hope to better understand the place they are

visiting. It is a treasure that should be protected for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
 14

Current Access and Use Information

The 1888 Museum is currently open to visitors seasonally between April and October,

weather permitting, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. There is no

admission charge. The Museum is staffed by volunteers, and managed by the Blowing Rock

Historical Society. The building is owned by the Town of Blowing Rock. The Historical

Societies’ mission is to protect and preserve the historic resources important to the heritage of

Blowing Rock.7

The building that houses the Museum was originally a cottage composed of two separate

rental units with private entrances. Today, those two rooms are connected and both original

entrances have been removed. A new entrance was formed where a window was once located on

the eastern elevation of the cottage facing Main Street. This single entrance serves as both the

entry and exit point of the Museum.

Furnished as a rental cottage in 1888, the back room displays a recreated, mock hotel

room at the end of the nineteenth-century. The front room is furnished with a variety of artifacts,

including several from local hotels. According to the President of the BRHS, most items within

the 1888 Museum were donated or loaned to the Society. None of the items are original to the

building, but many date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and represent local

establishments and residents.8

7
The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and The Blowing Rock Historical Society, “Memorandum of
Understanding,” Unpublished manuscript, February 24, 2004 (hereafter cited as BRAHM and BRHS
Memorandum).
8
BRHS, “Venues.”
 15

As part of the introduction to the self-guided Museum, BRHS volunteers stationed at a

desk in the front room invite visitors to walk through the small structure and imagine staying in

the back room for fifteen dollars per month, including all meals.

Prior Planning Documents

On December 7, 1992, the Vice President of the BRHS, Betsy Garten, wrote a letter to

the Mayor and Board of Commissioners requesting that the Town consider allocating the use of

the Watauga Hotel Cottage as a repository for donated artifacts. At the time the building was

leased by the Williamson Realty Agency. By utilizing this historic structure as a museum staffed

by volunteers from the BRHS, the Town would then make public use of a public building. Such

an arrangement would be mutually beneficial for the Town of Blowing Rock and the BRHS.9

The lease with Williamson Realty was renewed that year, however Society members continued

to make progress toward their goal for a museum.10

The museum that the BRHS sought to establish in the 1990s would be referred to by

numerous names including Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum, Blowing Rock Museum, Blowing

Rock Historical Museum, the Little White Museum, and the Village Museum. The Museum is

referred to by all of these names interchangeably throughout many of the referenced sources in

this report. Today it is known as the 1888 Museum, however, research in the BRHS archives did

not clarify at what point this name was adopted. This report uses many of the above names based

upon the context of the source materials, however the authors of this report default to the

Museum’s current name, the 1888 Museum, wherever possible.

9
Betsy Garten to Mayor Hayden Pitts and the Board of Commissioners, Letter, December 7, 1992.
10
Town of Blowing Rock and William Williamson, “Lease Agreement,” Unpublished Manuscript, December 8,
1992.
 16

In 1994 the Blowing Rock Commissioners dedicated the Watauga Hotel Cottage for the

Blowing Rock Museum.11 In November and December 1996, ​The Blowing Rocket​ and ​The

Mountain Times ​newspapers advertised the planned opening of the Blowing Rock Museum,

which was set for March 11, 1997. These articles invite residents to submit last names of families

residing in Blowing Rock during its formative years (1889 to 1914) in order to print those names

on a ribbon honoring the Town’s early settlers. This ribbon was designed to wrap the small

cottage for the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting in March, officially dedicating the Museum

to those pioneers.12

On March 11, 1997, as a celebration of the 108th anniversary of the incorporation of the

Town of Blowing Rock, the former Watauga Hotel Cottage was dedicated as the new Blowing

Rock Pictorial Museum in the ribbon cutting ceremony honoring the Town’s forefathers. The

Museum was established to house a unique pictorial collection of the Town’s history with a

strong emphasis on photographs from the earliest days of the Town through the present. From

research in the BRHS archives, the origin of the photographs on display in the Museum at the

time of the March opening is unclear, but in a newspaper article published shortly after the

dedication Museum officials welcomed the public to donate or loan more photographs,

documents, and memorabilia .13 Eventually the BRHS also hoped to organize special exhibits of

other objects.14

11
​BRHS Booklet.
12
“Museum Committee is Seeking Pioneer Names for March 11th ‘Wrap’,” ​The Blowing Rocket, ​November 28,
1996. Clippings file, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.; Jim
Thompson, “Blowing Rock’s New Museum Gets Ready for March Opening,” ​The Mountain Times, ​December 5,
1996.
13
“Picturing the Past.”
14
Thompson, “BR’s New Museum.”
 17

Judith Burns, a coordinator for the Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum in 1997, remarked at

the Museum dedication that the opening was a “small beginning” in order to “plant a seed.” She

implied it was the community’s responsibility to nurture that seed. As active participants in the

Town’s history, it was up to Blowing Rock residents to donate toward Museum exhibits. Burns

remarked that the photos in the Museum represented the Blowing Rock only few remembered.

According to her words at the dedication, the Museum displayed “these photographs as a

permanent reminder that Blowing Rock was built with a pioneer spirit lost to the present

generation.”15 These remarks can be interpreted as the mission statement of the Blowing Rock

Pictorial Museum.16

In the beginning, the Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum was staffed by employees of the

Blowing Rock Carriage Company while also serving as the company’s base of operations. At

that point the Museum was primarily open to the public Fridays through Sundays with the

potential to expand opening hours under consideration.17

Within a few months of the Museum’s opening, the BRHS produced a booklet titled “The

Blowing Rock Museum.” This booklet included a chronology of Blowing Rock starting in the

mid-1800s, a list of all buildings in Blowing Rock included on the National Register of Historic

Places, the Blowing Rock census reports from the mid-1800s through 1999, and a sketch of The

Watauga Hotel coupled with a brief history of the site.18 The booklet honored the charter

15
​“Judith Burns, Museum Coordinator: Remarks At The March 11, 1997 Dedication Of Blowing Rock’s Pictorial
Museum,” ​The Blowing Rocket,​ March 20, 1997. Clippings file, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives,
Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
16
“Judith Burns Remarks.”
17
“Blowing Rock Artist Presents Museum Officials With Original Drawings of Village Landmarks” ​The Blowing
Rocket​, July 3, 1997. Clippings file, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock,
NC.
18
BRHS Booklet.
 18

members of the Museum and copies were provided to Museum guests upon request.19 It is

unclear from research how long these booklets were made available at the Museum, however, the

copy found within the BRHS archives had been updated circa 1999.20

According to various committee meeting agendas and notes, the Carriage Company

stopped providing employees for the Museum sometime between July 1997 and May 1998.21 It

has been staffed by BRHS volunteers since April, 1998, and possibly earlier. Decisions for

opening times were made based upon attendance records and weather. All documentation from

1998 through 2001, as well as other years including 2003, 2006, and 2007, indicates open times

to be Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.22 At some points, the Museum was

only open on Saturdays outside the busy season. Starting in April or May the Museum would be

open on Wednesdays as well. In 1999, the BRHS planned to close the Museum January through

March of 2000 due to winter weather and volunteer discomfort, as the building was difficult to

heat.23 This closure was repeated in 2001.24 It is possible this same winter closure occurred other

years but this could not be confirmed by records in the BRHS archives. Today, the 1888

Museum still operates Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.25 It is likely the

Museum has maintained these operating hours since April 1998, however documentation was not

19
​“BR Artist Presents Original Drawings.”
20
​BRHS Booklet.
21
​“BR Artist Presents Original Drawings.”
22
​Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers, “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum,” Letter, April 24, 2003.; Ginny Stevens
to Museum Volunteers, “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum,” Letter, April 26, 2006.; Ginny Stevens to Museum
Volunteers, “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum,” Letter, May 17, 2007.
23
Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers, “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum,” Letter, June 24, 1999.; Ginny Stevens,
“Blowing Rock Museum Attendance Figures - 1999 and 2000,” ca. 2001.
24
​Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers, “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum,” Letter, June 10, 2000.
25
​BRHS, “Venues.”
 19

found to confirm this for each year. In the first year, additional open days were considered,

however no documentation found indicates that ever transpired.26

One or two volunteers at a time were scheduled each open afternoon. Each volunteer was

provided with a list of all volunteers, including substitutes, and only some volunteers were

provided with keys.27 Should a restroom break be needed, the volunteers were welcome to use a

restroom located in the Martin House and lock the Museum for a brief duration.28 In 2001, the

BRHS provided a volunteer training day.29 In 2005, the Chamber of Commerce, BRHS, and

Tourism Development Authority produced a volunteer ad that invited local residents to

participate in an open-house event featuring all volunteer opportunities in the town, including

“seasonal greeter” and “information specialist” at the Museum.30 All Museum volunteers were

provided with name tags and were identified as representatives of the Town and the BRHS.31

Attendance records indicate the number of local visitors as well as the home locations of

out of town visitors. In a document recording the attendance figures for the museum from 1999

and 2000 it was noted that the changing of exhibits lead to return visitors, presumably local.32

The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) and the Blowing Rock Historical

Society created a Memorandum of Understanding on February 24, 2004. This document clarified

the specific missions of both organizations and established a cooperative agreement to work

26
​“BR Artist Presents Original Drawings.”
27
Volunteer Schedule, “Blowing Rock Museum Schedule - 1998-1999,” ca. 1998, Blowing Rock Historical Society
Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.; Stevens to Museum Volunteers, June 24, 1999.
28
​Stevens to Museum Volunteers, June 10, 2000.
29
Agenda, “Blowing Rock Museum Committee,” April 12, 2001, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives,
Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
30
Advertisement draft, “It Takes a Village!,” ca. 2005, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood
Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
31
​Stevens to Museum Volunteers, June 10, 2000.
32
​Stevens, “BR Museum Attendance Figures - 1999 and 2000.”
 20

toward the cultural and educational enrichment of Blowing Rock as separate entities. BRAHM

agreed to provide additional space for storage, preservation, and display of BRHS artifacts.33

In the fall of 2012, the BRHS produced a document titled “Renovation to Repurpose the

Museum.” This document reads like an interpretive plan and refers to a “new exhibit.” It can

therefore be deduced that at this time there was a change in the use of the Museum. In this

document the 1888 Museum was referred to as the “Little White Museum.” The origin and

source publication of this document is unknown. In this plan, the BRHS outlined their goal for

visitors to pretend they have been transported back in time and are checking into the cottage for a

stay in the back room. By surrounding oneself with period pieces, the visitor would be

encouraged to consider how pampered people are today. Children especially would be fascinated

by the lack of television or bath facilities.34

Existing Exterior Signage

Currently, the Museum has multiple signs and historic markers at the Main Street

entrance on the eastern elevation. In the portico’s gable peak there is a sign reading “1888

Museum,” the current official name of the Museum (see Figure 3). Additionally, the sign from

the 1997 opening, referring to the building as “Blowing Rock Museum” followed by a list of

charter members and dated 1996, is hanging on the south side of the Main Street entrance (see

Figure 1). There is also a small red Blowing Rock Historical Marker, a joint project between

BRHS and the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (see Figure 2). This red, oval marker is

titled “Watauga Hotel Cottage ca. 1888” and recognizes the building as a significant contribution

33
BRAHM and BRHS Memorandum.
34
Publication of unknown origin, “Renovation to Repurpose the Museum,” Fall 2012, Blowing Rock Historical
Society Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC (hereafter cited as “Renovation to Repurpose”).
 21

to the Town’s legacy.35 To the south side of the portico there is a sign reading “Project of

Blowing Rock Garden Club” staked into the ground (Figure 4).

