g Madison County

Roger Howell Fiddlers.

PEGGY BAKER

Madison County

MARS HILL | MARSHALL | HOT SPRINGS

Madison County offers visitors and residents a taste of small-town heritage, outdoor exploration, and a timeless tradition of musical history recognized around the world.

The county seat, Marshall, population 870, is some 20 miles north of Asheville. The town, shoehorned between peaks on the banks of the French Broad River, is an enclave of artists, galleries, and studios. Stroll down Marshall’s Main Street and you’ll find books, cafes, galleries, antique shops, eateries, and a coffee shop that hosts weekly jam sessions for true bluegrass and mountain music fun.

Marshall High Studios is located in the historic schoolhouse built in 1925 for the high school. Perched on a 10-acre island in the French Broad River, the restored building houses 26 studios, an auditorium, and an enormous deck in a park-like setting. The updated facility has attracted artists in all media:painting, textiles, jewelry, sound recording, yoga/movement, ceramics, photography, design, writing, massage, print making, music, and fiber.

The Depot, a converted railroad station, is a popular Marshall community performance venue each Friday night as locals strike up a soundtrack of traditional bluegrass and country music. There’s also plenty of music at the town’s regular French Broad Fridays, a series of free outdoor concerts.

The Madison County Arts Center, also on Main Street, presents traditional and contemporary art exhibitions.

The entire county offers outdoor sports for all enthusiasts, whether you want a rafting trip, a cycling adventure along country roads, or an invigorating horseback ride.

East of Marshall is the town of Mars Hill, a small community big on mountain traditions.

Mars Hill University, a private liberal arts school with an enrollment of more than 1,275 students, contributes significantly to the character of the town. Founded in 1856, the schools is one of the oldest educational facilities in Western North Carolina.

AGENT’S CHOICE: “We are so lucky to have immediate access to the greatest artist of all, Mother Nature. Whether it is the spruce-fir forests near the summit of Mt. Mitchell, the pristine grounds of the Biltmore Estate, or the sweeping sunset views from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the natural art of this area could not be more magical.”

— Joseph Breiter, Downtown Asheville office

The university’s Rural Life Museum preserves and presents artifacts of traditional Appalachian communities, while the Weizenblatt Art Gallery shares visiting exhibitions and student and staff works.

Mars Hill hosts two long-running festivals celebrating craft, music, and dance: the Heritage Festival and the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Music Festival. Both occur the same weekend in October.

The university is also home to the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, founded in 1975 to become one of the region’s top theater draws.

There are 1,800 residents within 2021 SALES Mars Hill town limits, and it sits close to Interstate 26, offering quick access Madison County to Asheville to the south or Tennessee to the north. MEDIAN Wolf Ridge Ski Resort opens each PRICE ........ winter in northern Madison County, with 82 acres of terrain for skiers and snowboarders. Throughout the year, the Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center’s 250seat theater hosts musical performances ranging from classical to the traditional.

About 15 miles northeast of Marshall is the resort town of Hot Springs, which is also nestled next to the French Broad River and features the Appalachian Trail winding its way through town on Bridge Street.

Each April, the town hosts a weekend-long Trailfest, a celebration of all things AT, complete with live music, local foods, and athletic events.

Hot Springs got its name from the extraordinary natural mineral springs constantly heated above 100 degrees, and it is home to the 100-acre Hot Springs Resort and Spa, which dates to before the Civil War.

Downtown Hot Springs is lined with cafés, coffee shops, and gift stores, though many say the real action is in the surrounding waters and ridges, renowned for biking, fishing, kayaking, and tubing.

Every May, Hot Springs sponsors the French Broad River Festival, featuring an impressive roster of musical groups, whitewater and bike races, arts and crafts vendors, and a kids village. In September, the town also plays host to the French Broad Fall Fest, a celebration of craft beer and live music set against the beauty of fall leaf season. n

$359,750 AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET............. 67 PERCENT OF LISTING PRICE......... 99% NUMBER OF UNITS ............. 311

“Marshall Tracks” by Calvin Edney.

Creating a better tomorrow | MADISON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

When it comes to the preservation and perpetuation of the history and culture of Western North Carolina, the litmus test of the strength of a community resides in the power and support of its arts and artisans.

“Whether we’re strengthening creative opportunities for artists themselves or we’re giving opportunities to people in the county to come see stuff, it’s about bringing people together and creating an atmosphere of financially and culturally contributing to each other’s lives,” said Laura Boosinger, executive director for the Madison County Arts Council.

Located in downtown Marshall, the arts council is a bastion of creative light and possibility in this picturesque small mountain town. At the helm of the beloved nonprofit organization is Boosinger, a storied and awardwinning Appalachian musician, historian, and folklorist.

“We hope to always be evolving as a place where people are getting ideas from other people,” Boosinger said. “It’s about being inspired by others, by the history of this region, and by the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding us.”

Since forming in 1978, the arts council has been a vital source of information within Marshall and greater Madison County. Today, the organization even has its own radio station,wART 95.5 FM, which features local music, news, talk, storytelling, and more.

“It’s a community radio station, with a low-power license that just reaches our local listeners. But, you can also listen to it worldwide by streaming it online (wartfm.org),” Boosinger said. “We’re always trying new things with the station by having new programs and letting the members of the community dictate what music they’d like to play during their DJ set. From classical to rock-n-roll to bluegrass — it’s all there and more.”

But, aside from its year-round programming of live music, artisan workshops, and demonstrations, the arts council’s popular Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program is at the heart of what the organization aims to promote and nurture — the next generation of Appalachian musicians and performers.

“Our program doesn’t necessarily run like the other JAM programs in the area. As opposed to going to a classroom or doing a one-on-one lesson, we meet together as a community of musicians, which is the way it used to be when you wanted to learn music,” Boosinger said. “We’ve developed our JAM program into a group setting, to learn and play together as a string band, and then the kids will eventually form their own string band. Without having that community element, you don’t really understand what music is all about.”

When she came to Western North Carolina at 18, Boosinger found a sense of self and of community not felt in other areas of the country. Although she wasn’t born here, she had finally found her real home in this place of ancient mountains and sacred tones— something cherished and radiated each year at the art council’s Fiddlers of Madison County gathering.

“I’ve always felt like there’s magic in our rural counties here, each with a little bit of its own flavor,” Boosinger said. “It’s always been about family in these mountains, whether you are from here or eventually found yourself here, with the local arts and music at the center of that coming together as a community.” n

Laura Boosinger