In the 1950s, Montgomery, Alabama’s city ordinance required Black riders to sit in the back half of the bus and give up their seats if the front section filled. The Montgomery Bus Boycott began on December 5, 1955, just days after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a White man, and lasted for 381 days.
Flat Rock resident Jean Ross and her family lived in Montgomery in the months leading up to one of the most seminal moments in American history.
Long before Flat Rock became a retreat for Lowcountry planters and a magnet for artists and retirees, the people who shaped this mountain village arrived from somewhere else. Some came willingly, chasing opportunity or health. Others were brought in chains, their passage a tragedy that would reverberate for generations. Cherokee and other early peoples who lived here first were displaced by the tide of newcomers.
This is the truth of Flat Rock’s history. It is a place created by immigrants who displaced local Native Americans. It is a reminder that the American story - whether chosen or forced - has always been one of aggregating knowledge, skills, and traditions from a diverse array of cultures.
Roll into Flat Rock from the south on Greenville Highway and you’ll pass a blink-and-you-miss-it marker at the Kingwood entrance: “Mud Creek Watershed.” Not exceptionally interesting, and you might wonder why someone bothered to place he sign at that spot.
Until, that is, you realize what it really means.
The mountains of Swain County rise steep and green, their valleys stitched together by narrow roads and close-knit communities. It was here, in a landscape both beautiful and isolating, that Dr. Laura Leatherwood, President of Blue Ridge Community College, learned the values that would guide her life - and came to understand education not just as a personal achievement but as a force that could change the trajectory of entire families.
Long before Flat Rock became a summer retreat, parishioners of St. John in the Wilderness made their way to worship along a woodland footpath known as the Jerusalem Path. The trail began at Ravenswood, the home of the Reverend John Grimke Drayton, and wound through the neighboring estates of Mountain Lodge and Saluda Cottages before reaching the church.
This September, a portion of the old path will open once again. From September 5–7, St. John in the Wilderness will dedicate a restored section of the Jerusalem Path as part of its new woodland trail system. The full story here.
When Julie and Phil Wilmot packed up their lives in Dallas, Texas, and headed for the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2018, they thought they were stepping into retirement. They imagined quiet mornings on the porch, time for family visits, maybe a little painting, and certainly less noise and heat than the sprawling metropolis they were leaving behind.
What they did not imagine was that within seven years they would become the stewards of two of Henderson County’s most significant art galleries. Yet that is exactly what happened. Today, Julie and Phil are not only business owners but cultural leaders, shaping the way Henderson County experiences the arts.
During the 1950s, author Robert Ray Morgan was first a student at The Tuxedo School and later at the old Flat Rock High School. Sixty years later, that young boy who grew up in a home without indoor bathrooms and listening intently to the stories of his Appalachian ancestors, is arguably one of America’s most distinctive literary voices. Today, he is an author celebrated for novels, short stories, and poetry that bring the mountains of western North Carolina vividly to life.
One of the earliest published accounts of Flat Rock’s history was written in 1908 by Alicia Middleton Ripley Trenholm (1855–1926). Her book, A Sketch of the Past, offers a rare glimpse into the early days of this historic mountain village. While her prose may seem quaint to modern readers, the book brims with fascinating observations about Flat Rock's early settlers, homes, customs, and seasonal rhythms.
When Lisa K. Bryant was offered a position as a Playhouse Apprentice in 1994, a respected Elon University classmate was unequivocal about what Lisa needed to do. “He said, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,’” Lisa recalls. “I didn’t even know what Flat Rock Playhouse was. But when a big-deal senior tells you something like that, you listen.”
Lisa listened, and now, three decades later, that wide-eyed apprentice has stepped fully into the spotlight—directing, leading, and ensuring that the magic of Flat Rock Playhouse thrives for the next generation.
The heart and soul of the summer camp world was rocked on July 4, 2025. Catastrophic floodwaters from the Guadalupe River slammed into the Texas Hill Country—an area home to more than a dozen summer camps, vacation homes, and permanent residents.