Figure 4. ​Project of Blowing Rock Garden Club sign, east exterior wall.

Independently of the museum, there are three historic markers to the north of the portico

(Figure 5). This includes a North Carolina historic marker referring to “Stoneman’s Raid”

(Figure 6), “Daniel Boone Trail Marker #26” (Figure 7), and a “Boone Trail Highway” stone

pillar (Figure 8). Additionally, there is a digital “Information” and “Directory” board located

directly east of the Main Street entrance, between the museum entrance and Main Street (Figures

9 and 10). The recommendations for exterior signage will be made in the Administrative

Information section of this report.

35
Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, “The Blowing Rock Historical Marker Program,” accessed November 1,
2018, http://blowingrockmuseum.org/see-do/blowing-rock-historical-marker-program.html.
 22

Figure 5. ​Historic markers to the north of the Main Street portico, northeast exterior corner.
 23

Figure 6. ​North Carolina Historic Marker: Stoneman’s Raid (ID: N10), northeast exterior corner.

Figure 7. ​Daniel Boone Trail Marker #26, northeast exterior corner.

 24

Figure 8. ​Boone Trail Highway stone pillar, northeast exterior corner.

 25

Figure 9 ​(Left image)​ ​Information Board - “Directory” side, digital with changing images, south

side of board, east of Museum.

Figure 10 ​(Right image)​ ​Information Board - “Information” side, digital with changing images,

north side of board, east of Museum.

 26

Historical Information

History of Structure

The 1888 Museum stands as a symbol of Blowing Rock’s first hotel and is the last

remaining structure of the Watauga Hotel. on October 14, 1884, The Watauga Hotel Company

purchased a 12 ¼ acre property from J. George Finly for five hundred and fifty dollars.36 Later

that year, a house which stood on Finly’s property was converted into a hotel. The cottages,

however, were not built until 1888.37 Cottage construction began in order to accommodate the

growing number of visitors that flocked to Blowing Rock near the end of the nineteenth- century.

The main building was a two-story structure with the cottages lining it on either side. The

cottage, which currently houses the Museum, was originally divided into two separate units with

individual entrance doors on the northern facade. The entrances faced the main building of the

Watauga Hotel, which is now the site of of Memorial Park.38 The rooms were ​rented individually

and room and board were only fifteen dollars per month. The rooms had no running water and

guests took their meals in the main building.39

The hotel flourished on the back of a tourism boom which was fueled by ​the emergence

of local-color writers’ depictions of Appalachia as the “true bearer of American culture.”40

According to Barry Buxton, the picturesque environment and cool mountain air prompted

36
​Deed of Sale from J. George Finly to Watauga Hotel Co., 14 October 1884 (filed 1884), Watauga County, North
Carolina, Deed Book B, pages 33-34, County Recorder's Office, Boone, NC.
37
​J. Daniel Pezzoni, ed., ​The Architectural History of Watauga County, North Carolina​ (Durham, NC: BW&A
Books, 2009), 38.
38
BRHS “Venues.”; Also, see Sanborn Map for pictorial evidence, Sanborn Map Company, ​Blowing Rock Watauga
County North Carolina,​ December 1927, 1:1,200 scale, Library of Congress: Map Division.
http://sanborn1.proquest.com/map.php?m=329017
39
​Buxton, Burns, and Jones,​ ​Village Tapestry,​ 96.
40
​Henry D. Shapiro. ​Appalachia on Our Mind: The Southern Mountains and Mountaineers in the American
Consciousness, 1870-1920​. Chapel Hill: U. of North Carolina P., 1987., 1, 6, & 7.
 27

countless visitors to stop by and enjoy their summers 4,190 feet above sea-level.41 These factors

allowed the tourism industry to thrive in the Blowing Rock area from the 19th-century to present.

The hotel and cottages were used continuously until, according to local newspapers, they

were destroyed by fire in 1899. Barry Buxton, however, estimates that the hotel caught fire in the

early 1900s.42 Fortunately for the growing tourism in Blowing Rock, this was not the end of the

Watauga Hotel’s story. The hotel was immediately rebuilt on the same foundation, but was

renamed the Watauga Inn. Unfortunately, the Inn, which was the first year-round hotel in the

Town, was also engulfed by fire in 1926. Along with the Inn, the fire also destroyed a large

portion of the business district.43

The December 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Blowing Rock shows six cottages to

just south of the space where the Watauga Inn once stood.44 Of the five cottages that sat in a row

parallel to the southern edge of the property, the one closest to the street was addressed 20 Alton

Pl. according to the 1927 Sanborn map. This cottage sat just north of the Martin House on Main

Street. The Sanborn map property lines are unclear, however, as it appears the cottage may also

have been part of 109 Main Street.The Martin House address is shown as 110 Main Street.

Through the research of this report, we have found no other town maps showing the streets and

buildings of Blowing Rock prior to the 1990s. We have uncovered evidence of only one other

map from the mid-twentieth century or earlier. The US Army Corps of Engineers created these

41
​Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry, 1​ 00.
42
​Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry, ​ 95; T
​ he Watauga Democrat. “Local News.” ​The Watauga Democrat.
November 23, 1899.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/167023392/?image=167023392&words=&terms=Watauga%2BHotel&pqsid=t
PG0ZkS_T8gcETCioagbRw:756000:1366323591​ ; Further research is needed into finding out definitively when the
first fire took place, since that information has not been conclusive across sources.
43
Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry, ​95-96.
44
See Appendix E for entire 1927 Blowing Rock Sanborn Map.
 28

maps between 1956 and 1959. Unfortunately, the authors were unable to locate this map in the

Special Collections archives.45 Other areas of Watauga County have Sanborn Maps from the

middle of the twentieth-century. However the Town of Blowing Rock is only featured in the

previously mentioned 1927 map.

According to Rita White, President of the Blowing Rock Historical Society, the address

is 1094 Main Street despite several sources indicating 1084 Main Street. In fact, the Martin

House is located at 1084 Main Street.46 As of November 2018, Google Maps has the Blowing

Rock 1888 Museum listed as 1094 Main Street due to a change initiated by the authors of this

report.47 Unfortunately, research in online Watauga County records, the BRHS archives, and the

ASU Special Collections, from 1873 to present, have not uncovered additional tax records,

deeds, or other official documents of ownership to further clarify the address confusion.

References to ownership, building use, and addresses in documents and on the web contain

uncorroborated information regarding the property. Further research into deeds, tax records, and

property management between the time of the Watauga Hotel Company’s original purchase and

the dedication of the structure for the Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum is necessary to clarify

property lines and the alteration of addresses in the late nineteenth-century and throughout the

twentieth-century.

It is unclear whether this is the specific cabin that was in this location in 1927. Since the

concrete block foundation of this building is not original, and no records indicate if this building

is the one that sat at 20 Alton Pl., it is possible that the cottage was moved to this location. In any

45
​United States Army Map Service, ​Blowing Rock: North Carolina​, 1956/1959, 1:50,000 scale, Washington, D.C.:
Army Map Service Corps of Engineers, 1959. Map listed in catalog as stored within Appalachian State University’s
Special Collections Maps, but staff is unable to locate it.
46
BRAHM, “BR Historical Marker Program.”
47
​GoogleMaps, “Blowing Rock 1888 Museum,” https://goo.gl/maps/dAoLLBz87f12.
 29

case, the current location of the cottage is quite close to the original location of one of the

original cottages with this configuration.

The structure was relatively unused between the fire of 1926 and 1939 when the Town

acquired the property for use as a public park.48 According to historian Trent Margrif, it was

around the same time that the cottage was moved 50 yards up to main street.49 However, there

are no historical documents or Blowing Rock city documents to corroborate this claim.

After the Town built the park and acquired the cottage, it installed running water on

December 4, 1939 with the help of the Blowing Rock Water Department. Since then, the cottage

has stopped using running water. Documents from “​Watauga County Historical Site Survey

Records, 1906-1990 (bulk, 1987-1989)” in​ the Appalachian State Special Collections which

outline building purposes, state that the cottage became a gas station in 1939.50 This would have

required the Town of Blowing Rock to lease the property to the gas station, however we have

uncovered no further information to corroborate whether or not it truly served as a gas station

before the creation of the park. Ten years later, in 1949, electricity was added to the cottage.51

As of December 2018, baseboard heating is the cottage’s only climate control feature.

Due to the broken window on the southern elevation, as well as the unsealed and uneven window

on the western elevation, however, the building is not able to retain heat or defend against

moisture. These damages have led to mold and weathering on some of the museum’s furnishings

such as the clock in the back room. The structure’s original chimney remains but is no longer in

48
​Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry,​ 8.
49
​Howell Keiser, “On the 1888 Museum,” Was the property moved?, interview with Trent Margrif, Edgewood
Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC, November 16, 2018.
50
​“Watauga Hotel Guest Roll,” AC112, Box: 9 Folder: 55, ​Watauga County Historical Site Survey Records,
1906-1990 (bulk, 1987-1989), Appalachian State University, ​Appalachian Special Collections.
51
​BRHS Museum, “Inventory 2008: Front Room,” Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood Cottage,
Blowing Rock, N.C.
 30

use. In the back room there is a hole in the wall which indicates that the room once housed a

wood-burning stove. The front room relied on a fireplace for heat and both the stove and

fireplace shared the chimney.

