Featured photo: Scenes from Preservation Week events hosted by the Blue Ridge Community College Libraries. Photos by Rich Keen and Rob Rhodes.
The Blue Ridge Community College Library recently celebrated Preservation Week across Henderson and Transylvania counties with activities held April 14-16. Students, faculty, staff, and the public enjoyed documentary screenings, live theatre, and two local history fairs, held in Brevard and Flat Rock.
Blue Ridge’s Library Instruction and Archives Librarian Rachel Quinn said the events had wonderful turnout throughout the week.
Preservation Week activities began with a truncated performance of “The Many Lives of Carl Sandburg,” which mixes in songs and poetry from Sandburg. Following the performance, the volunteers and performers answered questions about his works, life, and more.
At Blue Ridge, the crowning jewels of every Preservation Week are the Local History Fairs, featuring numerous local organizations who work to preserve local history and educate the community. This year featured 20 organizations at the Henderson County Campus Local History Fair, and 11 organizations at the Transylvania County Campus Local History Fair, which was held off-campus at the Mary C. Jenkins Community and Cultural Center.
“The Local History Fair had a great mix of different local history organizations, both first-time participants and organizations who have taken part since our first fair in 2023. It was a lot of fun to watch students engage with the different tables and learn something new about the area we call home,” Quinn said. “Two crowd favorites from Blue Ridge’s table were Louise Howe Bailey’s Key to the City and a photograph of a canoe race in the pond.”
Both campuses wrapped up the week with films. The Transylvania County Campus showed “Color Beyond the Lines,” a local documentary from David Weintraub and the Center for Cultural Preservation. The Henderson County Campus showed “Beam Me Up, Sulu” and “Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip.”
Quinn said Western North Carolina’s rich history makes for rich experiences for preservers and all who care about history.
“One of the beautiful things about the region is that there are so many people and organizations passionate about preserving the different and unique aspects of our local history,” Quinn said. “Preservation Week is so important because it helps highlight the vital work they do. When we’re able to build an event like the Local History Fair, we are able to bring these organizations together in one place to make our history more visible and accessible for students.”
Blue Ridge Community College is deeply grateful for all the participants in this year’s festivities:
Henderson County Campus Local History Fair Participants
Abraham Kuykendall NSDAR Chapter
Asheville Museum of History
Black History Research Group of Henderson County
Blue Ridge Community College Archives and Special Collections
Blue Ridge Health
Buncombe County Special Collections
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Center for Cultural Preservation
Genealogy Society at Flat Rock
Henderson County Genealogical & Historical Society
Henderson County Public Library
Hendersonville History Walks
Historic Flat Rock, Inc
Historic Johnson Farm
Saluda Depot Museum
Sons of the American Revolution, Blue Ridge Chapter
Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center
Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Western Regional Archives
WNC Quilters Guild
Transylvania County Campus Local History Fair Participants
Blue Ridge Community College Library (TCC)
Blue Ridge Health
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) with the Transylvania County 250 Committee
Mary C Jenkins Cultural and Community Center
Quebec Community Center
Transylvania County Cemetery Board of Trustees
Transylvania County Historical Society
Transylvania County Joint Historic Preservation Commission
Transylvania County Library’s NC Room
Transylvania Heritage Museum
Veteran’s History Museum of the Carolinas
Learn more about the Blue Ridge Community College Libraries at www.blueridge.edu/library.
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