In her note at the front of The Foxfire Book of Simple Living, our past executive director Ann Moore writes from the porch of the Moore House in the midst of Living History Days (now Foxfire Heritage Day). She sits next to one of our oldest (and dearest, she notes) contacts, Max Woody, taking in the scene – the activity of the day. She writes beautifully of the sights and sounds around her – “the ping of the hammer as it hits the anvil in the blacksmith shop […] the church bell tolling […] the laughter of children as they play traditional games on the lawn.” She writes of Foxfire alive and breathing and full of the human spirit.
I love the images Ann paints with her words. I love these reminiscences of that moment. I love all the color and sound and the spring air. I love it all and I want more.
She writes of Foxfire alive and breathing and full of the human spirit.
Ann hits on something key to what I hope for this place. We’re two weeks past our Foxfire Heritage Day and I’m still intoxicated by the events of that day. It was so wonderful to see people from all walks of life moving up and down the mountain, engaging with demonstrators, taking part in everything they could – from beating laundry to spinning rope to breathing fire into straw. I want that everyday … well, maybe not 400 people on the grounds at once everyday, but certainly the life the event breathed into this place. It was wonderful.
Back in April, we started a new program that will help us get there. This is the “beta” version of a folk school of heritage skills and crafts. We are currently getting our feet wet with a series of classes on wool spinning and loom weaving taught by Sharon Grist, our village weaver. Sharon is a gracious and patient guinea pig and with her help we have started to give form to this sketch of an idea. In the coming months we will begin offering more classes in things such as broom making, wood stove cooking, blacksmithing, instrument making, and primitive/survival skills.
It will be through these programs that we hope to empower individuals to develop skills that may help them financially and that will also keep these skills alive in Appalachia. It is our hope that students of these programs may continue to work with us in studio spaces that we plan to develop here on site in some our museum buildings. This way, there will always be living artisans practicing many of the same skills that are the centerpieces of our magazines and books.
With any luck, the beautiful scene painted by Ann in the opening notes will be more commonplace here on the land. With any luck (and a lot of work), Foxfire will live and breathe with that same voracity of spirit.
~ T.J. Smith
I live in a small town in Arkansas. I also agree with keeping the old timers skills alive. I try to teach the younger generation of the old timers skill. I try to let them know that some day they may have to rely upon them. I let them know, that they better know how to grow their own food,catch a fish,solar power and anything else they can learn from their ancestors. I let them know that our power grids are at least 40 yrs past their life expectency and we are over loading them more and more every day. I do believe that soon we will be without electricity in the near future and ( for how long I don’t know) but they need to know how to provide for themselves, off the land, and protect their world like the old timers did. I am happy to know that their are still people who believe in our heritage and take the time to pass it on, just like my Grandmother did for me. I love and miss my Grandma. Thank you Janie Clark
My wife and I recently took a vacation to Georgia and surrounding states. It was our first time visiting the South and Mountain City. I stopped to take a picture of my Great, Great, Great Grandfathers grave (Amos McCurry) located in the McCurry cemetary, Mountain City and saw the Foxfire Museum sign as we were leaving town. My biggest regret is that we were to late to visit the museum that day and we were headed to our next destination. I would have loved to have seen remnants of how my Great, Great, Great Grandfather lived in the 18th and 19th century and if there was any clues of my heritage located in your museum. Several generations of my family lived in Rabun Gap county after Amos McCurry until eventually my Grandfather settled in Idaho. If anyone knows anything about the McCurry family in Mountain City I would love to hear from you. Thank You! Joe Wells, Boise, Idaho