McDowell County Historic Preservation Commission

05/27/2025

Applications can be found here:
https://www.mcdowellgov.com/commissioners/committees

05/27/2025

Did you know May is National Historic Preservation? While not on the national list, our director muses on this and the loss of our Mauney House. You can read more on our newest Mountain Musings here: https://www.mgmnc.org/blog/2025/05/21/remembering-mauney-house

05/23/2025

On May 22, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge signed the bill that established the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The process had been difficult, taking many years and much negotiation before the park became one of the 59 parks in the national system.

The idea to create a park in North Carolina and the Tennessee mountains started in the late 1890s. Initially, there was a debate over whether to make the public land preserve in this area a national park or forest. The main difference is that timbering of the land is permissible in a national forest, while in a national park, scenery and resources are protected.

In the mid-1920s, George Masa joined the movement to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Already familiar with the mountain trails from his hiking and photography work, Masa measured them with his self-designed odometer made from the front end of a bicycle. Due to his extensive knowledge of the trails, Masa was a reliable authority for the National Park officials, whom he accompanied on their trips into the mountains.

Marker located in Asheville, NC: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/.../01/23/george-masa-d-1933-p-99

05/23/2025

The McDowell County Historic Preservation Commission works to promote, share, and preserve historic landmarks for future generations. The strength and happiness of a community are measured and preserved by the contributions and commitment of its people to the past, present, and future. The purpose and objective of the MHPC is to promote, protect, conserve and preserve one of McDowell County’s most valued and important assets, its historical and architectural heritage.
We have vacancies! Apply today!
▪️Members must reside outside the town of Old Fort and the city of Marion.
▪️We meet monthly, every 3rd Monday.
Link to committee application form:

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04/10/2025

Many of our State Symbols you can find right out side your front door! In 1941 the North Carolina General Assembly designated the flower of the dogwood tree as the official state flower. In actuality, three species of dogwoods exist in North Carolina: the alternate-leaf dogwood, gray dogwood, and flowering dogwood. Each of these species have their own unique looks and environments that can be found across North Carolina.

To learn more about dogwoods, visit: https://www.ncpedia.org/symbols/flower

04/10/2025

On this day in 1896, the last large gold nugget was mined at Reed Gold Mine. The discovery of gold near present-day Charlotte brought the nation's first gold rush to North Carolina. The gold rush brought an economic boom to the state while shaking off the nickname of the "Rip Van Winkle state." It also brought more people to Western N.C. However, this push for gold also displaced the Cherokee living in the mountains and was one of the justifications for the Trail of Tears.

Today, Reed Gold Mine operates as an NC historic site where you can learn about gold mining in the 19th century as well as the impact and legacy of the first gold rush in the country.

03/14/2025

03/07/2025

Happy Women's History Month! Explore "Busy North Carolina Women," published in 1931, and discover the incredible women who shaped future generations.

Learn about May Jones, a passionate advocate for women's suffrage, and Hattie S. Parrott, the state supervisor of elementary instruction who enhanced teaching methods, equipment, and grading standards across North Carolina.

Courtesy of the State Library of North Carolina, General Collection.

Link to publication: https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/busy-north-carolina-women/501119?item=616088

Link to May Jones Bio: https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/busy-north-carolina-women/501119?item=616311

Link to Hattie S. Parrott Bio: https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/busy-north-carolina-women/501119?item=616540

02/28/2025

The McDowell County Historical Preservation Commission works to promote, share, and preserve historic landmarks for future generations. The strength and happiness of a community is measured and preserved by the contributions and commitment of its people to the past, present, and future. The purpose and objective of the MHPC is to promote, protect, conserve and preserve one of McDowell County’s most valued and important assets, its historical and architectural heritage.

We have TWO vacancies available! Apply today!

▪️Members must reside outside the town of Old Fort and the city of Marion.
▪️We meet monthly, every 3rd Monday.

Link to committee application form:

Grav is an easy to use, yet powerful, open source flat-file CMS

01/27/2025

We have two vacancies on the Historic Preservation Commission.

You may apply online or by mailing your application to: Clerk to the Board, 60 E Court Street, Marion NC 28752.
For more information on the commission and to access an application please visit: https://www.mcdowellgov.com/commissioners/committees

We have a vacancy on the Historic Preservation Commission. The applicant must have a demonstrated interest and background in history and must reside outside the corporate limits of the Town of Old Fort and the City of Marion. Applications are being accepted and appointments will be made by the board at a future meeting. You may apply online or by mailing your application to: Clerk to the Board, 60 E Court Street, Marion NC 28752.
For more information on the commission and to access an application please visit: https://www.mcdowellgov.com/commissioners/committees

01/15/2025

On January 5, 1921, Lillian Exum Clement took her seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first woman in the South to hold legislative office.

Clement was born in Black Mountain in 1886, and she worked in the Buncombe County sheriff’s office while studying law at night. In 1916, she passed the bar exam and the next year opened her own practice.

Nominated as a Democratic candidate two months before the Nineteenth Amendment granted her and other women the right to vote, she beat two male opponents in the primary by a wide margin.

An active legislator, she introduced 17 bills. She sponsored a bill to have the state assume control of a home for u***d mothers, garnering widespread opposition (she was pelted with eggs and vegetables while speaking on the bill’s behalf in Asheville). Clement did not seek reelection, but was appointed a director of the State Hospital at Morganton after her term in office. She died of pneumonia and was buried in Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery.

In 1997, an organization to promote and support Democratic women running for public office in North Carolina was established. It took the name Lillian’s List, in honor of Clement.

Marker located in Asheville, NC: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/22/lillian-exum-clement-stafford-1886-1925-p-79