Tucked inside the beautiful community of Highland Lake in Flat Rock, NC lies The Garden Hamlet, a charming neighborhood made up of permanent residents and vacationers, all surrounding a large pasture.

Inside the pasture lives The Hamlet Herd.

Sandy Hunter Jones was born with a needle and thread in her hand. When Sandy was only three, her mother spotted her mending Elfie, her stuffed elephant. This young creative prodigy had remarkable dexterity, and she in time developed a lifelong passion for smocking and heirloom sewing. Her story here …

Tim Jones reflects on the difficulties of the past year and the promise of a new beginning as discovered in his search for the earliest wildflowers on the forest floor.

The Highland Lake Inn & Resort is known today as one of the Southeast’s premier resort destinations. But its history extends back over 230 years to the earliest European settlers in western North Carolina.

Actors often tell stories of the “big break” that altered the course of their lives and careers. Stories typically involve one last casting call before giving up on their dream, or a chance meeting while struggling to make ends meet as a waiter at a local bistro. For Flat Rock Playhouse Vagabond legend, Scott Treadway, his big moment transpired in a place familiar to anyone that’s ever been to the Playhouse - during the organized chaos of Playhouse parking.

When I was in the first grade, I volunteered my mother to be in charge of our class Valentine Party. She was clever and creative – holidays and parties were her forte. They brought to the surface a breed of woman not to be believed …

A Valentine’s Day story from Missy Izard Schenck

As the original group of about 50 former slaves traveled northward through Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, news of their crusade spread, and their numbers grew to about 200 people. Upon reaching S.C., the entourage met with freed slaves who spoke of families from the “Lowcountry” who made annual pilgrimages to the high country where miles of uninhabited mountain wilderness existed. Led by a dream, the caravan of former slaves set out on the Buncombe Turnpike for North Carolina — the possible end to their questing pilgrimage.

Their quest was to take them to an intersection in history with the family of John Davis, one of Henderson County’s earliest settlers.

In a few short weeks, spring will arrive once again at the Carl Sandburg Home here in Flat Rock. Forsythia will begin blooming on the bushes near the house. Daffodils will dance in the grass, and baby goats will start emerging from the barn sporting jaunty colorful sweaters. We can thank Lilian Steichen, Carl’s wife, for this annual spring treat.

In the last decade, the data has been piling up, revealing a Native American culture over 10,000 years old. The evidence of Native Americans at Green River Preserve is extensive. There are petroglyphs on Long Rock, bivouacs throughout GRP, a fault line where an ancient rock quarry is located, many lithic scatters on the surface from flint knapping, and points dating from 10,000 BC to 500 years ago. Additionally, there is Native American pottery, a 5000-year-old Native American fire ring 2 feet below the surface, dwelling sites along the Green River, evidence of long-distance trade, and more.

Although the young girl visiting from Florida 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.

After just a few moments of talking to Anna Kimmell about her new job as Director of Education at Flat Rock Playhouse, it becomes readily apparent that, to the extent that enthusiasm, energy, and a positive outlook are predictors of success, the Playhouse has the right woman on the job.

The very best part of writing the Good News posts for Flat Rock Together is the opportunity to learn more about the most interesting people, places, and events in Flat Rock.

Here is a look back at five of our favorite stories from 2020. The candidates for this distinction were numerous and choosing just five was no easy task. Ultimately, we came up with these five and hope you enjoy reliving some of the very best moments from Flat Rock Together in 2020…

My great grandmother’s recipe haunts our family. It’s not exactly comfort food. You either like it or you don’t. It’s loaded with whiskey and ferments in the basement until it is ripe. The historic Christmas cake is actually edible for up to 25 years after it is made!

Josh Stephens did not grow up in the mountains. As a child, he was raised by surfing parents and spent a significant portion of his youth with an eye towards the sea. “The ocean was where we might lose ourselves” he explains. “Riding waves or simply being humbled by the ocean's beauty and power. I still have this deep need to get outside in one way or another and to be in beautiful and wild places.”

If John Gunther’s quote is to be believed, and if the crowds that flock to Honey and Salt restaurant on Little Rainbow Row are any indication, then Flat Rock must be one of the happiest places in the world.

Now that we have finished with Thanksgiving, many of us will start to think about our Holiday shopping. Fortunately, Flat Rock is replete with wonderful options for purchasing gifts for family and friends. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Back when European settlers first came to Southern Appalachia, wild turkeys were plentiful. By the early 1900s, however, only a few were left, a decline that continued into the mid-century. The restoration of this iconic species is considered one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world.

Many Flat Rock residents arrived in the Village from locales throughout the country and even the world. Undoubtedly, however, the single largest source of new residents in Flat Rock is the Blue Ridge Humane Society.

When Tom Fisch was 10 years old, he won a guitar in a raffle at a local high school bazaar. That guitar became the first stepping stone on a long and winding musical path that led him from his hometown of Albany, NY, to Nashville in pursuit of a childhood dream, and ultimately to Flat Rock and a career as a modern-day minstrel bringing entertainment and smiles to the mountains of western North Carolina. His story here …