A Few More Blowing Rock Stories
You will find some "snippets" of Blowing Rock's history below. This is an ever growing work-in-progress, so come back often for new, engaging stories about our history.
Let's Start at the Beginning
Everyone knows Blowing Rock is a magnificent place to live and visit, but how did it get that way? To understand Blowing Rock history, you really need to go back 1.2 billion years when sediment was forming gneiss rocks. Over hundreds of millions of years, those rocks became the Blue Ridge Mountains. One rock in particular got pushed around and today it’s known as “The Blowing Rock” from which you can have one of the world’s best views. It also happens to be the namesake of our village, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
That old rock became part of mountains that once were higher than Mt. Everest, and over the years, natural forces made our mountains smaller, yet one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s a fabulous setting for both today’s Blowing Rock and for the colorful history that led to today’s village being a great place to live and to visit.
However, before Blocking Rock became the destination it is today, this area was considered a no-man's-land. It was a barrier between two Indian tribes that didn’t like each other very much, the Catawba and the Cherokee Indians.
August Gottlieb Spangenberg
Our first tourist? Not exactly!
In 1752, the first recorded European decedents to visit this area were a group led by the Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg. They were in search of land for the settlement of a new Moravian community. Along the way, Bishop Spangenberg and his survey party received some bad directions from a hunter and ended up in our mountains. The Bishop noted in his journal: “Arrived on the top at last, we saw hundreds of mountain peaks all around us, presenting a spectacle like ocean waves in a storm.” He was awed by the beauty that surrounded him, but unfortunately for him and his team it wasn’t summer. His journal goes on to say: “We pitched our tent, but scarcely had we finished when such a fierce wind-storm burst upon us, that we could scarcely protect ourselves against it. I cannot remember that I have ever in winter anywhere encountered so hard or so cold a wind.” Sounds like a fairly typical January day in Blowing Rock, doesn’t it?
August Gottlieb Spangenberg
Our first tourist? Not exactly!
In 1752, the first recorded European decedents to visit this area were a group led by the Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg. They were in search of land for the settlement of a new Moravian community. Along the way, Bishop Spangenberg and his survey party received some bad directions from a hunter and ended up in our mountains. The Bishop noted in his journal: “Arrived on the top at last, we saw hundreds of mountain peaks all around us, presenting a spectacle like ocean waves in a storm.” He was awed by the beauty that surrounded him, but unfortunately for him and his team it wasn’t summer. His journal goes on to say: “We pitched our tent, but scarcely had we finished when such a fierce wind-storm burst upon us, that we could scarcely protect ourselves against it. I cannot remember that I have ever in winter anywhere encountered so hard or so cold a wind.” Sounds like a fairly typical January day in Blowing Rock, doesn’t it?
August Gottlieb Spangenberg
Our first tourist? Not exactly!
In 1752, the first recorded European decedents to visit this area were a group led by the Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg. They were in search of land for the settlement of a new Moravian community. Along the way, Bishop Spangenberg and his survey party received some bad directions from a hunter and ended up in our mountains. The Bishop noted in his journal: “Arrived on the top at last, we saw hundreds of mountain peaks all around us, presenting a spectacle like ocean waves in a storm.” He was awed by the beauty that surrounded him, but unfortunately for him and his team it wasn’t summer. His journal goes on to say: “We pitched our tent, but scarcely had we finished when such a fierce wind-storm burst upon us, that we could scarcely protect ourselves against it. I cannot remember that I have ever in winter anywhere encountered so hard or so cold a wind.” Sounds like a fairly typical January day in Blowing Rock, doesn’t it?
Ok, so Blowing Rock wasn’t off to the greatest start. The Moravian bishop worked his way down the mountains to the area today called Winston-Salem and concluded that would be a better place to settle. Finally, in the 1790’s some hardy settlers arrived and made this their home. Their name was Greene, a name that remains prominent in Blowing Rock to this day, with descendants of the Greene family still living in our beautiful community.
How did we transition from one pioneering family to becoming the “Crown of the Blue Ridge”? We will add colorful stories about that journey through our history. Meanwhile, enjoy the historic charm, culture and natural beauty of Blowing Rock.
The History of Springhaven Inn, Blowing Rock, NC: A Summary
Written by Dr. Dan Morrill and Catherine Perry
This is the first in a series of articles covering the long, rich history of the Springhaven Inn, which was built in 1888 in Blowing Rock, NC, located on S. Main Street and 116 Globe Road. You will find, as you read these articles, that this property has historic significance to the town of Blowing Rock.
The Springhaven Inn is for sale. A group of town residents, the Blowing Rock Historical Society, BRAHM, and Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc. (PMI) are engaged to save the structure. There are only a few properties left in the downtown area that are as old as Springhaven Inn. We are actively looking for a buyer/s for the property willing to keep the outside structure of the historic inn. Otherwise, it is in jeopardy of being torn down. But, first, let’s take a precursory look into its history.
From the time it was built in 1888, Springhaven Inn has been home to a collection of people who, with diverse talents and professions, were prominent and visible in the community, if not leaders. Dr. Reverend Jethro Rumble and his wife built the house, called it the “Rumple Cottage,” and also started the Rumple Presbyterian Church. Their lives and the lives of their daughter Linda Vardell’s family were pillars in the community. One of their sons, Charles Gildersleeve Vardell, was taught the piano by his mother and became a renowned composer whose music was played at the Philadelphia Philharmonic Symphony.
Music and the arts have been a common theme in the history of the property. Throughout the years, the Springhaven Inn was home to musicians, writers, and artists. This was not planned–it happened organically. As Dr. Morrill found in his research, you would be hard-pressed to find another property that has drawn the number of talented artists that Springhaven Inn has. From Margaret Mitchell spending time in the summer of 1938 to fresco painter Ben Long and sculptor Alex Hallmark living in the house during the 1970s to the current owner whose career was teaching music at East Carolina University, this property has drawn people who have the arts central to their lives. If only the walls could talk, the stories they could tell!
After the property became an inn for the first time in 1928 and then again in 1979, many people have stayed here. People from all walks of life have taken a respite from the summer’s heat in the flatlands and enjoyed the snow and cold-weather sports during the winter, this house has provided comfort and calm to many.
Several options are being discussed for repurposing the Springhaven Inn. But, the most important thing is to preserve it and protect it from being demolished. Keeping historic sites is important in recognizing cultural heritage and passing it down to future generations. The Springhaven Inn represents the architectural style and historical heritage of our community. By allowing it to survive–even with another purpose creating a new chapter for the structure–we can connect with the past and learn from our history.
The articles that follow in this series will provide more details about each owner and the history of the Springhaven Inn. If the property is demolished, this physical evidence of the history at the very core of Blowing Rock will be gone forever. We think it is worthy of being saved. If you would like to learn more about how you can be involved in the effort to save this property, contact Tommy Lee at either 704-737-5609 or tommy@appiantextiles.com.
Margaret Mitchell at the Springhaven Inn, Blowing Rock, NC, Circa 1938
Springhaven History
Future History Stories
If you have interesting stories about old Blowing Rock, please submit them to us.
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