The Town of Blowing Rock turned over the cottage to Jenkins Realty in 1975 and it

subsequently became a realtors office.52 The Town of Blowing Rock purchased the cottage in

1991 and leased it to another realty company, the Williamson Realty agency, before it came

under the management of the Blowing Rock Historical Society as part of the establishment of the

Blowing Rock Museum between 1994 and 1997.53

Williamson Realty concluded their lease of the building prior to the dedication of it as the

Blowing Rock Museum in 1994, but it is unclear in BRHS archival records exactly when.54

Based on research conducted in the Historical Societies’ archives, at Edgewood Cottage, and

information in other historical sites around Blowing Rock, the exact date of the BRHS’s

acquisition of management of the cottage is unknown. Their reasons for and method of assuming

management are also unclear.55

On December 7, 1992 the Historical Society sent a letter to the Mayor and Board of

Commissioners requesting that they consider reallocating the use of the cottage as a repository

for donated artifacts.56 On March 11, 1997 the cottage opened as a pictorial museum. A

52
​“Watauga Hotel Guest Roll,” Box: 9 Folder: 55, Appalachian Special Collections.
53
​Town of Blowing Rock and Williamson, “Lease Agreement.”; Garten to Mayor Pitts and the Board of
Commissioners.; Resources consulted were the Blowing Rock Museum Booklet and letter from BRHS to Town of
Blowing Rock discussing hopes to attain a building for a pictorial museum.
54
Town of Blowing Rock and Williamson, “Lease Agreement.”; BRHS Booklet.
55
​Resources consulted include donation documents pertaining to existing furniture and objects within the cottage,
site planning documents, newspaper clippings, BRHS correspondence from 1992 - 2008, and hotel letters from
1895.
56
Garten to Mayor Pitts and the Board of Commissioners.
 31

celebration was held by the BRHS and the Town of Blowing Rock and the former Watauga

Hotel Cottage was dedicated as the new Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum in a ribbon cutting

ceremony.57

The separate lodging rooms were connected with an interior door through the northern

end of the central wall at some point between 1927 and 1989, and a bathroom was added to the

southern end of the central wall.Today, the plumbing is gone and the remaining space is used as

a storage closet.58 The original entrances, on the northern facade, were filled in, windows were

installed, and the entire porch was removed at some unknown date in the twentieth-century. The

current entrance is a single doorway located in where an original window once faced east toward

Main Street.

These various architectural alterations most likely occurred when the cottage became a

realtors’ office in 1975, and they do not conform to safety features, outlined in Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA), such as ramps or handrails. We have uncovered no dates indicate exactly

when the exterior alterations took place.59 The cottage housing the 1888 Museum has fallen into

disrepair through the years and even with the architectural modifications, the concrete block

foundation has led to flooring problems. he floorboards currently sagand slope in multiple places

throughout. The entire building needs to be stabilized for structural integrity.

Today, the cottage sits next to the Martin House, which was originally a private residence

built by H.C. Martin in 1870. The property was also later opened for lodging for summer tourists

57
“Museum Committee Seeking Pioneer Names.”
58
​Not present on 1927 Sanborn map, but is present on Deborah Thompson’s drawing of the building layout in 1989.
Deborah Thompson, “North Carolina Historic Structures Short Data Sheet: (Former) Watauga Hotel Guest Cottage,”
Appalachian State University Special Collections, March 14, 1989.
59
​Consulted deeds, Sanborn maps. Additional resources consulted include donation documents pertaining to
existing furniture and objects within the cottage, site planning documents, newspaper clippings, BRHS
correspondence from 1992 - 2008, and hotel letters from 1895.
 32

in 1895, a trend boosted by the success of the Watauga Hotel.60 The Martin House is currently

being used as a commercial space for multiple businesses and shops.61

History of Objects

Today, the Museum holds many objects from Blowing Rock’s unique history. The back

room is furnished in a manner consistent with what the cottages may have looked like during the

period of significance. This room displays a rope bed, maple dressing table, an antique clock, a

bedside table, and many other individual items further discussed in the furnishings section of this

report. Some other items include shoes, dolls, and a small plush mouse. The mouse sits on the

floor next to the bed to make light of a small hole which remains where the wall meets the floor

that could be colloquially seen as a mouse hole. Furnishings in the front room came from the

Mayview Manor Hotel, which was built in 1922 and demolished in 1978. These items include:

dinnerware, printed menus, and room key fobs noting the names Lee Marvin and Raymond Burr.
62
Also on display are possessions from the FarmHouse Inn which operated in Blowing Rock for

over 40 years from 1951 to 1998.63

According to the inventory reports, in the archives at Edgewood Cottage, the items on

display in the cottage are associated with the late nineteenth-century and the first decade of the

twentieth-century. Many were donated from individuals within the town and in the surrounding

areas. Unfortunately, the inventory reports at Edgewood failed to clarify specific dates of origin

for many objects within the 1888 Museum. Since the cottage was built in the nineteenth-century,

60
​Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry,​ 96.
61
​BRAHM, “BR Historical Marker Program.”
62
BRHS, “Venues.”
63
BRHS, “Venues.”
 33

the back room should embody that period of significance. The items with known dates are the

rope bed, basin/pitcher, bedside table, and dressing table with mirror.64

Recommendations for Structural Repair and Furnishings

There are three tiers of recommendations, ranging from the ​best​ for stability, safety,

comfort, and aesthetic; to a ​fair​ level of changes, mostly just stability, safety, comfort, with some

aesthetic considerations; and finally the ​necessary​ changes for stability and safety, with some

aspects of comfort. The best category would require the most time and pecuniary investment,

while the fair category is a middle ground, and the necessary category consists of repairs and

additions that must be done in order for the building to remain structurally sound for years to

come to ensure that the museum functions safely.

There are a few crucial parts of the exterior of the building that are best, fair, and

necessary to be changed. The most important aspect is the installation of a more supportive

foundation. This must be done before other alterations can be made, as the current foundation is

no longer stable and is leading to sloping floorboards and windows no longer sitting correctly

within their frames. This is evident in the collapsing foundation under the building, and by the

sloping floor. Once the foundation has been repaired or replaced, only then can the warped

floorboard be repaired or replaced, the windows be reseated and resealed in the frames, and the

broken window panes replaced. Also on the exterior, it would be best and fair to remove the

unused hooks, for aesthetic purposes, although, since they do not lead to the physical degradation

64
​“Inventory 2008: Front Room,” BRHS Archives.
 34

of the building, it is not necessary. The gutters, on the other hand, are a necessary repair, and

they need to be fixed to prevent undesired water damage to the building.

The chimney needs to be stabilized, as the bricks are beginning to deteriorate in places.

As far as safety is concerned, it is necessary for additions to be made to allow people with

varying levels of mobility to access the Museum in all weather conditions. A handrail should be

added to the porch on the eastern elevation of the building. Additionally, an ADA-compliant

ramp must be added to allow for wheelchair access. Although not necessary for the stability of

the building, the best suggestion for comfort and aesthetic is to build a nineteenth-century style

covered front porch along the original facade (northern elevation) like that which existed when

the cottage was in use by the hotel. This particular recommendation has the potential to be costly

and should be considered accordingly. Adding the porch as well as a functional entrance door

where one was located on the 1880s facade for access to the back room, would allow for a

longer, less steep, ramp from the sidewalk, as well as multiple entrances to the Museum. This

would prevent congestion in the building during visits from the general public. The porch could

also accommodate a few chairs for summer relaxation as well. As previously stated, these

additions are not necessary, but would be the best and fair choice to greatly enhance the

appearance by returning the exterior of the building to a more authentic style. For the southern

elevation of the building, it would be fair and best to get rid of the painted-over half window near

the middle of the wall by removing the window, filling it in, and making that spot uniform

according to the wall covering on the rest of the building. This is not necessary to the stability of

the structure, but would enhance the aesthetic by removing a potential eyesore.
 35

For the interior, most of the changes and repairs would improve both the comfort and

aesthetic. Thus, many of them are best, fair, and necessary. Once the windows have been

repaired, it will be necessary to repair the other holes, in order to allow climate control to work

as intended. The holes counteract the climate control system and also add to the unkempt

appearance of the building. A mold removal/mitigation specialist may need to be hired to

determine the best course of action for removing and preventing mold within the small building,

the results of which may lead to additional repair and replacement of architectural or decorative

elements. Along with mold mitigation, climate and humidity controls would be best and fairly

addressed by a professional. Preferably, but not necessarily, a less obtrusive way could be found

to heat, cool, and maintain proper humidity within the cottage. Ideally, this job would be done by

a local specialist with knowledge of High Country climate and experience with historic

buildings. Besides the mold and distinctly modern baseboard heating, there are a few key areas

of the interior that need to be addressed. The floorboards need to be either repaired or replaced,

in order to assure safe, stable, non-sloping floors. This may be easy to correct once the

foundation is repaired and levelled. The hole in the lower part of the wall, at the intersection of

the floorboard and wall next to the bed, needs to be repaired. The stovepipe hole above the bed,

which is currently covered with a yellow, decorative plate, needs to be either patched up or, a

period stove should be reinstalled to fit the period of significance.

There are a few aspects of the interior decoration which also need to be addressed here.

The entire interior needs to be repainted, due to paint peeling and flaking in multiple places.

Items which are clearly moldy, such as the clock, need to be cleaned and restored. While not

necessary, it would be best and fair to replace the non-period carpeting with late
 36

nineteenth-century or early twentieth-century style floor coverings. As there are a myriad of

objects within the building that may not fit the recommended period of significance, it would be

best to bring a material culture specialist on board to help determine which items truly can be

associated with the period of significance and used in the staged lodging room. It would be best

to try to keep a bed, basin, bedside table, and dresser in the back room as these are the necessary

items for a hotel room during the period of significance (see Furnishings Information). If it is

not plausible to attain the services of an expert for this, it may be fair and necessary to leave the

back room as is in regards to furnishings. See Tables 1 and 2 for a comparative list of the

recommended repairs and changes.


