H ISTORY
Isabel Chambers
Highlands First Nursery
I
Since its earliest days, Highlands’ green has kept Highlanders in the green. n the late 1800s, those who answered the KelseyHutchinson call to settle in Highlands purchased parcels of land that shared not only boundaries, but wonderful stories.
Isabel Chambers, esteemed Plateau historian, knows all those tales and just about every creek, crack, and cranny that comes with ‘em. Here’s an account of one of Highlands’ first businesses, Harbison Nursery. Professor Thomas Harbison (a botanist/teacher/researcher from Pennsylvania) moved to Highlands and opened a garden center. Later, he sold it to Samuel Kelsey (co-founder of the community), who established Kelsey-Highlands Nursery in 1885. By 1892 Kelsey and his son, Harlan, launched a second nursery in Linville. From the very start, Highlands’ forests and native plants were considered valuable resources. There was a sizeable contingency of new residents who came from the North, They’d send North Carolina native plants back Northeast. In 1912 Harlan founded a third nursery in Boxford, Massachusetts. Highlands shipped regional plants including apples, Galax, and Shortia (Oconee Bells). Coincidentally, Kelsey, at one time, owned Kanonah Lodge, which became the Good House and was surrounded by hordes of Shortia. Sadly, in 1976 Good House burned down, but the chimney survived and was transplanted to Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park where Santa now holds court at Christmas. You’ll recognize the family names: Harbison, Skinner, Ravenel. All lived in the area around Harris Lake, a water resource used
by the nursery. Isabel recalls, “I remember Harris Lake with a dam, but the water crossed the road and you had to ford it on foot, in buggy, or car.” The nursery, by the way, was situated below Sunset Rock. Harris Lake (formerly Harbison Lake, when Harbison owned it) did more than offer irrigation for the nursery. During Winter, blocks of ice were cut from several frozen lakes in the area, including Harris. Blocks were packed in sawdust and stored in ice houses. They stayed frozen well into the summer, because the ice houses were situated on the north side (where it was cooler) of mountains and lakes. Rebecca Harris, for whom the lake is named, purchased considerable land from the Ravenels. She came from Havana with her father and brother. (An interesting aside: Rebecca’s father was extremely wealthy. Criminals took advantage and held her for ransom on a boat in Havana harbor. She took charge, jumped overboard, and swam ashore. Women of Highlands, take note of this amazing role model who helped mold the character of Highlands.) Stay tuned for a bookful of Isabel’s recollections. Or, if you can’t wait, read her book, Remembering Highlands: From Pioneer Village to Mountain Retreat (available locally). Or visit highlandshistory.com or email hhs@highlandshistory.com. Thanks to Jessie Sheldon, the granddaughter of Professor Harbison, for her contributions. by Donna Rhodes
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