War Memorial Dedicated at Camp Straus

Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day, is a day to remember those who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces.  The tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers dates back to ancient times.  Although the practice did occur in the U.S. before the Civil War it was not until 1868 that Decoration Day was regularly held on May 30. 

The date was first referred to as Memorial Day in 1882.  Following WWII the name Memorial Day was used more often and in 1967 it was declared the official name by Federal law.  Beginning in 1971 Memorial Day became a national holiday observed on the last Monday in May.

Today the Ecusta veteran's memorial is located at the
VFW on Nicholson Creek Rd.

On May 30, 1948 a War Memorial dedicated to the sixteen Ecusta employees who died in WWII was unveiled at Camp Straus.  The presentation consisted of an opening pray, the reciting of Sir Walter Scott’s poem, “Soldier, Rest! Thy Warfare O’er”, playing of the national anthem, a flag raising, and a brief speech by Harry Straus.  Straus emphasized the gratitude owed to those who “sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Freedom, Democracy, and Justice.”

An honor guard made up of Ecusta veterans laid wreaths at the base of the monument following its unveiling.  Those who died included Ted Bryan killed in the Pacific; William Heaton and Theodore Schepkowski killed in Germany; Hairman Merrill killed in England; and Christie Costanza, John Robert Jones, Jr. and Marvin Smith killed in France.  Kenneth Smith was lost at sea.  Lewis Sims, Jr. and Talmage Stockstill were killed in a separate plane accidents in the U.S.  Six Ecusta men were also reported missing in action.  They were Robert Corpening in France, Fred Gordon Fowler over Corsica, Charles Richard Hedge in the Near East, Isaac Wesley Keels, Jr. in the Pacific, Rex Willard Muse over Munich, and Joseph Albert Shook in Europe.

The Ecusta veterans’ memorial was located in a quiet spot on the west side of the lake at the company’s recreational park that was named Memorial Grove.  After Camp Straus closed the monument was moved to Ecusta.

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.

WWI Had Impact on Entire Community

Homer Newton Batson (left) was a dispatch rider with the
Army's Motor Mobile Infantry.  Batson was born in Transylvania County
but moved to California with his family as a teenager prior to the war.

In 1918, a year after the U.S. officially entered WWI, Germany launched its Spring Offensive in France and Belgium.  They hoped to defeat the Allies before supplies and manpower from the U.S. arrived.  Although the Germans initially made headway, by July the tide began to turn.  The Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive, which began in August, successfully pushed the Germans back.  North Carolina’s 119th and 120th Infantry Regiments were among those who broke through the German’s defensive line, known as the Hinderburg Line on September 29, 1918.

North Carolina sent over 86,000 troops to Europe during the war but the state also played a significant role at home.  Three Army bases were established in the state.  Two would close shortly after the war but Fort Bragg would go on to be the largest military bases in the U.S.  The war itself came to North Carolina, as well.  During the summer of 1918 German U-boats sank eleven vessels, including the Diamond Shoals Lightship, off the coast in North Carolina waters.

A group of Transylvania troop.

All men in the U.S. from the age of 18 to 45 were required to register for military service beginning in May 1917.  Jan Plemmons’ book, I’m in the Army Now:  World War I Veterans of Transylvania County, NC provides biographical information about local men who served during the war.

Soldiers were not the only ones doing their part though.  Transylvania women knitted and sewed and collected supplies for soldiers, the Civilian Relief Committee assisted soldiers’ dependents at home, and thousands of dollars were raised locally for the Red Cross and Liberty Bonds.

Other effects on the home front included shortages of all kinds.  In August 1918, the U.S. government ordered all newspapers to reduce the use of paper by at least 15%.  The Brevard News, which varied in length from six to sixteen pages, cut down to six to eight pages.  They did not issue a longer edition again until July 4, 1919.

A traveling exhibit from the NC Dept of Natural and Cultural History will be at the Transylvania County Library from May 29 - July 3.   Visit the Robert’s Gallery and Local History Room on the second floor, Monday - Friday, to learn about North Carolina's role in WWI.

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.

