NCHENDER-L Archives

From: "Michael Allison" <>
Subject: Huge Community Historical Celebration: TRANSYLVANIA HERITAGE DAY, Sat. August 6th
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 20:18:03 -0500

County to celebrate Transylvania Heritage Day Saturday, August 6


The rich past of Transylvania County and her people will be honored with
a special celebration of heritage presented on the afternoon of Saturday,
August 6 from 1-4 p.m. The large fellowship hall of Brevard's St. Timothy
United Methodist Church at the corner of the Asheville Highway and Hospital
Drive will be the site of the celebration

The entire community is invited to this free event that is being
produced as a community service by a host of organizations and several
supporting businesses.

The organizations and businesses joining hands to produce this special
community-wide heritage celebration include TransylvanCoGenList - the
Transylvania Genealogy Group, the Transylvania Times, Jim Bob Tinsley Museum
and Research Center, Transylvania County Historical Society, the Gillespie
Rifle Works, National Allison-Allanson Family Association, Transylvania
Joint Historic Preservation Commission/County Archives, TCIO (Transylvania
Citizens Improvement Organization), Transylvania Heritage Coalition, Casey
Jones Restaurant, Highland Books, and Roy Chapman and True Blue Grass Band.
The congregation of St. Timothy Church is kindly hosting the event.

Live mountain heritage music will be presented during the afternoon by
renowned mountain fiddler Roy Chapman and the very talented True Blue Grass
Band.

The members of western North Carolina's premiere folk dance team,
Southern Mountain Fire Cloggers, will join True Blue Grass Band for a
heritage dance performance that features both the English smooth dance that
came into the mountains with the first British Isle settlers and an exciting
high energy, fast-paced performance of lightning-quick mountain clogging.

The past of Transylvania County will be brought to life through
extensive historical displays honoring the founding pioneer families,
presented by the 512 member TransylvanCoGenList -- the Transylvania
Genealogy Group. The history with precious old photos of dozens of the early
families will be presented in an exhibition area affording an intimate
glimpse into the lives of the hardy families who carved out a pioneer
civilization from the remote Blue Ridge Mountain wilderness.

The Joint Historic Preservation Commission's County Archives will
present historical exhibits ranging from local prehistoric artifacts and
other relics to lovely old photos of the county and her people in years
past.

The Transylvania County Historical Society will participate with an
exhibit that includes the past and the restoration of Transylvania County's
historical architectural jewel, the Allison-Deaver House.

TCIO (Transylvania Citizens Improvement Organization) will present a
large exhibit featuring the past of the local black community - its
businesses, churches and schools, as well as individuals.

A very special exhibit and program featuring the legendary Gillespie
rifles will be presented by Dennis Glazener of the Gillespie Rifle Works,
published expert on the famed rifle-making clan of East Fork that settled
here two centuries ago and the family's magnificently crafted firearms. The
exhibit will feature a large selection of original Gillespie rifles and
related historical artifacts.

Joining Glazener will be Gillespie gun collectors and reenactors in
period dress, including contemporary gun maker and tombstone carver David
Gillespie who will demonstrate this old stone carving craft, and Renee
Gillespie who will demonstrate traditional spinning on the original
Gillespie-Whitmire "great wheel".

At the conclusion of the program, the audience will be invited outdoors
for a unique chance to hear the haunting sounds of the Blue Ridge Mountain
frontier being opened two centuries through a demonstration firing of
Gillespie long rifles.

Tony Morrow of the Transylvania Heritage Coalition and director of the
Jim Bob Tinsley Museum and Research Center will present a program on
founding a Transylvania County historical museum to preserve the priceless
heritage of the county for posterity.

Highland Books, Brevard, and several selected authors from
TransylvanCoGenList -- the Transylvania Genealogy Group will have a large
selection of published regional and county historical and genealogical works
available for purchase. The Historical Society and the Jim Bob Tinsley
Museum will also have published works available.

Casey Jones Restaurant, Brevard, co-owner Yvonne McCall Dickson, will
provide refreshments for the reception. A drawing for door prizes provided
by several local organizations and businesses will be held at the end of the
event.

The reception to view the historical displays with heritage musical
entertainment will open at 1:00 pm. Historical programs begin at about 2:45
pm.

So that as many founding families can be represented as possible with
historical displays, individuals from the families are invited to join the
Transylvania Genealogy group and present family history displays. Early
churches and other institutions are also invited to participate with
displays.

Displays can be accepted only through advance reservation for display
space. For guidelines and suggestions for family history displays, and to
reserve display space, please contact the event chairman Michael Allison by
the e-mail below.

For more information about Transylvania Heritage Day, contact event
chairman Michael Allison, co-administrator of the Transylvania Genealogy
Group, at , or call the group's assistant manager Mary
Galyon, (828) 884-5411.
For information about membership in the event's lead organization,
TransylvanCoGenList the Transylvania Genealogy Group, please contact Michael
Allison at the above e-mail address or visit the group's website at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TransylvanCoGenList

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