Garden Clubs Enriched County's Communities

The first garden club in the U.S. formed in 1891 in Athens, Georgia after a group of twelve women began sharing plants and cuttings.  As the women’s club movement grew over the next several decades more and more garden clubs were created.  In addition to private gardens and flower shows, they were active in their communities. 

The Brevard Garden Club was established in 1937 with 25 members to study garden design and flower arrangement, as well as for civic improvement and beautification.  They held monthly meetings with educational presentations.

While club members were women, participation in their flower shows and annual Christmas lighting and decoration contest was open to everyone.  The August 1947 Ecusta Echo had an article about Jim Ashworth’s flower garden.  He won six first place and seven second place prizes in the Brevard Garden Club Flower Show for his dahlias, gladiolus, marigolds, roses, and zinnias.  Ashworth worked in the Gumming Department at Ecusta.  A January 1949 article mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Burder Teague won the Christmas home decoration contest sponsored by the Brevard Garden Club for the second year in a row.  Both of the Teagues worked at Ecusta.

Twenty years after the Brevard Garden Club began it had grown to the point that a second club was needed.  The Transylvania Garden Club was established in 1957.  Both clubs were active in civic projects, beautification efforts, and clean-up campaigns.  They both also sponsored Junior Garden Clubs for children.

In 1960 two addition clubs, the Sylvan Valley Garden Club and the High Hills Garden Club, were formed.  A year later the four groups decided to create the Transylvania Garden Council to coordinate the needs of the rapidly growing garden club community.  Together they continued to hold flower shows and worked with the Beautiful Brevard Committee on improving public spaces.

In 1950 the Brevard Garden Club placed this marker at the intersection of
Caldwell St. and Highway 64 near Brevard College in honor of those who
served in World War II.  It was the first Blue Star Marker in North Carolina.

From the beginning local garden clubs carried out numerous civic beautification projects, including plantings at the courthouse in downtown Brevard, the Transylvania Community Hospital on County Club Rd., and the Brevard Music Camp.  In addition small green areas like Bullock Park at the intersection of Parkview Dr. and Park Avenue were beautified.  Garden clubs were much more than social groups for women, they enriched the community and created pride in it through their shared knowledge and hard work.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Women's Groups Support World War I Efforts

As the reality of the United States entering World War I grew the National League of Women’s Services was established in January 1917.  Their mission was to assist soldiers, veterans, war workers, and their families on the home front.  They worked closely with the Red Cross to collect supplies and send care packages abroad.  They also coordinated and supported Liberty Bond drives.

The local National League of Women's Services office was located on the
2nd floor of Miss Florence Kern's Variety Store in Brevard.

The first mention of a local branch of the National League of Women’s Services was found in the May 25, 1917 issue of the Brevard News.  It states that several women have joined the organization and Mrs. Elizabeth Mount Silversteen was appointed chairman.  Mrs. Silversteen also compiled a record of service for all Transylvania soldiers and worked with family members to ensure that they received benefits due to them.

The group's first fundraiser was the sale of a beautiful imported doll donated by Bon Marche of Asheville and dressed by Mrs. Goode Cheatham.  Money raised went to purchased supplies to make items for soldiers.  In early September 1918 it was reported that a box with 130 pairs of hand-knit woolen socks was sent to the Atlanta Red Cross office to be shipped to France for American soldiers.  It was the twenty-ninth box from Transylvania County for the year.

The Transylvania Branch of the National League of Women’s Services was particularly active in the area of food conservation and preservation.  They strongly encouraged all women of the community to do their part by canning and drying fruits and vegetables.  A March 1, 1918 Brevard News article states, “It is estimated that over 15,000 pounds of food was conserved in this community last summer through the direct efforts of the league.”  A well-stocked comfort kit was provided for every Transylvanian who entered military service.  In addition to food items, the kits contained warm sweaters knitted by members of the league.

Margaret Deaver, Elizabeth Shipman, Madge Whitmire, Beulah Zachary
(front row) and Rowena Orr, Dorothy Silversteen, Adelaide Silversteen,
Martha Breese (back row) knit items for the Red Cross to be sent to soldiers.

Many of the women actively involved with the National League of Women’s Services were also members of local women’s clubs.  Women from two of these clubs raised $183.62 for the Red Cross, bought $6925 worth of Liberty Bonds, and $130 worth of War Savings Bond.  They also helped organize the Third Liberty Loan Drive and won the Honor Flag for Brevard.

Another group that helped support the war effort was the Victory Girls.  These young girls pledged to “earn and give five dollars” to support the war.  They put on numerous productions and entertainments to raise the money.  Mary Jane King was the director of the Victory Girls in Transylvania County.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Women's Club Provided Social, Civic Activities

Women’s clubs of the early 20^th century offered women an opportunities for social and civic engagement.  There were a wide array of clubs from purely social groups to those that worked to improve their community and the welfare of local citizens.    Clubs with special interests ranged from book clubs or garden club to those working for women’s rights or other types of reform.  Members were typically mid-class white women.  Clubs provided a connection to others with similar interests, a sense of contributing to society, and a means to influence their communities.

