— WINTER 2022 —
THE QUIET SEASON’S NOT BEEN SO QUIET
Winter feels quiet in the mountains. Many part-time residents and tourists have retreated to warmer climes. Full-time residents tend to leave their homes mostly because they need to more than because they want to.
But in this quiet interlude, as we take a collective breath (often visible in the chill!), much is still happening with the Historic Toxaway team.
A big focus for us right now is the compilation of our 2021 Annual Report (which will be in your mailbox very soon). In the meantime, we want to share some of the things that the foundation has been engaged in recently:
Eyes and Ears Where It Matters
Historic Toxaway Foundation members show up where relationships are developed and decisions are made: at meetings of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce (including meet and greets); at county and regional tourism events; at local and regional government activities—and more.
We stay tuned in to the local economic reports, spend time with elected officials, visit new businesses, get to know our neighbors, and strive to be involved in any activity that could be important to our community.
In 2021 alone, HTF showed up at all of the events in the graphic at right, gathering and sharing information for Historic Toxaway.
Walking the Walk…
Our Board Chair, Jim Ditzel, and Board Member Nory LeBrun have been involved in many early discussions about a potential residential and commercial development in our area.
HTF Board Member Nory LeBrun, right, on a recent site visit with Todd Branham of Long Cane Trails.
In particular, HTF is advocating to turn a private conservation easement into public access land where all of the Historic Toxaway community (and visitors) can take advantage of new opportunities for outdoor recreation and education.
To that end, team members have trod a number of sites with all manner of invited guests and potential stakeholders, among them: developers and associated entities, conservation organizations, trail builders, educational non-profits, and NC State Park staff.
While nothing is official yet, we hope to be sharing more information soon!
…And Talking the Talk
Historic Toxaway has been in the news more often lately, and that’s no accident. Since the foundation’s inception, our team members have been promoting and educating area resources about our stretch of mountain paradise.
Like so many others, we appreciate all that the town of Brevard and its surroundings has to offer—but there’s also more to Transylvania County and we want to make sure folks know it.
Recently, for example, the Transylvania Times posted a piece about Gorges State Park, and one of our local BAUT businesses, Oxbow River Snorkeling, made a section cover in the new Visit NC travel guide.
WHO WE ARE
The Historic Toxaway Foundation, incorporated in mid-2017, is a passionate group of volunteers focused on preserving the past and preparing for the future.
Our mission includes:
- Promoting the rich history and heritage of the greater Toxaway community;
- Providing a vision and guidance in revitalizing and beautifying public access areas in the Toxaway community; and
- Acting as a community resource.
Learn more about us by reading our FAQs page here.
The weekly Red Feather Guide (an initiative of the Business Alliance of Upper Transylvania, funded by the Foundation) now distributes to over 1,500 subscribers who want to know about our local businesses and events—and it’s read by even more who access it through our social media channels. Speaking of which, our Facebook page has charted a whopping 278% increase in followers since its initial rollout, with over 100 newcomers added since just the end of 2021.
HTF has been making strides since the beginning to be where things are happening, to influence change, and to promote our community as a year-round destination. We appreciate your support and welcome any feedback (just email info@historictoxaway.org).
North Carolina has an abundance of native birds, and birdwatching can be a wonderful hobby anytime, but maybe especially so in the colder months. Hang a feeder or two and prepare to be entertained by this cast of characters. And visit this page for more information about each species.
WHAT A TIME: A LOCAL LABOR OF LOVE
Last spring, the Foundation was given a unique gift from longtime area residents Harry and Mary Sherwood.
As the couple told us, “While living in the Lake Toxaway area for over 20 years we became interested in the history of the old schools in the area. We began to research them and in 2004 eventually created a small paperback book called Lake Toxaway Area Schools. The Community Center sold it at the Friday Night Suppers to cover the cost of printing. I don’t know if there are any copies left. We recently came across a notebook containing a copy of the book and the photos and research used to compile the book. We thought that you might find it interesting to share some of the photos of students and stories with your viewers.”
Interesting? Absolutely! This is the kind of material we love to receive, because it helps us tell the story of Historic Toxaway — from way back all the way to today.
You’ll be seeing excerpts from the document on our website and social media soon, and we hope you’ll enjoy the stories and photos as much as we have.
We look to Historic Toxaway residents and visitors to help us tell the tales of our #storiedcommunity and we’ve created an easy way for you to do so—just visit this page to send us anecdotes (past or present) about you and your family’s experiences in our area (if lengthy, just a few sentences to give us the idea and we’ll contact you for more).
Or, submit a photo or video and we may feature it on our website or our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
We will happily credit your contribution. Thank you!
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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