Stories

Each of our blog features stands alone as a story of its own, and some of the collected stories create a chronological series. If you prefer to read all of the stories on a particular subject, see the blog series information below.

“Out of shared telling and remembering grow identity, connection, and pride, binding people to a place and to one another.”

— Tom Rankin, folklorist


INDIVIDUAL BLOGS

Illustration rocking chair on porch

Country Life

Local resident Nancy Henderson has a great knack for storytelling and we'll be sharing some of her short essays here from time to time in a new series of Country Life vignettes.
Indian Lake Estates entry

Neighborhoods:  Indian Lake Estates

Indian Lake Estates is the second feature in our Historic Toxaway Neighborhood series. Peace and quiet are what this community is known for.
Rainbow Falls

Gorges State Park

Rainbow Falls Trail is the most popular trail in Gorges State Park - but it's not the only one.
Original Scadin Home in Sapphire

A 1900s Transylvania County Home: R.H. Scadin

R.H. Scadin constructed this home in Sapphire with help from neighbors. It is representative of the building materials and layout of 1900s-era homes.
Panthertown

Panthertown Valley

Panthertown Valley, the "Yosemite of the East," features granite cliffs, plunging ravines, soaring peaks, and majestic waterfalls.
Burlingame neighborhood entry, Sapphire NC

Neighborhoods: Burlingame

With the richest of histories behind it, the Burlingame community may just be the real gem of Sapphire, NC.
The Greystone Inn

Re-Imagining The Greystone Inn

The history of The Greystone Inn comes full circle with a re-imagining by its current owners/operators, Geoff and Shannon Ellis.
Tim and Boo Boo Lovelace

The Greystone Inn: The Lovelace Years

The Greystone Inn came about after significant financial (and personal) investment by Tim and Boo Boo Lovelace, in a partnership with the Lake Toxaway Company.
Greystone Inn 2001

The Birth Of The Greystone Inn

The Greystone era began when Tim and Harriet Lovelace purchased and renovated the Moltz Mansion on Lake Toxaway in 1984.
Moltz Mansion, Lake Toxaway NC

The Evolution of The Moltz Mansion

The Moltz Mansion was sold to the Toxaway Company in 1963 and refurbished as the original Lake Toxaway Country Club.
Milky Way across Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, Balsam Grove, NC

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI)

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) has been awarded the prestigious designation of International Dark Sky Park. This is in recognition of the exceptional quality of the night sky over PARI and the commitment to educational outreach.
Transylvania Times retrospective July1997

Local Historian Showcases Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz

In the summer of 1997, a local resident historian published a treatise on the life and times of Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz.

BLOG SERIES

Turn of the Century Toxaway

Postcard, Toxaway Inn, Lake Toxaway NC

The Toxaway Company and the Great Resort Era
The Fairfield Inn: Then and Now
The Sapphire Inn & Cottages: Then & Now
The Lodge At Mount Toxaway: Then & Now
The Franklin Hotel: Gateway to the Sapphire Country
The Building of Lake Toxaway and the Toxaway Inn
Opening Day at the Toxaway Inn
Early Success at the Toxaway Inn
Financial Foibles in the Sapphire Country
The Lake Toxaway Dam Burst
The Lost Years of Lake Toxaway

RELATED
Life & Work of Early Area Photographers
A 1900s Transylvania County Home: R.H. Scadin

The ’60s Rebirth of Lake Toxaway

Boyd and Heinitsh

The Revival of Lake Toxaway
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Part 1
     Clearing the Lakebed and Rebuilding the Dam
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Part 2
     Refilling the Lake and Building Roads
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Boyd and Heinitsh
The Return of Lake Toxaway: A Video Documentary

RELATED
Neighborhoods: Burlingame

The History of the Greystone Inn

Moltz Mansion

A Biography of Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz – Part 1
A Biography of Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz – Part 2
Local Historian Showcases Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz
The Evolution of The Moltz Mansion
The Birth Of The Greystone Inn
The Greystone Inn: The Lovelace Years
Re-Imagining The Greystone Inn

RELATED
A European Grand Tour Diary (3-part series)
A Greystone Inn Extended Family Story (4-part series)


WHAT A TIME…

And don’t forget to check out our What A Time… stories in issues of The Quill Newsletters—featuring smaller historical bits you might also find of interest!