WINTER 2020
THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF
THE HISTORIC TOXAWAY FOUNDATION
IN THIS ISSUE
- A Look Back, A Look Ahead
- Explore the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway
- What A Time: Christmas Past at The Greystone Inn
A LOOK BACK, A LOOK AHEAD
After the year we’ve all been through, most of us are ready for 2021. Whether we see the new year as the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic or are simply hoping to make a few new personal strides of our own, we’re eager to get moving again.
Despite the uncertain times, the Historic Toxaway Foundation is proud to say that we have done just that: Moved ahead in many large and small ways. Among this year’s accomplishments:
- We’ve established working relationships with various local and regional communication mediums to showcase the region.
- We represent the Historic Toxaway community through active participation on the boards of both the Brevard/Transylvania and Cashiers Area Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Friends of Gorges and the Transylvania Economic Alliance.
- We support local businesses through the Red Feather Business Alliance, with both weekly online and monthly printed event calendars. We were also an early contributor to the Transylvania Tomorrow small business emergency relief fund, which offered relief to some of our own local businesses. Note: Stay tuned for big news about the Business Alliance, coming soon!
- We established a new Historic Toxaway Visitor Center along Highway 64 to help guests to the region better understand what we have to offer them.
- We continued to work on public/private initiatives which included researching solutions to infrastructure challenges, retaining experts to review water and wastewater treatment options, and developing working relationships with land owners and government officials (among them, Jamie Laughter, the County Manager, county commissioners, and past and present Gorges State Park Superintendents).
Gazing into the crystal ball of 2021, we see those efforts as a solid framework for exploring a potential new opportunity that will benefit all of us in Historic Toxaway.
As many of you know, there is a new owner and development team on a 92-acre parcel facing Highway 64 and adjoining Gorges State Park. We hope to act as a catalyst within this project to provide much-needed services that will attract visitors and increase reasons for people to stay and play in the western Transylvania County region, enjoy the many local recreation opportunities, and patronize local businesses.
Of specific interest to HTF is the 44 acres held in conservation easement on that property. The easement, held by the North American Land Trust, is dedicated to preserving the native flora and fauna, but the easement does allow certain uses of the conserved property.
Working closely with Conserving Carolina on the easement, our desire is to provide potential amenities for all ages, local and visitors, possibly including walking trails featuring native North Carolina plants and a pavilion available for use by local youth outdoor education programs. This is a work in progress but please stay tuned in early 2021 to hear more about this exciting endeavor!
SIXTY-FIVE MILES IN TWO HOURS
Feeling restless? WNC Magazine recently suggested some scenic drives, including this one not far from Historic Toxaway.
Navigation: Near Brevard, take US 276 north to Bethel. Then take NC 215 south to Rosman. US 64 east returns to Brevard.
For sheer scenic diversity, it’s hard to beat this official US Forest Service Byway, which is a loop that includes two crossings of the parkway as it takes the measure of the Blue Ridge from deep valleys on both sides of the range. It’s a memorable circle, much of it beside rushing mountain rivers with spectacular waterfalls and fishing and sunning spots. You’ll crest at rarefied views of evergreen-punctuated peaks, and wind mile after mile through uninterrupted mountainside woodlands on the way to valley hamlets and farms.
Take US 276 north of Brevard, past two landmark water features. First is Looking Glass Falls, a short stroll to an impressive water-curtain cascade. Not far beyond, Moore Cove Falls is an easy 1.4-mile round-trip.
Across the Parkway, two adjacent trailheads access Shining Rock Wilderness, an alpine-like area of rugged trails that include Cold Mountain, the setting for Charles Frazier’s namesake novel. After a turn on NC 215, you’ll pass the side road to a trail that climbs that conical 6,000-foot summit.
On the way back up to the parkway, NC 215 passes the Forest Service’s primitive Sunburst Campground on the right, across from the west fork of the Pigeon River, with wading pools and fishing sites. Two scenic stone bridges cross rocky chasms on the climb before the downhill leg ends near Rosman.
Insider Tip: There are side trails all along this byway, but don’t miss the walk near Living Waters, a Christian retreat center (9.2 miles east of the parkway on NC 215 toward Rosman). It’s private property, but the public can wander an easy trail to four waterfalls in the rugged, rocky gorge of the north fork of the French Broad River.
WHAT A TIME: CHRISTMAS PAST AT THE GREYSTONE INN
The December 2007 issue of Our State Magazine featured a wonderful story about a long-time Christmas tradition at The Greystone Inn during its original management by the Lovelace family. We’ve excerpted part of the story below; to read it all, click here.
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On Christmas Eve, owner Tim Lovelace (and later, his son Clark) would invite guests to gather in the main lobby of the Inn. There, he lit a candle and shared a holiday memory with the group. Guests would follow, lighting a candle from one another and relaying their own stories of holidays past.
Clark Lovelace — who most of the locals know now as Executive Director of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority — doesn’t remember when this rite of passage began.
He notes in the article that “one year, people shared memories…One year, everyone told specific stories. Then the candle lighting was added. We decided everyone would light a candle as they told their story, and then we put all of our candles together. It’s a tradition that developed over time. We usually have between 10 to 20 folks, which is about the same size as an extended family would be.”
A regular holiday guest also says that the ceremony “brings out stories from people’s lives [that] they may not have thought about for many years…It lets you into a little intimacy in people’s lives you wouldn’t have heard otherwise.”
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If you haven’t already checked it out, follow along with us on a blog series about the evolution of The Greystone Inn, beginning with its construction as the private home of Mrs. Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz, through a stint as the Lake Toxaway Country Club, then several different iterations — each unique — as our local Inn.
Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us!
Please let us know if you have questions or comments about any of these stories, or about our foundation; and if you have stories and photos to share of local people, places, and events, please share them here, and you may see them in a future blog or newsletter, or on our social media channels.
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