As someone who has spent most of my adult life entrusted with the care of children at summer camps, I know the deep promise that camp holds. Camps are sacred places. Scattered across our beautiful country, each one carries its own rich history—evident in the well-worn trails, the echoes in their mess halls, and the reverent stillness of their chapels.
By Missy Craver Izard
After a seven-year hiatus, Historic Flat Rock, Inc. is bringing back its well-known house tour on August 2, 2025. Always a highlight of the Flat Rock summer season, the return of the Historic Flat Rock tour is a happening to experience.
This year, the tour will feature four homes - Chanteloup, Rutledge Cottage, Dunroy, Longwood - and the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Three of the homes are under new ownership and have been recently restored.
All sites offer a view into the historic founding of Flat Rock and the generations of tradition restored in them.
Every summer, snowbirds begin their migration to Western North Carolina. As many as 42,000 Floridians trade their beachside condos and villas for mountain cabins and cottages in the small towns of Western N.C., more than doubling the population of these quiet and quaint communities.
Saluda, N.C., is one of the many small areas impacted by seasonal residents. Some of them are long-time generational families with a history in Saluda, but there are a number of new settlers who now call Saluda home.
At Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock, Tim Parks and Lance Hiatt have always blended vision with hospitality, built on a deep-rooted belief in the potential of North Carolina wine. With the opening of their new event and production space they’ve christened “Skyward”, Tim and Lance have taken a bold step toward reimagining what a vineyard experience can be in the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA.
Flat Rock documentary filmmaker David Weintraub will debut his latest film, Color Beyond the Lines, on June 21 at Blue Ridge Community College. The world premiere commemorates the 60th anniversary of the integration of public schools in Henderson County.
The presentation also marks the culmination of three years of research and filmmaking, focused on the largely untold story of segregated Black schools in Henderson County - and the generations of students, teachers, and families whose lives were shaped by them.
When the final chords of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical rang out after a spectacular opening performance on Friday night, few in the audience that roared its approval could have guessed just how much went into that triumphant moment. Behind the remarkable set design, dazzling stage lights, breathtaking costumes, and soaring harmonies were months of preparation, problem-solving, creative risk, and above all, the enterprising resilience that has defined Flat Rock Playhouse for nearly 75 years.
From soulful food to inclusive art and compassionate self-care, new ventures are rising where empty storefronts once stood, rekindling East Flat Rock’s legacy as a place of growth and gathering. At the heart of this quiet renaissance are three new enterprises—828 Take & Bake, The Man Cave, and Studio 116—each of which is planting something hopeful, heartfelt, and entirely their own in this historic community.
Something new is stirring in Flat Rock—and it’s not just the breeze off Highland Lake. With the joyful debut of Treska’s Tuesday Market, the Lindsey family has added another bright thread to the fabric of our vibrant community.
In the heart of Flat Rock, North Carolina, nestled among a cluster of charming businesses known as Little Rainbow Row, Starr Teel has created more than a restaurant—he’s cultivated a community experience.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the St. John in the Wilderness churchyard, a small bronze plaque rests on a simple stone, nestled among pine straw and fallen leaves. It sits humbly within a garden of azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons—planted in tribute to the man it commemorates. Modest and unassuming, the memorial is easy to miss.
But the life of Dr. August Kehr, and his time in Flat Rock, is not one that should fade into obscurity. His legacy - rooted in our small village - deserves to be remembered. His story here.
Just behind our house, up a small hill and no more than fifty yards from our back door, a wildlife camera captures something remarkable. Day and night, season after season, it bears quiet witness to a world many never see — a world of deer and raccoons, bears and foxes, bobcats, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and coyotes. A steady procession of life passes before its lens, revealing the quiet persistence of wildness that still endures just beyond the edge of human reach.
Shortly after the Village of Flat Rock was incorporated in 1996, Gretchen Highlander — wife of Flat Rock’s first mayor, Cy Highlander — set out to celebrate the town’s rich history in a unique and lasting way. She envisioned a quilt that would stitch together the stories, landmarks, and spirit of Flat Rock, and soon rallied a group of talented residents to help bring her idea to life.