Table 1​​. Recommendations for Exterior Repairs and Changes
Best
​(Stability, Safety, Comfort,
Aesthetic)
Exterior​​:
● Remove hooks
● Repair gutters
● Install a more
supportive foundation
● Reseal the windows in
the frames
● Repair the broken
windows
● Install railing at current
front entrance
● Rebuild covered porch
on original facade
● Install wheelchair
access ramp
● Stabilize the chimney
● Fill in the half window
to make it uniform with
walls
● Add functional door for
original entranceway in
back room on the
northern elevation
37
Fair Necessary
(Stability, Safety, Comfort, some (Stability and Safety, some Comfort)
Aesthetic)
● Remove hooks
● Repair gutters ● Repair gutters
● Install a more ● Install a more
supportive foundation supportive foundation
● Reseal the windows in ● Reseal the windows in
the frames the frames
● Repair the broken ● Repair the broken
windows windows
● Install railing at current ● Install railing at current
front entrance front entrance
● Build a porch on ● Install wheelchair
original facade access ramp
● Install wheelchair ● Stabilize the chimney
access ramp
● Stabilize the chimney
● Fill in the half window
to make it uniform with
walls
● Add functional door for
back room on the
northern elevation

Table 2​​. Recommendations for Interior Repairs and Changes
Best
​(Stability, Safety, Comfort,
Aesthetic)
Interior​​:
● Repair the hole in the
baseboard in the back
room
● Repaint
● Repair the warped
floorboards
● Get rid of the closet
and put back the wall
● Less obtrusive climate
and humidity control
● Hire a mold removal
specialist
● Add a period stove or
patch the stovepipe
hole in wall
Interior Decor​​:
● Clean and restore
moldy items
● Remove and replace
non-period carpeting
● Hire a material culture
specialist to determine
which items fit period
of significance, but at
least keep a period bed,
basin, bedside table,
and dresser in the back
room
38
Fair Necessary
(Stability, Safety, Comfort, some (Stability and Safety, some Comfort)
Aesthetic)
● Repair the hole in the ● Repair the hole in the
baseboard in the back baseboard in the back
room room
● Repaint ● Repaint
● Repair the warped ● Repair the warped
floorboards floorboards
● Less obtrusive climate ● Hire a mold removal
and humidity control specialist
● Hire a mold removal ● Patch the stovepipe
specialist hole in wall
● Add a period stove or
patch the stovepipe
hole in wall
● Clean and restore ● Clean and restore
moldy items moldy items
● Remove and replace ● Remove non-period
non-period carpeting carpeting
● Leave back room as-is ● Leave back room as-is
 39

Administrative Recommendations

Interpretive Objectives

Over the last twenty-one years, the 1888 Museum has gone by numerous names and

featured multiple items, based upon donations and loans to the BRHS. This proposal

recommends that the permanent exhibits become streamlined, and that all other artifacts be

stored at BRAHM for use in rotating exhibits at either facility, upon agreement between BRHS

and BRAHM. If the BRHS has access to other storage facilities, that would also be an option,

provided that the artifacts can be properly stored.

Furthermore, due to the public ownership of the building, its central location on Main

Street, and proximity to the Blowing Rock Information board, the authors recommend that the

museum also act as an official Visitor Information Center.

In the interest of improved visitor access, the window on the north wall of the back room

would ideally be replaced by a door that leads to a front porch flanking the north exterior wall

(see Historical Information). This porch would include a ramp that is wheelchair accessible. The

ramp would be accessible from a sidewalk built to connect the current sidewalk leading

northwest into Memorial Park from the Main Street sidewalk. Two doors on the structure would

provide a better traffic pattern inside the museum, two modes of egress, wheelchair accessibility,

and would more closely comply with the period of significance and the original layout of the

building.
 40

Recommended Exterior Signage

The authors recommend that the “Blowing Rock Museum” sign is removed as this

reflects a previous title of the Museum (see Figure 2). Should the list of charter members be

desired, this can be recreated within the interior of the museum. It is recommended that the

“1888 Museum” sign remain (see Figure 1) as well as the Watauga Hotel Cottage historical

marker (see Figure 3). As long as the Town’s relationship continues with the Blowing Rock

Garden Club, all Garden Club signage should remain and be determined and updated in

cooperation between the Garden Club and the Town.

It is also recommended that the Blowing Rock Historical Society contact the North

Carolina Department of Cultural Resources to request the removal or relocation of the North

Carolina Historical Marker ID: N-10, titled “Stoneman’s Raid” (see Figure 6). This marker does

not contribute to the overall mission of the museum and references history that occurred within

the vicinity, not specifically at the location the 1888 Museum stands today. These signs are

typically used to commemorate historically significant places, people, and events. They are

restricted to be located only on numbered state or federal highways and therefore the marker was

likely relocated to the current location due to construction on U.S. Route 321. Main Street is

currently also known as U.S. Business 321, therefore the placement of this marker is within the

bounds of said restriction. It is possible that the sign can be relocated upon request to the

Research Branch within the North Carolina Office of Archives and History who manages the

North Carolina Historical Marker Program.65

65
North Carolina Office of Archives and History - Department of Cultural Resources, "North Carolina Highway
Historical Marker Program,"accessed November 26, 2018, ​http://ncmarkers.com/requests.aspx​.
 41

If the “Stoneman’s Raid” marker is able to be relocated, ideally it would be replaced by a

wayside showcasing a photo of the original Watauga Hotel from approximately the same vantage

point, the sketch of Watauga Hotel provided to BRHS by artist Victoria Appell, and a brief

history of the fires and the establishment of Memorial Park (see Appendix A).66

An exterior sign on the east side of the building near the Main Street entrance is

recommended to indicate the museum’s function as a Visitor Center to passers-by. This sign

could read “Visitor Information.” Ideally, the Town of Blowing Rock could also add a sign to the

“Information” board (see Figures 9 and 10) stating “Visitor Information” with an arrow pointing

toward the 1888 Museum. It is also recommended that a sign is added to the Main Street

entrance on the east portico listing the open hours of the museum.

Should the recommendation for an additional door on the north wall in the back room be

completed along with a wheelchair accessible ramp and sidewalk connecting the current

sidewalk to the north porch, a sign indicating wheelchair access will need to be added near the

Main Street entrance directing visitors with limited mobility to the north of the building.

Additionally, a sign indicating open hours as well as another “1888 Museum” sign should be

acquired. These signs for the north access door could be smaller than those affixed to the east

side of the building visible from Main Street.

66
Referencing the sketch by artist Victoria Appell as used in “The Blowing Rock Museum” booklet (cited as BRHS
Booklet) produced by BRHS. The donation of the sketch to the Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum charter members is
also referenced in: “Blowing Rock Artist Presents Museum Officials With Original Drawings of Village
Landmarks,” ​The Blowing Rocket,​ July 3, 1997. Clippings file, Blowing Rock Historical Society Archives,
Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
 42

Operating Plan

Front Room

It is recommended that the front room of the 1888 Museum contain photographs and

memorabilia from the resort era of Blowing Rock and the period of significance recommended,

1889-1914. Many relevant artifacts are already on display in the museum and several more are

housed in the archives. This inventory includes artifacts from various Blowing Rock hotels, such

as Mayview Manor, The Blowing Rock Hotel, and numerous boarding houses. The front room

would also have exhibit panels describing the history of the Town of Blowing Rock, specifically

focusing on the resort era, which overlaps the recommended period of significance (see

Appendix B).

Ideally, the front room will also serve as a Visitor Information Center and will have

brochures and rack cards available from local businesses as well as a volunteer or staff member

to answer questions.

As visitors enter the museum, staff would welcome them to imagine checking in for a

stay in Blowing Rock at the cost of fifteen dollars a month, including all meals. Staff can then

direct visitors to the back room.

Back Room

It is recommended that the back room continue to represent a late nineteenth-century

hotel room. The primary furnishings would require exhibit panels explaining their function. This

would include exhibit panels for the rope bed, wood-burning stove, and wash basin (see

Appendix B). As outlined in the furnishings plan, the hotel room furnishings should represent the
 43

period of significance. In line with prior planning documents, this will allow the visitor to take a

step back in time and witness how staying in a high-end rental during Blowing Rock’s resort era

would have been. This focus would also coordinate well with the front room’s exhibits on the

resort era, Blowing Rock’s tourism industry, and the current collection of resort era hotel

memorabilia housed in the BRHS archives.

Rotating Exhibits

In their archives, the BRHS holds numerous artifacts showcasing the history of Blowing

Rock and its residents. Past documentation indicates an increase in return visitors due to

changing exhibits. Rotating exhibits provide not only an opportunity for return visitors, but also a

use for this archive collection. It is assumed residents will continue to donate items to the BRHS

and rotating exhibits encourage resident involvement with the hope of seeing their family

heirlooms on display. Potential rotating exhibits based upon archival documentation include:

Blowing Rock postcards, The Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show, Turn of the Century Kitchen

Gadgetry, ​The Blowing Rocket​ Newspaper, Books on the High Country, Turn of the Century

Household Items, Winterfest in Blowing Rock, Resort Era Entertainment (including local hiking

and The Blowing Rock attraction), among many others.

Additionally, it is recommended that from the weekend following Thanksgiving through

the Christmas holiday a holiday wreath is hung from the large hanger above the east portico. It is

also recommended that the small spruce (or fir) tree is decorated for the holidays in order to

compliment the holiday events that occur in neighboring Memorial Park.

 44

Fire Code Safety

Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue is responsible for all fire, EMS, and other emergencies

within the Corporate limits. The Emergency Services Department, in cooperation with the Fire

Marshall, enforce and carry out all provisions of the Blowing Rock Fire Code (Chapter 12 of the

town code). The primary duty of the Fire Marshall is enforcing fire prevention codes and

investigating fires. The fire prevention code set by Blowing Rock is the current edition of the

North Carolina Fire Prevention Code. The North Carolina Fire Prevention Code is compatible

with numerous international safety codes. Several important Blowing Rock town codes to be

aware of include:

Section 12-5 (B): within the primary fire district no frame or wooden building or

structure of addition thereto may be erected, altered, repaired or moved (either into the district or

from one place to another within the district), except in accordance with a building permit issued

by the building inspector and approved by the Town Council and the Commissioner of Insurance

or designee.

Section 12-12 (D): all plans to erect, alter, or repair a structure within the fire limits and

subject to the provision of the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code, must be submitted to the

Fire Marshal or his designee for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit.