County Faced Housing Shortage In 1940s And '50s

Over the past few weeks Picturing the Past has featured some of the older homes in Brevard.  Information and photographs on these and other older homes throughout the county are available through the architectural survey that was undertaken in 1990-1991.  In order to be included structures had to be at least 50 years old at the time of the survey and not greatly altered. 

During the middle of the 20^th century Brevard and surrounding areas experienced substantial growth.  In 1930 the county’s population was 9,589.  Over the next three decades Transylvania County grew to 12,241 residents in 1940 and 15,194 in 1950.  This can be attributed to two main factors.  First, the opening of Ecusta paper mill brought a large number of jobs and new workers to the county.  Second, following WWII young men and women married and started families as they returned from military service.  This was the beginning of the Baby Boomer generation.

By the late 1940s and into the 1950s there was a housing shortage and new homes of all types and sizes were being constructed.  Beginning in June 1947, the Ecusta Echo often ran photographs and brief descriptions of new homes constructed by employees.   The houses of this era tended to be smaller and have less architectural detail than those of the late 1800s and early 1900s but varied in architectural style and type of construction material.

Local rock was a common type of building material.  Mr. and Mrs. Eb Morrow and Harry Lee Hogsed in the Dunn’s Rock community, Mr. and Mrs. S.R. Harrington in the Cherryfield community, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Frady in Little River, Jack Brown in the Penrose community, and Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bryson on Elm Bend Rd. all built homes of rock or with rock facing.  They ranged in style from two-story Cape Cod to traditional ranch.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Israel constructed a new home in the
Little River community in 1954.

Small to medium size one-story, wood-frame homes were also popular.  Constructed was often completed by the homeowner.  An article in the July 1948 Echo stated, “It would be difficult to estimate the number of houses now under construction or recently finished by Ecustans.”  Employees from just the Inspections Department were building homes in the Blantyre, Boyleston, Brevard, Glade Creek, and Little River areas of Transylvania County, as well as the Etowah and Horseshoe areas of Henderson County.

Another option for small homes was pre-fabrication.  The basic features of these small homes were similar but homeowners could individualize the exterior appearance with porches, shutters, window boxes, and landscaping.

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.

Many Homes Built With Stone, River Rock

The Morrow House reflects Louise Morrow's
appreciation for the simplicity of the
northern England cottage.

The final group of homes from the Historic House Ramble to be featured in Picturing the Past are three stone houses with varied architectural styles.

Stone and river rock were plentiful and commonly used as a building material throughout Transylvania County.  Prior to 1900 it was mainly used for foundations, chimneys, springhouses, retaining walls, steps, and walkways.  The earliest known stone dwelling in the county was the Hume or Rock Hotel used by summer residents in the Dunn’s Rock area prior to the Civil War.  The hotel was burned by bushwhackers during the war.

Just over 50 years later Royal and Louise Morrow used the stones from the old hotel to build their Craftsman style home in Brevard.  The plans for the house came from the June 1909 issue of Gustav Stickley’s magazine, The Craftsman.  The home features a steep roof with stone veneered shed dormers on both the front and back of the house.  The second story gable end walls are also stone veneer over frame construction.  The Morrow House is the oldest stone house in Brevard and still owned by the family.

The Orr's planned a stone garage but changed it to a small
starter apartment for their married daughter.

The two-story Tudor Revival style Charles Orr House was built around 1926 using gray granite from the Breese quarry.  Stone is also used extensively for walkways, steps, terraces, the driveway, and a retaining wall.  On the interior the living room fireplace features a large rock-faced stone mantel.

The Revival style Brombacher House is constructed of randomly stacked stones giving it a rustic Adirondack appearance uncommon to this area.  Located on a hillside overlooking the French Broad River valley to the south the home features a large covered front porch with stone support columns, a stone floor, and stone facing.

Transylvania:  The Architectural History of a Mountain County states that, “Transylvania County’s most significant architectural legacy from the years between the world wars is that body of work left by talented local stonemasons.”  The Morrow, Orr, and Brombacher homes are all evidence to the statement.

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.