As a child, Virginia Spigener would travel with her parents from their hometown in Florida for a weekend visit with her brother attending summer camp in Tuxedo, NC. During those trips, the family would visit Flat Rock and shop at the legendary Peace’s Grocery store for supplies and cold drinks.
Although young Virginia had no way of knowing at the time, the Village of Flat Rock and the building that housed Clarence Peace’s vintage grocery store would eventually become two of the most consequential places of her adult life.
On April 17, 2025, East Flat Rock resident George Sarros will celebrate his 100th birthday.
Over the course of his 100 years, George has seen the world transformed by war, peace, tragedy, and triumph. A man of quiet humility and remarkable strength, he stands as one of the last living witnesses to D-Day, the momentous Allied invasion that changed the course of World War II. His legacy, however, extends far beyond that fateful day in June 1944. George’s story is one of family, service, love, and resilience during a long and remarkable life well-lived.
For more than a century, that narrow stretch of steel and timber carved its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains, connecting the Carolinas in a defiant dance against gravity. The Saluda Grade is a short but storied segment of railway that held the distinction of being the steepest standard-gauge mainline railroad grade in the United States. It was not only an engineering marvel, but a deeply woven thread in the industrial and cultural tapestry of the Southern Appalachians.
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site recently shared tributes on its Facebook page celebrating the remarkable lives of Carl and Lilian Sandburg’s three daughters—Margaret, Janet, and Helga.
Though each of the daughters lived uniquely different lives, they shared a deep bond rooted in creativity, intellect, and a profound love for their home, Connemara. Along with their remarkable parents, these women helped create a legacy that is still at the core of Flat Rock’s identity.
Margaret, Janet, and Helga were not only the daughters of one of America’s most cherished poets—they were vibrant individuals whose passions and quiet contributions enriched the Sandburg legacy and continue to inspire visitors today.
A century before the advent of its current commercial activity, Flat Rock Square – on the northeast corner of the intersection of Greenville Highway and West Blue Ridge Road - was primarily known as the place where thousands of area students studied, played, and acquired the basic life skills necessary for happy and productive lives.
It is also the site of one of the most infamous crimes in the history of Henderson County. A crime that ultimately led to an increasingly vibrant commercial district in Flat Rock rising from the ashes of an old school.
Lauren Rogers Hopkin’s journey with Flat Rock Playhouse began in 1992 when, as a seven-year-old, she attended what was then called Theatre for Young People. Her experience, even at such a young age, was transformational and set Lauren on a path that destined her for a career in the arts.
Now, some three decades later, Lauren has returned to the Playhouse as Director of Education, overseeing both the Playhouse apprentice program and Playhouse Jr., the education arm of Flat Rock Playhouse offering classes and camps for K-12th graders as well as adults.
In 2020, the National Park Service published a study of Black history at Rock Hill/Connemara. The study is entitled Black Lives and Whitened Stories and was compiled by David and Anne Whisnant. In their introduction, the Whisnants explain that the study was undertaken to tell the untold story of the black slaves and servants who worked and often lived at Connemara during its long and rich history.
Flat Rock resident, Laura Meherg Teel, spent years as the primary caregiver for two aging parents dealing with dementia. Although those years were frequently challenging, confusing, and at times heartbreaking, Laura was able to navigate her parents’ journey with the help of a groundbreaking organization out of Asheville called MemoryCare.
Now Laura is President of the Board of Directors at MemmoryCare and has been instrumental in arranging an upcoming workshop for caregivers of patients suffering from dementia.
The Gulfstream G4 banked low over the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, its sleek white body flashing in the summer light. From his window seat, Bill looked down at the airfield below, where a sea of nearly 500,000 people pressed against barricades and waved flags in celebration.
It was July 1992, and the world beneath him had only recently been reborn. Lithuania was free again, shaking off the weight of Soviet rule, and Bill Walker - successful businessman, accomplished pilot, and man who saw possibilities where others only saw obstacles - was about to touch down at the center of Lithuania’s national pride.
This moment, high above a cheering crowd in a country halfway around the world, would mark a turning point - the bridge between a lifetime of adventure and an unfolding legacy few could have imagined.