It is recommended any desired alterations to the physical building be discussed with the

Blowing Rock Fire Marshall to ensure all safety measures are adequate and will meet local and

state code.
 45

Open Hours and Staffing Recommendations

It is recommended that the 1888 Museum alter opening hours according to season.

Because the museum is a cooperative effort between the Town and the BRHS, providing staff to

act simultaneously as Visitor Center staff as well as Museum staff would prove beneficial to both

parties. Ideally, the Museum would be open April through October, Thursday through Sunday,

10:00 am to 4:00 pm and November through March on Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 pm to 4:00

pm. The additional hours through the busy season (April through October) would require either

two part-time staff, each working three hours per day, Thursday through Sunday for a total of

twelve hours per week or one part-time individual to work the total twenty-four hours per week.

BRHS volunteers could continue to staff the Museum with these expanded hours, assuming there

are no scheduling conflicts and enough volunteers are available to cover the shifts, however

these limited hours would be convenient as an internship for local students, such as those at

Appalachian State University, Lees-McRae College, or any local community colleges or high

schools. A combination of BRHS and Town volunteers in addition to intern labor would be an

ideal fit for the 1888 Museum.

The authors recommend that the 1888 Museum also be open during special and seasonal

town events taking place in Memorial Park, including Winter Fest, Sunday afternoon concerts

following Art in the Park, the 4th of July Festival, and the Christmas in the Park Festival.

Upon opening, it is recommended that the Museum staff continue to display an American

Flag, as well as the flag commemorating Blowing Rock’s centennial in 1989. Additionally, it is

recommended that an “open” sign is purchased and placed on the access door(s). Lastly, it is

recommended that a rack card detailing the mission, a brief history, and the proposed hours of
 46

the Museum be printed and provided in the front room. An example of this has been provided in

this report and can be seen in Appendix D.

 47

Furnishings Plan

Existing Furnishings

The following list of furnishings are those that currently exist in the Blowing Rock 1888

Museum. A quick note on abbreviations, item numbers for these pieces are designated by the

abbreviation EF#, meaning existing furnishings number. Likewise, recommended furnishings are

denoted with the abbreviation RF#, meaning recommended furnishings number.

Front Room (1)

EF# Object​​, ​Quantity​, and Location

North Wall

1.1 Photo of 1888 Museum​​, ​1​, Above EF 1.2

1.2 Display Case​​, ​1​, Right of window
1.3 Display Case Information Card​​, ​1​, On top of EF 1.2
1.4 Windlass​​, ​1​, On top of EF 1.2
1.5 Mayview Manor Advertising Photo Collage​​, ​1,​ Left of EF 1.2
1.6 Mayview Manor Photo​​, ​1,​ Left of EF 1.2
1.7 Mayview Manor Information Card​​, ​1,​ Left of EF 1.2
1.8 Wooden Table​​, ​1​, Left of EF 1.2

East Wall

1.9 Wooden Door​​, ​1,​ Center of wall

1.10 Green Park Inn Photos​​, ​3,​ Left of EF 1.9
1.11 Organ​​, ​1​, Right of door
1.12 Wooden Chair​​, ​1​, In front of EF 1.11
1.13 Organ Information Card​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 1.11

South Wall

1.14 Blowing Rock Town Hall Podium​​, ​1​, Left of window

1.15 Framed Document​​, ​1,​ Hanging above EF 1.14
1.16 1888 Museum Advertisement​​, ​1,​ Left of EF 1.14
1.17 Barber Pole​​, ​1​, Right of window
 48

1.18 BRHS Plaque​​, ​1​, Right of window

1.19 Grain Cradle​​, ​1,​ Left of window
1.20 Grain Cradle Information Card​​, ​1,​ Below EF 1.19
1.21 Donor Recognition Plaque​​, ​1​, Below EF 1.19

West Wall

1.22 Wooden Door​​, ​1,​ Left of fireplace

1.23 Barstool​​, ​1​, Left of fireplace
1.24 1902 Sears & Roebuck Catalog​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 1.23
1.25 Three-frame BR Photos​​, ​1​, Left of fireplace
1.26 Oil Lamp​​, ​1,​ On mantle
1.27 Plastic Pamphlet Holder​​, ​2​, On mantle
1.28 Framed Coloring of BR​​, ​1​, Hanging above fireplace
1.29 Large Metal Storage Box​​, ​1​, On mantle
1.30 Small Metal Storage Box​​, ​1​, On top of EF 1.29 on mantle
1.31 Iron Andiron​​, ​2​, Inside fireplace
1.32 Glass Jug​​, ​1,​ Between EF 1.31

Center of Room

1.33 Wooden Desk​​, ​1,​ See Front Room Existing Furnishings sketch
1.34 Office Chair​​, ​1​, See Front Room Existing Furnishings sketch

Back Room (2)

EF# Object​​, ​Quantity​, and Location

North Wall

2.1 Wooden Chair​​, ​1​, Right of window

2.2 Framed Historic Photos of BR​​, ​5​, Hanging to right of window
2.3 Wash Stand​​, ​1​, In front of window
2.4 Vessel​​, ​1,​ On lower shelf of EF 2.3
2.5 Bar of Soap​​, ​1​, In soap holder on EF 2.3
2.6 Towel​​, ​1​, On towel rack of EF 2.3
2.7 Basin​​, ​1,​ On upper shelf of EF 2.3
2.8 Framed BR Advertising Fan​​, ​1,​ Hanging left of window
2.9 Framed “Bathrooms” Information Card​​, ​1,​ Hanging left of window
2.10 Three Drawer Wooden Dressing Table w/ Mirror​​, ​1​, Left of window
2.11 Leather Shoes (Adult and Children)​​, ​4​ (no pairs), On EF 2.10
 49

2.12 Fabric Doily​​, ​1​, On EF 2.10

2.13 Wash Basin​​, ​1,​ On EF 2.10
2.14 Vessel​​, ​1,​ Inside EF 2.13
2.15 Information Card​​, ​1,​ On EF 2.10

East Wall

2.16 Wooden Side Table​​, ​1,​ Left of 2.27

2.17 Fabric Doily​​, ​1​, On EF 2.16
2.18 Bible​​, ​1​, On EF 2.16
2.19 Eyeglasses​​, ​1​, On top of EF 2.18
2.20 Miniature Wooden Chair​​, ​1,​ On EF 2.16
2.21 Rag Doll​​, ​1​, On EF 2.20
2.22 Wooden Clock​​, ​1​, On EF 2.16
2.23 Oil Lamp​​, ​1,​ On EF 2.16
2.24 Ceramic Spittoon​​, ​1,​ Below EF 2.16
2.25 Stuffed Mouse​​, ​1,​ Left of 2.27
2.26 Decorative Plate​​, ​1​, Hanging above EF 2.16
2.27 Rope Bed​​, ​1,​ Center of East Wall
2.28 Quilt​​, ​1​, Across EF 2.27
2.29 Quilt​​, ​1​, Folded on foot of EF 2.27
2.30 Quilt​​, ​2​, Folded across footboard of EF 2.27
2.31 Doll​​, ​1​, On EF 2.27
2.32 Chamber Pot​​, ​1,​ Beneath EF 2.27

South Wall

2.33 Portrait of Mayor Clarke​​, ​1​, Hanging right of window

2.34 Wooden Chair with Plaid Upholstery​​, ​1,​ Below EF 2.33

West Wall

2.35 Wooden Dresser​​, ​1​, Left of window

2.36 Fabric Doily​​, ​1​, On top of EF 2.35
2.37 Oil Lamp​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.35
2.38 Model of 1888 Museum​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.35
2.39 Corn Husk Doll​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.35
2.40 Framed BR Painting​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.35
2.41 Information Card​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.35
 50

2.42 Wooden Trunk​​, ​1,​ Below window

2.43 Stuffed Bear​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.42
2.44 Information Card​​, ​1,​ On top of EF 2.42
2.45 Wooden Shoe Last​​, ​14​, To left and in front of EF 2.42
2.46 Wooden Chair with Red Upholstery​​, ​1,​ Right of window
2.47 BR Souvenir Pillow​​, ​1,​ On EF 2.46
2.48 Wooden Hat Rack​​, ​1,​ Behind EF 2.46
2.49 Period Dress with Bonnett​​, ​1,​ Hanging on EF 2.48
2.50 Framed Wallpaper Swatch​​, ​1​, Hanging above EF 2.46

Center of Room

2.51 Large Oval Area Rug​​, ​1,​ See Back Room Existing Furnishings Sketch

Furnishings History

Many of the objects housed in the 1888 Museum have long, rich histories and are closely

linked to some of Blowing Rock’s oldest families. In the front room (1) the andirons (EF# 1.31)

came from the restaurant of Blowing Rock’s Farm House Inn. The oil lamp on the mantle (EF#

1.26) is a gift from Thelma Coffey whose ancestor, Thomas Coffey, once served as proprietor of

the Watauga Inn.67 The barber pole (EF# 1.17) is also an important piece from Blowing Rock’s

past. Before coming to the 1888 Museum, the pole hung at a barber shop across from the

museum. Today, the former barbershop space is located below Sunset Tees and Hattery. The

grain cradle (EF# 1.19) is a gift from Robert and Ruby Walters. Finally, the organ (EF# 1.11) is a

gift from Lisa Stripling and Rob Dyer. In the display case (EF# 1.2), many of the item’s histories

and donation information can be found on the information card (EF# 1.3).

67
​“Renovations to Repurpose”, 3-4
 51

In the back room (2), the rope bed (EF# 2.27) was a gift from Mariann Clawson. Loyd

Smith and his son, Scott, restored the bed and strung it with fresh rope to ensure it will last for

many years to come. The quilt on top of the bed (EF# 2.28) is on loan from Opal Koone and

features a beautiful “Around the World Pattern.”68 Beside the bed, the wooden side table holds a

number of artifacts donated by the Burns family. The wooden clock (EF# 2.22) and oil lamp

(EF# 2.23) are both on loan from Janice Burns. The rag doll (EF# 2.21) is on loan from Jerry

Burns. These items are especially significant to the museum as both were made in the 1880s. In

fact, the rag doll was made by a “Mrs. Clampett,” Jerry Burns’ great-grandmother. The dressing

table (EF# 2.10) was a gift from Thelma Coffey and was originally housed in Mayview Manor.

