I toured the Mountain Farm Museum at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina in late December 2016. The museum consists of a number of farm buildings that were originally built in other places in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Most of the buildings date from around 1900 and were determined to be some of the best remaining examples of their type. The buildings were painstakingly disassembled and rebuilt on the river plain near the visitor center in the 1950s.
The 16-page Mountain Farm Museum booklet published by Great Smoky Mountains Association provides information about the origin of each of the buildings as well as importance and use on a typical farm. The following building origins are quoted from the booklet:
- Davis house - Moved from the Indian Creek/Thomas Divide area, north of Bryson City, NC. John Davis had sold the house to Joe Queen by that time
- Woodshed - Replica of the Davis-Queen woodshed
- Meathouse - Moved from the Jim Conard farm in Little Cataloochee, NC.
- Apple house - Moved from Little Cataloochee, NC.
- Corn crib - Moved from the Davis-Queen farm.
- Corn crib and gear shed (second corn crib) - Moved from the Jim Beard farm on Indian Creek, north of Bryson City, NC.
- Barn - Moved from the Enloe-Floyd farm about 200 yards from its present site.
- Blacksmith shop - Moved from the Gregory place in Cades Cove, TN.
- Springhouse - Moved from the Jim Caldwell farm in Cataloochee, NC.
Note that elk roam the area and have damaged the apple trees in previous years. Elk-proof fencing has since been erected around the orchard. Heirloom crops are grown in fenced fields during the spring and summer. In addition, there are occasional demonstrations of the making of sorghum molasses. Check with the staff at the visitor center or online for dates. The relative placement of the buildings seems to be a bit arbitrary, but keep in mind this is a museum and not a replica farm.
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| Davis house - front |
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| Davis house - rear |
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| Davis house - side |
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| Woodshed |
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| Meathouse |
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| Outhouse |
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| Bird houses above the garden |
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| Garden |
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| Heirloom apple trees |
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| Apple house |
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| Molasses cooking shed |
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| Sorghum mill |
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| Corn field |
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| Corn crib |
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| Corn crib and gear house |
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| Both corn cribs |
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| Barn |
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| High opening allows easy access to upper floor |
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| Center aisle |
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| Animal stalls |
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| Upper floor / attic |
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| More of the upper floor |
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| Timber framing and a small hole in the roof |
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| Cantilevered sides provide storage for plows and other gear |
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| Shakes for roof repairs |
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| Hog pen |
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| Blacksmith shop |
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| Interior of the blacksmith shop |
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| Springhouse |
Entry to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free.
The park website is https://www.nps.gov/grsm.
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