Browse Items (117 total)

"News that Mrs. Roosevelt might attend galvanized the White Top festival planners. Blakemore widened the roads and had an architect design a rustic festival pavilion.The Lester brothers of nearby Glade Spring cut the shingles, erected the building,…

"[T]he history of the White Top Folk festival cannot be understood apart from the conflicted personal and working relationship between John Powell and Annabel Morris Buchanan. To Buchanan, Powell was at once teacher, role model, co-worker,…

Largely overshadowed by the presence of John Powell and later Richard Chase, Annabel Morris Buchanan was the animating spirit of the White Top Folk Festival.
"Nationwide publicity about the White Top Folk Festival in newspapers and magazines helped…

Festival-goers participating in a folk dance

Charles Seeger and Ruth Crawford Seeger, his second wife, traveled through Western North Carolina in the 20s and 30s, playing to entertain themselves and others but also listening and learning from local musicians.

"Boyhood home of Rev. Robert Sheffey, “The Saint of the Wilderness”, legendary circuit-riding frontier preacher who gave up wealth and social position to spread the Word and Spirit of God."
"Built in 1820 by James and Elizabeth White. Partially…

"The town of Whitetop, nestled at the foot of White Top Mountain, was incorporated in 1913, the year the railroad arrived. Before the train, the main industry was farming: families eked out a living raising cattle, hogs, sheep, corn and other crops.…

This was Lou's childhood home.

Fault Line in far southwest Washington County, Virginia. Lou would search for fossils here with her children.

This is where Lou spent most of her married life. She called it the "Black-eyed house."