Transylvania's Historic Properties Are Open to Public

May is Preservation Month—a good time to visit one of Transylvania County’s historic properties open to the public. These sites include the Allison-Deaver House, McGaha Chapel, Silvermont Mansion and the Cradle of Forestry.

The main living area of the Deaver portion of the Allison-Deaver House
features a table made of wood harvested on the property, as well as
items from Deaver family descendants. 

Located near the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest the historic Allison-Deaver House, owned and maintained by the Transylvania County Historical Society, provides visitors with look at two eras of the House’s history. The oldest section of the two-story wood-frame home was constructed in 1815 by Benjamin Allison. The rooms on this side of the home reflect the life of settlers in the early 1800s. William Deaver purchased the house and property in 1830.  Prior to the Civil War, he enlarged the home and added a double front porch. The rooms on the Deaver side of the home are furnished to show a more prosperous lifestyle in the mid-to-late 1800s. The Allison-Deaver House is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons through mid-October. 

The Transylvania County Historical Society also owns the historic McGaha Chapel.  The Chapel, completed in 1872, was a bridge to healing the divide caused by family members and friends fighting on opposite sides during the Civil War.  Visit the Historical Society’s website, www.tchistoricalsociety.com, for upcoming events at both sites.

This room in the 2nd Floor House Museum at Silvermont
represents Joseph Silversteen's office

Silvermont, a 33-room Colonial Revival mansion on East Main Street in Brevard, was the home of the Silversteen family.  The 8-acre park, operated by Transylvania County Parks and Recreation includes a playground, walking trail and picnic area.  The 2^nd Floor House Museum showcases the family, their impact on the local economy and role in society.  Operated by the Transylvania Heritage Museum, the 2^nd Floor House Museum is open on Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons throughout the summer. The Friends of Silvermont also provide support in the preservation, renovation and upkeep of the mansion and grounds.

The Cradle of Forestry, located in Pisgah National Forest, commemorates America’s first forestry school. The Biltmore Forest School was founded by Dr. Carl Schenck in 1898 on the vast property owned by George Vanderbilt. This heritage site offers opportunities to explore interpretive trails and interactive exhibits. The Biltmore Campus Trail winds passed a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, cabins, a blacksmith shop and a garden where visitors experience the lives of the first forestry students and the families who lived in the area in the early 1900s.

Next week Picturing the Past will feature the Transylvania Heritage Museum and the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas both located in downtown Brevard.

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.