Finally, the wooden trunk (EF# 2.42) beneath the window is a family piece, on loan from Becky

and Loyd Smith.69 The 1888 Museum relies on donations and loans from Blowing Rock

residents. Understanding the history and provenance of as many items as possible, and

displaying it proudly to guests, will serve to bolster the museum’s importance in the community.

68
​“Renovations to Repurpose.”
69
​“Renovations to Repurpose.”
 52

Figure 11. ​1888 Museum Existing Furnishings Sketches

 53

Recommended Furnishings

In complying with this report’s recommendation that the 1888 Museum’s period of

significance be set from 1889-1914, the furnishings therein should be indicative of that period.

The following list of recommended furnishings will serve as a guide to inform the Museum on

which pieces they should acquire (or rearrange if already inside the Museum), where they should

be placed inside the room, as well as evidence to support these recommendations. Following the

recommendations in this report will result in substantial alterations in the furnishings of the

building. Unfortunately, there is no known photographic or documentary evidence that reveals

what furnishings may have been present inside the cottage in 1888, nor where they may have

been placed inside the rooms. Due to this lack of photographic or documentary evidence, our

recommendations will be based on presumptive evidence and similar furnishings that existed in

the region during the same period.

The addition of exhibit panels (see Administrative Recommendations and Appendixes) is

also recommended. The authors suggest the panels are constructed out of wood, in order to

match the architecture of the building, and that they are affixed with minimal damage to the

structure. Free standing text panels are not recommended due to the limited amount of floor

space available. The International Council of Museums handbook, ​Running a Museum: A

Practical Handbook, ​is a good resource for further exhibit guidance.70

70
Patrick J. Boylan, ​Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook ​(Paris: ICOM, 2004).
 54

Front Room (1)

RF# Object​​, ​Quantity​ and Location Recommendation

North Wall

1.1 Display Case​​, ​1​, Right of window see EF# 1.2

1.2 Exhibit panel​​, ​1,​ left of window see Appendix B:
(“​Above the Clouds”​ )

East Wall

1.3 Wooden bookshelf​​, ​1​, right of door Hold more items for sale
1.4 Wooden Door​​, ​1,​ Center of wall see EF# 1.9
1.5 Exhibit panel​​, ​2,​ left of doorway see Appendix B:
(​Timeline History​)
1.6 Exhibit panel​​, ​1,​ right of doorway see Appendix B:
(​Roads to Cloudland​)

South Wall
1.7 Wooden bookshelf​​, ​1​, left of window Hold more items for sale

West Wall

1.8 Wooden Door​​, ​1,​ Left of fireplace see EF # 1.22

1.9 Oil Lamp​​, ​1,​ On mantle see EF # 1.26
1.10 Photo of 1888 Museum​​, ​1​, above rack card table see EF# 1.1
1.11 Exhibit panel​​, ​1,​ between fireplace and doorway see Appendix B:
(“​Expanding Southern
Hospitality”)
1.12 Wooden table​​, ​1,​ left of fireplace for rack cards-EF# 1.8

Center of Room

1.13 Wooden Desk​​, ​1,​ see sketch see EF# 1.33

1.14 Office Chair​​, ​1​, see sketch see EF# 1.34
 55

Back Room (2)

RF# Object​​, ​Quantity​, and Location Recommendation

North Wall

2.1 Door​​, ​1,​ wood with window

2.2 Wall-mounted Coat Rack​​, ​1,​ right of new door
2.3 3 Drawer Wooden Dressing Table​​, ​1,​ Left of window see EF# 2.10
2.4 Fabric Doily​​, ​1​, On dressing table see EF# 2.12
2.5 Wash Basin​​, ​1,​ On dressing table see EF# 2.13

East Wall
2.6 Wood-Burning Stove​​, ​1,​ right of doorway
2.7 Framed Historic Photos of BR​​, ​5​, right of stove see EF# 2.2

South Wall
2.8 Framed BR Painting​​, ​1,​ left of window see EF# 2.40

West Wall
2.9 Rope Bed​​, ​1,​ left corner of west wall see EF# 2.27
2.10 Quilt​​, ​1​, Across RF 2.29 see EF# 2.28
2.11 Quilt​​, ​1​, Folded on foot of RF 2.9 see EF# 2.29
2.12 Quilt​​, ​2​, Folded across footboard of RF 2.9 see EF# 2.30
2.13 Walnut Side Table​​, ​1,​ right of RF 2.9 need to acquire
2.14 Oil Lamp​​, ​1,​ On RF 2.13 see EF# 2.23
2.15 Wooden Hat Rack​​, ​1,​ right of window see EF# 2.48
2.16 Period Dress with Bonnett​​, ​1,​ Hanging on RF 2.14 see EF# 2.49
2.17 Wooden Trunk​​, ​1,​ Below window see EF# 2.42

Center of Room

2.18 Period Rug​​, ​1​, see RF sketch

2.19 Chamber Pot​​, ​1,​ Beneath RF 2.9 see EF# 2.32
 56

Figure 12. ​1888 Museum Recommended Furnishings Sketches

 57

Recommended Furnishings Reasonings

Front Room (1)

This section will discuss the various reasons for the furnishing plan we have suggested.

We believe that the Museum’s front room (1) will best serve as an area for visitors to learn

valuable historical information about the 1888 cottage, the Town of Blowing Rock, and the

history of the region. For a complete list of our structural recommendations, please review the

Historical Information section of this report. We are encouraging the Blowing Rock Historical

Society to install exhibit panels in this room with information pertaining to the Museum and the

area. Some of the furnishings we recommend are already in the Museum’s possession, while

others will need to be acquired. The following section explains our reasoning behind the

furnishings we have recommended for the front room (1).

North Wall

The display case (EF# 1.2) is an existing furnishing in the Museum. It currently houses

multiple artifacts from Blowing Rock’s early twentieth century hotels. We believe that these

artifacts would be a good fit for explaining the rich and enduring history of tourism in Blowing

Rock. We recommend the creation of new labels which will assist visitors in identifying the

various items. The exhibit panel, ​Above the Clouds,​ outlined in Appendix B, will explain the

accommodations available to Blowing Rock’s tourists during the late-1880s when The Watauga

Hotel was open.

East Wall

At present, the Museum's single entrance and exit point is the swinging door along the

east wall of the front room (EF# 1.9) We recommended that this remain an entrance to
 58

accommodate visitors from the sidewalk along Main Street. Furthermore, we recommend that the

east wall also include two exhibit panels and a bookshelf. The exhibit panels, ​Town of Blowing

Rock: Timeline and History,​ explained in Appendix B, will flow across the two side-by-side

panels. These panels will illustrate to visitors the ways in which the Town of Blowing Rock has

changed over time. We recommend the bookshelf as a place to house more items available for

purchase from the BRHS. These items should include books, souvenirs, postcards, local artwork,

and various other printed resources. The third exhibit, situated between the door and bookshelf,

should be, ​The Roads to Cloudland,​ outlined in Appendix B. This panel will describe how early

tourists made their way to Blowing Rock. From horse and buggy to the automobile, this exhibit

panel will tell an interesting story of the town’s past.

South Wall

For the south wall, we recommend a second bookshelf for more purchasable items from

the BRHS. Proceeds from these items can be used to fund staffing, structural, and furnishings

updates to the Museum, as needed. The window on this wall takes up a majority of the wall’s

usable space.

West Wall

Currently, there is a closet with a swinging door located on the west wall. We

recommend keeping this as it is to house administrative info, merchandise, etc. Next to this

closet, we recommend using the wooden table that is already in the Museum (EF# 1.8) to hold

rack cards informing visitors of area attractions, as well as any BRHS events. Placing the photo

of the 1888 Museum (EF# 1.1) above this table will fill the empty wall space between the closet

and the fireplace. We recommend leaving the oil lamp (EF# 1.26) on the mantle as it is a period
 59

piece and will add to the environment of the visitor area. Finally, we recommend the addition of

another exhibit panel, ​Expanding Southern Hospitality​, defined in Appendix B, which explains

the tourism boom in Blowing Rock which is directly linked to the opening of The Watauga.

Center of Room

Currently, there is a desk and chair (EF# 1.33 and 1.34) located in the southwest corner

of the front room (1). We recommend keeping these as-is so that Museum staff will have a place

to sit and work when there are no visitors. Keeping these furnishings in the same location is the

ideal approach because it will not interfere with the flow of guests as they browse the exhibit

panels and due to the close proximity to the closet.

Back Room (2)

Regarding the Museum’s back room (2), we recommend using this space to recreate what

the cottage might have looked like during the period of significance, from 1889-1914. To

accomplish this, the BRHS will be able to use many of the furnishings which already exist in the

room. There are some pieces, however, which we recommend removing as they do not fit the

recommended narrative. The following recommendations are for the pieces to be included in the

back room of the 1888 Museum.

North Wall

In what is, perhaps, the most labor-intensive recommendation in this report, we

recommend the addition of a door along the north wall where there is currently a window. The

door will serve two purposes. First, it will add to the historical accuracy of the cottage, which

originally had two entrances along the northern side of the structure. Moreover, the door will
 60

provide an entrance for guests with limited mobility who can not access the Museum in its

existing layout. Finally, the addition of a door in the back room will promote the efficient flow of

guests as they enter through the front room (1) and exit through the back room (2). See the

Historical Information section of this report for more information on this change. We also

recommend a wall-mounted coat rack which would have been in use during the period of

significance. A simple wood strip with hooks would suffice. The 3-drawer dressing table is an

existing furnishing (EF# 2.10) that we recommend keeping as it is also a period piece. To go

with this, we recommend keeping the fabric doily and wash basin (EF# 2.12 and 2.13) as they

also represent period furnishings.

East Wall

On the east wall, we recommend the Museum acquire a reproduction wood-burning stove

as one was most certainly present during the cottage’s period of significance. We have based this

recommendation on the covered hole where the stove pipe was once connected. Currently, a

decorative plate (EF# 2.26) covers the hole. By placing the stove in its original position, we can

better understand how the room may have been laid out during the period of significance. We

also recommend moving the rope bed (see Figure 11) and placing the historic photos of Blowing

Rock (EF# 2.2) along this wall.

South Wall

Like the south wall of the front room (1), we recommend having less on the walls as the

window takes up a large amount of space. We also recommend taking the framed Blowing Rock

painting (EF# 2.40) and placing it to the left of the window.

