Learn about Blowing Rock with a short walk

from Blowing Rock My Hometown 2023

Edgewood Cottage

BY MOSS BRENNAN

BLOWING ROCK — This year, on Blowing Rock’s June 1 History Day, the Blowing Rock Historical Society and The Village Foundation of Blowing Rock unveiled the latest addition to the town with those who helped make it happen: a new history walk.

“We think that the Blowing Rock History Walk is going to be a tremendous community asset,” said president of the Blowing Rock Historical Society Tom O’Brien said. “It doesn’t matter if your name is Greene and your family has been here for hundreds and hundreds of years, or you moved here last week, or you’re a visitor to the town. We think this is going to be an asset for the whole community and something that people really, truly enjoy.”

The history walk consists of 21 podiums placed strategically along the trail around Mayview Lake. Each podium is made of local stone and concrete, with bronze plaques that tell a little piece of history. QR codes are included at the bottom of the plaque for those looking to read more about the town’s history. The walk, which is handicapped accessible, begins in Mayview Plaza adjacent to Main Street and features 21 History Stations. It is approximately ¼ mile in length. The walk follows Laurel Lane into Broyhill Park, and goes around Mayview Lake. The History Stations are prominent bronze plaques featuring relief images and narratives of events, people, and places in Blowing Rock history.

John Aldridge, of The Village Foundation of Blowing Rock, approached O’Brien in 2020 with the idea. Together, they decided that the historical society would write the history plaques, and the village foundation would raise funds to elicit the design and construction of the pillars, Aldridge said. The groundbreaking on the trail occurred in May 2022.

The history walk includes:

1. Blowing Rock’s History

2. Early Visitors and Settlers

3. Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpike

4. From Mountain Village to

Resort

5. Mayview Lake

6. Early Education

7. Tourism

8. Ski Industry

9. Medical Care

10. Chetola

11. Philanthropy

12. The Blue Ridge Parkway

13. Religious Heritage

14. The Cone Estate and Family

15. Green Park

16. A Wet or Dry Town

17. Glen Burney Falls

18. Watauga Hotel and Memorial Park

19. Mayview Park

20. Uncle Joe Clark and Becoming a Town

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The individual pillars were sponsored by individuals and families in Blowing Rock, and roughly 30 organizations and people worked to bring this project together.

More information on the Blowing Rock Historical Society can be found at www.blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com/copy-of-blowing-rock-stories.

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