I learned about the John C. Campbell Folk School when my father, a hobby woodworker, took a class there. He made the seven-hour drive from central Mississippi to Brasstown, North Carolina, to spend a week at the school where he took a wood-turning class. He returned the following summer with my then-12-year-old son for an intergenerational week, where an adult and child could participate together in a class. They took a week-long wood-turning class where my son was introduced to the craft in a nurturing environment. He and my dad returned for the next two years, focusing on wood carving. My father then returned on his own once more for a class where he learned to make a dulcimer.
My father grew up in the hamlet of Sylva in the mountains of western North Carolina. He moved to Mississippi when he was twelve but always had a strong attachment to his Appalachian roots. The John C. Campbell Folk School has brought people together for almost 100 years, providing a nurturing environment for learning that sparks self-discovery.
John C. Cambell, born in Indiana and raised in Wisconsin, had the idea of starting a school based on the “folk high schools” common in rural Denmark. John studied education and theology in New England and was called to do humanitarian work. In 1908, he was drawn to the Southern Appalachian region with his wife, Olive Dame of Massachusetts, where the couple studied mountain life and social conditions. He talked with farmers about their agricultural practices while Olive collected Appalachian ballads and learned about the handicrafts of the mountain people. They realized that their mission was not to educate but to preserve and share with the world the crafts, tools, and techniques used in the daily lives of the mountain people.
When John passed away in 1919, Olive and her friend, Marguerite Butler, traveled to Europe, where they studied folk schools in Scandinavian countries. They planned to return what they learned to the United States to start a school in Appalachia.
Upon their return, they visited with Fred O. Scroggs, who owned the local store in Brasstown, to see if there may be interest in having a school in the area. When they returned a few weeks later, over 200 people from Cherokee and Clay counties were gathered at the local church. They offered to help with labor, building materials, and additional support. Scroggs even donated the land. The school opened in 1925, two years before my father was born.
Classes and workshops at the Folk School are “noncompetitive.” There are no grades and no credits. Students learn at their own pace, and the method of teaching is what the Danes called “The Living Word,” with hands-on instruction. There is no regular teaching staff. Both weekend and week-long classes and workshops are held year-round with guest teachers who are celebrated masters in their fields. From fiddle-making to bread baking, blacksmithing to dance, there is a wide range of classes from which to choose. (Bob Kogut and Riley Bogus, both featured in the September issue of The Bluegrass Standard, teach classes on making fiddles and banjos. The late George Berry, a Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi member, taught woodcarving classes at the Folk School for many years.)
Bethany Chaney, who served as interim director of the school, was named executive director in September 2023. The North Carolina native has more than 25 years’ experience in non-profit management and is an award-winning writer and a pine needle basket maker, a skill she learned as a returning student to the Folk School. She played a critical role in strategic planning for the school and returning the school to pre-pandemic operations. “Bethany has a deep understanding of our mission, vision, and values and has earned the respect and trust of our board, staff, and many in our local and extended communities,” says Dina Norris, past chair of the Board of Directors of the Folk School. “She has demonstrated the leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills that the permanent role demands.”
The school covers several acres, and many of the ingredients in the meals made fresh daily are raised on the property. The day begins with Morningsong at 7:45 a.m. – a Danish custom of sharing stories and songs. Visitors are welcomed to the school, even just passing through. They are invited to explore the grounds and nature trails during daylight hours and visit the Craft Shop, which features items for sale by Appalachian artists. Lodging is available onsite for school students, including a nearby campground.
The Log Cabin Museum has been recently renovated, thanks to a partnership with Foxfire. The school’s history center houses the school’s archives, including photos from the early 1930s by Doris Ulmann. The newest addition is a gallery called Olive’s Porch, named after the school’s co-founder. Located near Murphy, North Carolina, the craft shop showcases traditional and contemporary art and crafts by local and regional craftspeople. Olive’s Porch also has a studio space dedicated to an artist-in-residence.
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