ITINERARY
Wilkes County Historic Preservation Tour
Thursday, October 3, 2024
7:45 am
Depart Maple Grove. Light breakfast on the bus.
Desperado Otto Wood. The Robert Cleveland Log Cabin (ca. 1779) was the home of a gentleman farmer and his 17 children. Originally built in Purlear, it was moved to Wilkesboro and restored behind the Old Jail.
9:00 am
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (1848)
10:00 am
Wilkes Heritage Museum. The Wilkes Heritage Museum is housed in the former County Courthouse, a classical revival structure built in 1902. Our self-guided tour features exhibits recounting early settlement, medicine, military history, African-American and Hispanic contributions to the county, and moonshine and early stock-car racing. Docents will be on hand to interpret the 1859 Wilkes Jail and the Robert Cleveland Log Home (ca.1799). The jail held the infamous Tom Dooley as well as Depression-era criminals.
11:45 am
Wilkes Art Gallery. Guided tour of two Ben Long frescos, “The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle” and “Paul in Prison.” Founded in 1962 in the parlor of Annie Winkler’s home, the Wilkes Art Gallery has experienced many transformations over the years. The most dramatic of these was the 2004 move into the renovated 1925 North Wilkesboro Post Office building. The original facade remains, but the interior has transformed into a 10,000-square-foot facility featuring over 3,500 square feet of exhibition space, an education center with a complete ceramics studio, painting and drawing studios, two multi-purpose classrooms, and a gift shop with works from regional artisans such as Ward Nichols and Bill Johnston.
1:00 pm
Lunch at Brushy Mountain Smokehouse. Featuring a varied menu of down-home Southern food with a salad bar and vegetable sides. Included in the registration fee.
2:30 pm
Whippoorwill Academy and Village. Edith Carter started this village with her husband, Hill, in Ferguson, North Carolina to preserve a part of the area’s rich history. Edith, a retired teacher, was driven to educate visitors about the events that have taken place and shaped the Yadkin Valley. Her legacy continues today with tours and activities that provide out-of-classroom learning opportunities for students of all ages. By understanding the past, we are better able to prepare for the future. The Academy is a one-room frame schoolhouse built in 1880. It was located on the Peeler Hayes farm until 1986 when it was moved and reconstructed on the Ferguson-Carter Farm. The school is now used as a museum. Outbuildings include a replica Daniel Boone Cabin, a smokehouse, and the Chapel of Peace.
4:00 pm
Drive by of the Kerr Scott Reservoir. An engineering marvel built for recreation and flood control after a 1940 flood.
6:00 pm
Approximate arrival in Hickory.
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