West Wall
 61

With the addition of the stove, we also recommend moving the rope bed (EF# 2.27) from

the east wall to the west wall. The Museum should save the quilts on the bed, as they represent

what may have been in the cottage during its period of significance. Furthermore, we recommend

acquiring a walnut side table to place beside the bed. During the period of significance, the use

of oil lamps (EF# 2.23) would require a side table. We recommend keeping the wooden coat rack

(EF# 2.48) as it can still be used to display the period dress and bonnet (EF# 2.49) Each of these

items will contribute significantly to the historical narrative of the back room (2). For this

purpose, we also recommend keeping the wooden trunk (EF# 2.42).

Center of Room

There is currently a rug (EF# 2.51) in the back room, but it does not represent the period

of significance. We recommend acquiring a more appropriate rug, but the existing rug will

suffice. The existing chamber pot (EF# 2.32) is also a piece that may have been included in the

cottage during its period of significance.

 62

Appendices

Appendix A

Suggested Exterior Wayside Panel

We recommend a wayside panel with the dimensions 36” by 24” near the northeast

corner of the building, facing Main Street. It should be oriented in such a way that while the

visitor is reading the wayside, the Memorial Park gazebo is visible in the background. This

wayside will have room for one, large photo and one to two small inset graphics in addition to

approximately one hundred words of text.71 This panel should include a historic photo of The

Watauga Hotel (see Figure 13) as well as the sketch of The Watauga Hotel by Victoria Appell

(see Figure 14). The text recommended is adapted from “The Blowing Rock Museum” booklet

produced by the Blowing Rock Historical Society (ca. 1999) and is included below.72

Title: The Watauga Was One Hot Hotel …

The Watauga Hotel, built in 1884, was a two-story frame structure with a line of cottages
on each side. The unique, in-town location on 20 acres contributed to the feeling guests
had of being part of the community. The Hotel was completely destroyed by fire in the
early 1900s but was rebuilt and renamed the Watauga Inn on the same foundation almost
immediately. As Blowing Rock’s only year-round inn, it had a splendid reputation. The
Watauga Inn was again razed by fire in 1926, and although the fire spread rapidly, most
of the furniture was saved by the town’s citizens. It was never rebuilt after the second
fire, and the town acquired the property for a park in 1939.

71
National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center, “Wayside Exhibits: a guide to developing outdoor interpretive
exhibits,” 1st ed. October 2009. Accessed on November 27, 2018.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/hfc/upload/Wayside-Guide-First-Edition.pdf
72
BRHS Booklet.
 63

Figure 13. ​Historic photo of The Watauga Hotel.73

Figure 14. ​Sketch of ​The Watauga Hotel​ by artist Victoria Appell.74

73
Buxton, Burns, and Jones, ​Village Tapestry​, 95.
74
Victoria R Appell,. ​The Watauga Hotel​, 1997, sketch, Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.
 64

Appendix B

Suggested Exhibit Panels: Front Room

Town of Blowing Rock: Timeline and History. ​The text recommended for a timeline

styled exhibit panel is adapted from “The Blowing Rock Museum” booklet produced by the

Blowing Rock Historical Society ca. 1999.75 This information is provided as a timeline. The

census information following this timeline in the booklet has been integrated with the timeline in

this new version. The original timeline content has been reworked. The authors recommend the

BRHS conduct further research to confirm this timeline in light of its age and the time

constraints of this project. The authors also suggest timeline points are added past 1999,

specifically involving the history of the 1888 Museum as well as any changes to other significant

Blowing Rock hotels and inns. Dependent upon exhibit panel space and budget, the BRHS may

want to consider removing some of this information as well.

It is suggested that this exhibit panel be placed as indicated in the Recommended

Furnishings sketch (see Figure 11) by RF# 1.5 within the Furnishings Information section of this

report.

Title: Blowing Rock - Where the Wind Takes You

Before European settlement, the mountains in the area now known as Blowing Rock
served as the border between the Cherokee and Catawba peoples.
1752 Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg came to the Blowing Rock area
searching for land for Moravian expansion. A bad storm sent him away.
1790 Greene family settled in Blowing Rock.
1800s First summer visitors came from Lenoir. Survival of early families required
self-sufficiency.
1845 James C. Harper incorporated the Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpike Company to
build a road from Lenoir to Blowing Rock.

75
BRHS Booklet.
 65

1846 Lot Estes purchased the property now known as Chetola for a summer resort
(Silver Lake). It housed the area’s only grist mill, and provided ice for the
community from the lake.
1860s Civil War interrupted seasonal resort growth.
1870 Martin House built as a private residence, additions built to house boarders.
1874 William Morris built Blowing Rock’s first true boarding house, “Fairview,” on
Amos Greene’s property.
1877 Harper property bought by W.W. Sherrill who built two or three small houses for
summer renters, later sold to the Weedon Family. Cottagers began erecting
wooden frame Victorian houses, many with chestnut bark siding.
1880 Census records reflect 340 residents.
1890s Railroad growth brought cottagers from Atlanta, Columbia, and Florida
1881 The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad, shortened to Tweetsie,
began operations.
1884 Watauga Hotel opened.
1885 Elliot Daingerfield first summered in Blowing Rock.
1886 Skyland Institute founded by Miss Emily Prudden.
1888 Blowing Rock Hotel built.
1889 N.C. General Assembly incorporated the Town of Blowing Rock (March 11).
First school operated by the county at Sandy Flats. Linville Corporation started
work on Yonahlossee Trail (Trail of the Black Bear), now US 221.
1890 Moses H. and Bertha Cone developed Cone Estate. Census records destroyed by
fire.
1891 Green Park Hotel opened.
1899 Construction on Flat Top Manor began.
1900 Land deeded for Blowing Rock Methodist Church. “Windwood” built by Elliot
Daingerfield.
1901 Globe Telephone installed an office in Holshouser Store with connections
throughout western North Carolina.
1904 Blowing Rock Bank founded.
1905 First Baptist Church erected
1907 Randall Memorial workshop for crafts opened.
1908 First automobile came to Blowing Rock from Charlotte.
1910 Auto Transfer Company provided transportation between Boone and Blowing
Rock.
1912 Electricity began to replace kerosene lamps for the town.
1914 J.W. Cannon built “Kallalanta” on Pinnacle Drive.
1914 World War I begins.
1915 Blowing Rock Development Company agreed to build a 9-hole golf course
(Norwood Course) at Green Park; expanded to 18 holes in 1922.
1916 Devastating flood washed out communications to Blowing Rock, ended lumber
industry, and washed out roads, crops and dams.
1918 Ground broken for new Episcopal Church. (Consecrated in 1921 as the
Stringfellow Memorial Church.)
1919 Boone-Blowing Rock Turnpike came under county control.
 66

1920 Census records reflect 338 permanent residents.

1921 Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpike purchased by the state.
1922 State acquired Yonahlossee Trail. Camp Yonahlossee began. Greystone Towers
build by Mebanes.
1923 Community Club provided library for the community and school. Fire swept
down the east side of Main Street; reconstruction resulted in a building boom.
Ordinance banning wooden buildings enacted. Mayview Manor built.
1924 Main Street widened to accommodate automobiles but not paved (50-year-old
maple trees removed).
1926 Blowing Rock got its first fire engine, delivered in December at a cost of $6,500,
too late to help save the Watauga Inn which burned in October.
1927 Green Park area annexed by the Town of Blowing Rock.
1928 Tom Broyhill and Charles Hayworth became owners of Mayview Manor. Sandy
Flats School renovated into a Baptist Church.
1930 Census records reflect 503 permanent residents.
1931 Dr. Mary Warfield’s baby clinic established on Main Street.
1933 The Blowing Rock becomes a travel attraction.76
1934 Chamber of Commerce established for the Town of Blowing Rock.
1935 Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway begins near the border of North Carolina
and Virginia.77
1940 Census records reflect 655 permanent residents.
1940s World War II changed lives in Blowing Rock with many men entering the
military, and later, an extreme shortage of goods.
1940 A flood on August 13 once again destroyed the area, including railroad lines.
Groundbreaking for the Blowing Rock Country Club. Construction of the Blue
Ridge Parkway north of US 321 begins.78
1945 E.J. Blackwell bought the Stuart Hotel (formerly Stuart Boarding House) and
changed the name to “Farm House.”
1946 American Legion Post 256 established.
1948 Church of the Epiphany completed.
1949 Cone Estate conveyed to the National Park Service.
1952 Julian Price Estate donated to the National Park Service. Blowing Rock’s modern
20-bed hospital opened.
1954 Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway south of US 321 begins.79
1955 Christian Science Church built.
1957 A Tweetsie engine was returned to the area after it was purchased by the Robbins
Family for a theme park in Blowing Rock.

76
The Blowing Rock, “Home,” accessed December 9, 2018, ​https://www.theblowingrock.com/​.
77
​The University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Timeline of Blue Ridge Parkway
Construction,” The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway, accessed December 9, 2018,
https://docsouth.unc.edu/blueridgeparkway/about/about_parkway/timeline/​.
78
UNC Chapel Hill, “Timeline of BRP.”
79
UNC Chapel Hill, “Timeline of BRP.”
 67

1958 The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from US 321 north to Deep Gap opens to
visitors.80
1960 The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from US 321 south to Holloway Mountain
Road opens to visitors.81
1965 Consolidation of high school sent Blowing Rock students to the new Watauga
High School.
1966 Mayview Manor closed.
1987 The Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway opens.
1990 Census records reflect 1,257 permanent residents.
1991 The Town of Blowing Rock purchased the Coffey property adjacent to the town
park.
1994 Blowing Rock Commissioners dedicated the Watauga Hotel Cottage, located on
the Coffey property, for the Blowing Rock Museum. Historic Hayes House
moved from Main Street to Green Street.
1996 Completion of major renovations to Blowing Rock School.
1997 Blowing Rock History Museum opened (March 11) in Watauga Hotel Cottage.
1998 Farm House Inn and Restaurant sold and dismantled.
1999 Census records reflect 1,600 permanent residents and a summer population of
5,000.

