The allure of traveling in time
Ann B. Doran
 | | Above: The "Main Dwelling" of the Nelson Village will be taken apart piece by piece, numbered, and reassembled at its new home site with the Old Jailhouse Museum on Business Hwy. 64 just below Hayesville's historic courthouse square. Imagine cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in that home's "kitchen" and the work it entailed. |
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We western North Carolinians may take for granted historic structures with which our regional landscape abounds and may think them common. But buildings can vanish without a trace like most things on this earth.
We also may realize how much fun it is to sample, show and share preserved historical structures. It's fun and informative for ourselves, our kids, or relatives and friends from other regions or even other countries. Preservation - storytelling - these components help to give us living history.
With today's gas prices, many of us are unable to plan the latest travel of our dreams. Why not use leisure to travel back in time (at a fraction of the cost)? Clay Co.'s planned Nelson Pioneer Village will submerse visitors in rural life as lived on these mountains and in these valleys from the late 19th century to mid-20th century.
 | | *** Above right: a savvy bovine history buff examines an old winter storage crib on the old Tusquittee site of the 19 buildings donated by the Garnet and Kathleen Nelson family for the planned Nelson Appalachian Village. |
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The Garnet and Kathleen Nelson family collected and preserved 19 authentic pioneer structures - all filled with arti- facts - and the family has donated the entire collection for the enjoyment and benefit of generations to come hopefully. The restored village will include in addition to the main dwelling a working blacksmith shop, a post office, a church, a general store, a barn - and of course the Old Jailhouse - and other structures - and will be peopled by period costumed characters telling pioneer life stories and the stories of the original Tusquittee Pioneer Village started by Garnet and Kathleen Nelson in the early 1990's in Tusquittee.
The Nelson daughters currently are conducting an inventory of all the implements and artifacts and have completed two buildings' inventory at this time.
 | | Below: closeup of dwelling's front porch right side, where the hanging "Dwelling" sign informs us that the home was constructed in 1870. Each of the 19 authentic structures will be taken apart, moved and restored as above described. |
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Bids are still being accepted for moving the buildings, w h i c h will be t a k e n a p a r t a n d n u m - b e r e d b e f o r e moving. Porches and the c h u r c h steeple will be d i s a s - sembled a n d n u m - b e r e d . T h e Nelson Pioneer Village is a huge undertaking, and many volunteers are still needed. Precious is this enduring history, and we may plan to enjoy it and learn from
it as long as it is available and the desire to maintain it can continue to be inspired.
Look for the red and gold sign and get involved for fun.
 | | At bottom: the old village church most likely enclosed many scenes of happiness and sadness within its walls. |
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 | | Top left: old Smokehouse & Grainery smoked (preserved) meats that hung from its rafters or lay on wooden shelves over the years - as well as provided grain storage. |
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 | | Middle left: a farm shed of antique implements will provide a field day of artifacts for demonstrations for Western North Carolina residents and other history buffs. |
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 | | Bottom left: new red and gold sign which stands below the Old Jailhouse Museum site in Hayesville announces future home of Nelson Pioneer Village. When complete, Nelson Pioneer Village will take Clay County residents, family and visitors on a true trip back in time to t u r n - o f - t h e - c e n t u r y Appalachia. |
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