An Old Appalachian Village

When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park began development in the 1930s, it was created in a region which had been settled many years previously by mountain people of European descent. Many of the local Native Americans had long since been displaced, but there were thousands of highlanders living within what would become the boundaries of the Park.

Through thousands of negotiations, the United States government reached agreements with people living in the area, many of whom earned their living from farming or other traditional livelihoods. The highlanders were financially compensated for their forcible displacement. They left behind houses, barns, mills, churches and other structures, many dating from the mid-nineteenth century. Some residents resisted the Park movement, and one family remains on Park land today.

The Park Service preserved many of the highlanders' old buildings. The Mountain Farm Museum is an uncommon collection of southern Appalachian farm buildings assembled from locations throughout the Park. Visitors can explore a chestnut log farmhouse, barn, apple house, corn crib, springhouse, pig pen, and blacksmith shop. Most of the structures were built in the late 19th century and were preserved in the 1950s. During the summer Park staff and volunteers give demonstrations of traditional mountain crafts and folkways.

After this we continued on to Nashville for Harry's two-day seminar; then back home. A great trip!

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