Each club had their own Constitution and By-laws,
such as this 1919 Brevard Wednesday Club edition.

In Brevard the earliest women’s clubs included the Wednesday Club, the Fortnightly Club, and the Mathatasian Club. 

The Wednesday Club was created in 1905 for social get-togethers and to share women’s magazines.  There first president was Mrs. W.A. Gash.  Within a short time members were exchanging books and holding planned programs.  Through the years they supported health and education projects, the Girl Scouts, the hospital, the library, and much more.  Today the Wednesday Club remains the longest running continuously active women’s club in Transylvania County. 

The clubs typically printed booklets with officers, members, and a program schedule
like this 1926-27 Fortnightly Club Year Book.

In 1911 a group of women associated with the Brevard Methodist Church formed the Bluebird Society.  They held monthly social gathering with simple programs and did sewing for others.  As the group grew they decided to join the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs and changed their name to the Fortnightly Club.  Their mission was to bring together women for recreation and study.  They were active in projects such as work for the Red Cross during war years, selling war bonds, and raising funds for medical causes like tuberculous and cancer.  Program topics in 1935-36 included family finance, the New Deal, Social Security, crime, and birth control.

Members of the Mathatasian Club, circa 1954.

The Mathatasian Club started in 1915 as a group that traded books and held programs based on an annual theme.  Like other women’s clubs they supported causes from assisting soldiers and their families during wartime to raising funds for the polio drive.  The club is still active.

Minute books, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia from these early women’s club are being preserved in the Local History Room at the Transylvania County Library.  Next week Picturing the Past will look at the influences of women’s organizations during World War I.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Businesses Expanded to Meet Population boom

Between 1930 and 1970 the population of Brevard more than doubled, from 2339 to 5243.  Residents were spreading out and had more access to transportation.  Businesses slowly began expanding beyond the center of town during the mid-part of the century.  

Heading south from downtown, the Sunset Motel (1955) and Triangle Drive-In (1956) opened at the intersection of the Rosman Highway and Country Club Road.  Transylvania Community Hospital (1942), Brevard High School (1959), and Brevard Country Club (1939) were all located on Country Club Rd.  More businesses were opening along the Rosman Highway as well. 

Businesses like Deerfield Lodge (1954), McCrary Auto (1949), Harold’s Supermarket (1950), and Berry’s Restaurant (1959) were building north of downtown on the Asheville Highway.

Meanwhile the old brick buildings downtown were also undergoing changes.  When noted architect Richard Sharp Smith designed the Dunn’s Rock Fraternity Building on South Broad St. in 1906 the two-story building included an ornate brick facade with a parapet roofline and center gable.  An arched entryway provided access to a staircase to the second floor. 

In the 1950s much of the detailed brickwork was removed and the building was painted to reflect the clean modern facade that would become popular during the next several decades.  Later a full-height pent shingle roof covered the storefront to the left, which is today Bracken Mountain Bakery.   Aluminum siding covered the portion of the building to the right of second floor entryway.  It has been removed from the stores that are now The Children’s Center Emporium and Local Color.

The Aethelwold Hotel was a large L-shaped three-story Queen Anne style brick structure with a mansard roofline.  The hotel’s original entrance, located on the Broad St. side of the building, was framed by rough cut ashlar block.  A one-story portico with a balustrade provided cover when guests arrived.  The portico and stone arches on the northwest corner of the building were removed in the late 1940s or early 1950s.  In November 1960 the entire third floor was removed for safety reasons, leaving a flat roofed two-story building.  The third floor, the stone arches, and the west side entry have since been restored.

In November 1967 Patterson’s Department Store expanded to cover almost all of the space in the four buildings on the south side of W. Main St. from the Broad St. to Times Arcade.  The Chamber of Commerce was on the first floor of the building closest to Times Arcade.  A couple of years later Patterson’s would re-face the two middle buildings on the Main St. side with brick giving the appearance of one large modern building.  Today those buildings have been restored to look more they did in the 1940s.  At some time in late 1980s or early 1990s the corner building (today O.P. Taylor’s) was covered with vinyl siding.

This 1982 photograph of West Main St. shows an unappealing streetscape
with no trees or plantings and cracked and damaged sidewalks and curbs.

For many years beginning in the 1960s aluminum awnings also covered the sidewalk along the west side of S. Broad and the south side of W. Main streets.  Today many of the downtown businesses have more traditional awnings offering protection from the elements.

In 1990 the Heart of Brevard was created as a Main Street Program through the Trust for Historic Preservation to preserve not only historic downtown buildings but to ensure a vibrant downtown district.  Today through the efforts of the Heart of Brevard, business owners, and the City downtown Brevard is alive and thriving.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.