​ he images for this suggested exhibit panel are reprinted

Pre-Automobile Transportation: T

from two sources. These include the physical copy of an article in ​The Blowing Rocket t​ itled

“Country Roads - All Leading to Blowing Rock.” It is believed the photographs from ​The

Blowing Rocket ​article are in the possession of the BRHS as the article states these photographs

were collected for the Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum (see Figures 15 through 17).82 Two

additional images were reprinted from an exhibit at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
83
One of these is a photograph from the BRHS collection. The suggested text has been adapted

from both of these sources as well as the timeline of Blowing Rock provided above.

80
UNC Chapel Hill, “Timeline of BRP.”
81
UNC Chapel Hill, “Timeline of BRP.”
82
​“Country Roads - All Leading to Blowing Rock,” ​The Blowing Rocket, ​January 22, 1998. Clippings file, Blowing
Rock Historical Society Archives, Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
83
Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, “The Road to Blowing Rock,” text panel, visited November 6, 2018.
 68

It is suggested that this exhibit panel is placed as indicated by RF# 1.6 within the

Furnishings Information section of this report.

Title: The Roads to Cloudland

Chartered in 1889, Blowing Rock had become a popular summer home for seasonal
residents. Summer visitors would travel to Lenoir, NC where the railroad ended and from
there they would travel by horse-drawn buggy. In 1845 James C. Harper incorporated the
Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpike Company to build a road from Lenoir to Blowing Rock.
This turnpike was made up of rough and unpaved roads over rugged terrain. The long
journey up to Blowing Rock revealed a rural mountain village in the sky. It wasn’t until
1908 that the first automobile came to Blowing Rock from Charlotte, NC. In 1910 the
Auto Transfer Company began to provide transportation between Boone and Blowing
Rock. Between 1919 and 1922 the roads leading to Blowing Rock became under county
or state control and in 1924 Main Street was widened to accommodate automobiles, but it
was not yet paved. Today, Lenoir is approximately a thirty minute drive down U.S. 321.

Figure 15. ​Black Bear Trail, from Boone to Blowing Rock.84

84
“Country Roads.”
 69

Figure 16. ​Looking toward Lenoir from Blowing Rock, what is today US 321.85

85
“Country Roads.”
 70

Figure 17. ​The Yonahlossee Trail, between Linville and Blowing Rock, now known as Highway
221.86

86
“Country Roads.”
 71

Figure 18. ​Artist rendering of the road from Lenoir to Blowing Rock, from the collection of
Janet Wilson.87

Figure 19. ​Photograph of the road to Blowing Rock, from the collection of the Blowing Rock
Historical Society.88

87
​BRAHM, “The Road to BR.”
88
BRAHM, “The Road to BR.”
 72

​ he text and title for this suggested exhibit panel are adapted from
Resort Era: T

documents found in the BRHS archives including Museum signage. The title is a direct quote

from a personal account written by Martha Rudy Wallace.89 It is suggested that this exhibit panel

include historic photographs of Blowing Rock hotels and boarding houses and/or be placed in

context with such photographs and memorabilia currently in the BRHS archives and on display

at the 1888 Museum.

It is suggested that this exhibit panel is placed as indicated by Recommended Furnishing

number 1.2 within the Furnishings Information section of this report.

Title: “Above the Clouds”90

The best way to capture the resort era in Blowing Rock is to quote ​A Village Tapestry:
The History of Blowing Rock, w​ ritten by Barry Buxton:

“Indeed, with the building of Blowing Rock’s first hotel, the Watauga, in 1888,
accompanied by an increase in the number of small boarding houses, the town could offer
a variety of accommodations to a burgeoning number of summer visitors. These early
seasonal residents were delighted with the opportunity to escape the sweltering heat of
the lowlands and the increasing chaos and hustle-bustle of city living.

By 1889, the newly incorporated Village of Blowing Rock consisted of 200 inhabitants in
the winter and 600 in the summer. There were three hotels, the Watauga, Blowing Rock,
and Fairview, and innumerable boarding houses such as the Bradys’ and Stuarts’…”

​ he text for this exhibit panel has been pieced together

Watauga Hotel and Cottages. T

from multiple sources used throughout this report.

It is suggested that this exhibit panel be placed as indicated by RF# 1.11 within the

Furnishings Information section of this report.

89
Unpublished manuscript by Martha Rudy Wallace, August 2003, Blowing Rock History Society Archives,
Edgewood Cottage, Blowing Rock, NC.
90
Wallace, unpublished manuscript.
 73

Title: Expanding Southern Hospitality

The Watauga Hotel opened its doors in 1884. It was Blowing Rock’s very first hotel. For
years, the town had simply taken tourists and boarded them in their homes, but, with the
opening of the hotel, a new era of tourism began in Blowing Rock. In 1888, cottages
were added on the hotel’s property to take advantage of the thriving tourism industry.
These cottages provided visitors with a charming and peaceful room to stay in. They had
no running water or electricity, providing people with the perfect escape from urban life
in America's industrializing cities. The guests ate their meals in the main hotel building,
and could easily walk down Main Street to reach any amenities they may need. The hotel
served many guests before it burnt down at the turn of the century. It was rebuilt as the
Watauga Inn and continued the Watauga Hotel’s legacy until that too burnt down in
1926.
 74

Appendix C

Suggested Exhibit Panels: Back Room

​ he 1888 Museum does not currently house a wood stove. The exhibit panel
Wood Stove. T

for the recommended wood stove will depend on the age and style of the wood stove if and when

it is acquired. Below is a draft to be updated per the wood stove acquired.

Title: An Ironclad Tool

By the beginning of the 20th century, wood stoves were a center piece of homes.91 This
particular model is a [​insert wood stove type and any specific information]​ . Prior to
electricity and indoor plumbing, this device was multi-purpose. Wood stoves functioned
to not only heat the room, but also to heat water. People would often place a kettle full of
water on the wood stove overnight in order to avoid drying out the air in the room by
acting as a humidifier.

Rope Bed. ​Museum signage for the rope bed currently exists in the BRHS archives. The

following recommended text is adapted from this source.

Title: Sleep Tight and Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite

This rope bed is from the 1800s and was pieced together, refinished, and “roped” using
100 feet of rope. The roping supports a feather or straw tick. As the bed is used, the rope
is stretched and must occasionally be tightened using a rope-wrench or hook. This
inspired the saying “sleep tight,” referring to a firm bed with tightened ropes.
This rope bed was a gift to the Historical Society from Mariann Clawson. It was rebuilt
by Lloyd and Scott Smith.

Wash Basin. ​Museum signage for the wash basin currently exists in the BRHS archives.

The following recommended text is adapted from this source. Additional information regarding

the Blowing Rock Water Department is sourced from BRHS correspondence.92

91
Yankee Publishing, Inc., “A Brief History of the Woodstove,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 2018, accessed
December 9, 2018.​https://www.almanac.com/content/brief-history-woodstove#​.
92
Ginny Stevens to Stella G. Dobbins, Letter, February 4, 2000.
 75

Title: Running Water - A Modern Commodity

This washstand and basin from the Blowing Rock Hotel is the type that was supplied to
each room. It is likely a similar washstand was provided by the Watauga Hotel for use
inside this cottage. Running water was never installed here. According to a bill from a
private residence in 1939, the Blowing Rock Water Department charged $20.10 for an
entire water hook-up, including the water meter.
This set is on loan from Stella G. Dobbins.
 76

Appendix D

Rack Card Example

​ ront of suggested rack card, created using Canva.

Figure 20. ​(Left image) F

Figure 21. ​(Right image) ​Back of suggested rack card, created using Canva.
 77

Appendix E

1927 Sanborn Map of Blowing Rock

Figure 22. ​Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Blowing Rock, NC ca. 1927.
 78

Bibliography

Appell, Victoria R. ​The Watauga Hotel.​ 1997. Sketch. Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.

The Blowing Rock. “Home.” Accessed December 9, 2018. https://www.theblowingrock.com/.

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. “The Blowing Rock Historical Marker Program.”
Accessed Thursday, November 1, 2018.
http://blowingrockmuseum.org/see-do/blowing-rock-historical-marker-program.html​.

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. “The Road to Blowing Rock.” Text and image panels
in exhibit. Visited November 6, 2018.

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and The Blowing Rock Historical Society.
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Blowing Rock Historical Society. "Blowing Rock Historical Society Venues." Blowing Rock
North Carolina History. Accessed November 21, 2018.
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Boyce, Charles. ​Dictionary of Furniture​. New York: Roundtable Press, 2001.

​ aris: ICOM, 2004.

Boylan, Patrick J. ed. ​Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook. P

Buxton, Barry M., Jerry W. Burns, and Robert S. Jones. ​Village Tapestry: The History of
Blowing Rock. B ​ oone, NC: Appalachian State University, 1989.

Deed of Sale from J. George Finly to Watauga Hotel Co. 14 October 1884 (filed 1884). Watauga
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NC.

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https://www.nps.gov/subjects/hfc/upload/Wayside-Guide-First-Edition.pdf
 79

Morley, John. ​The History of Furniture: Twenty-Five Centuries of Style and Design in the
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http://ncmarkers.com/requests.aspx​.

Otto, Celia Jackson. ​American Furniture of the Nineteenth Century.​ New York: The Viking
Press, 1965.

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American Consciousness, 1870-1920.​ Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,
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Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers. “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.”
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Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers. “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.”
Letter. June 10, 2000.

Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers. “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.”
Letter. April 24, 2003.

Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers. “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.”
Letter. April 26, 2006.

Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Museum Volunteers. “Blowing Rock Pictorial Museum.”
Letter. May 17, 2007.

Stevens, Ginny. Ginny Stevens to Stella G. Dobbins. Letter. February 4, 2000.

Thompson, Deborah. “North Carolina Historic Structures Short Data Sheet: (Former) Watauga
Hotel Guest Cottage,” AC112, Box: 9 Folder: 55, Watauga County Historical Site Survey
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Collections, March 14, 1989.

Thompson, Jim. ​The Mountain Times.​ “Blowing Rock’s New Museum Gets Ready for March
Opening.” December 5, 1996.
 80

Town of Blowing Rock and William Williamson. “Lease Agreement.” Unpublished Manuscript,
December 8, 1992.

The Watauga Democrat.​ “Local News.” November 23, 1899. ​The Watauga Democrat.
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Goldsboro Messenger.​
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auga%2BHotel&pqsid=tPG0ZkS_T8gcETCioagbRw%3A1118000%3A928130213​.

The University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Timeline of Blue
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