This year, several improvements are happening on campus, like the restoration of our Log Cabin Museum, all made possible by friends like you.

One of the first projects undertaken by the Brasstown community in 1926 was the Log Cabin Museum. Symbolic of the school’s two-county sphere of influence in those days, one of the cabins came from Clay County and the other from Cherokee (Caldwell) County, connected by a dogtrot. From the very start, the Log Cabin Museum has been symbolic of the Folk School’s continuing desire to awaken, enliven, and enlighten the local community.

The first phase of the Log Cabin restoration included cutting back trees and replacing the roof with new cedar shakes. We are excited to partner with Foxfire for phase two of the project in early 2024. This phase will gather staff and local community members for a hands-on learning experience to repair and restore the cabin’s puncheon flooring, dogtrot, shore up the envelope of the building, and evaluate other necessary rock work and restoration needed. Phase three will be upfitting the building as an exhibit space in early 2025 for the Folk School’s 100th anniversary.

Restoring the Log Cabin Museum ensures its use as a rotating exhibition space that educates students, tourists, and our local community on Appalachian culture. In time, it will serve as a cornerstone of a larger, self-guided tour that connects all our historic communal spaces on campus, including Keith House, the History Center, studios, and Craft Shop.

Support from our donors, foundations, and community has allowed us to raise over $60,000 in gifts and pledges for our Log Cabin Museum restoration, however there’s still more work to be done, and we need your help.

These and many other campus improvements are not possible without your support. Your contribution helps us to make essential enhancements to campus and continues our mission of promoting lifelong learning through creative exploration and interpersonal connections. If you would like to donate to a campus project and need more information, please contact giving@folkschool.org or call 828-837-2775.

Barbie White
Development Manager