Cavorting to Carolina

This last week I enjoyed a jaunt up to Western North Carolina mountain country. My family has a very small (800 sq ft) cabin on the Cullusaja River, about an hour west of Asheville and an hour south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It truly is a beautiful part of the country and I can feel my blood pressure drop as soon as I step out and smell that mountain air.

Skip to the bottom for a Few of My Favorite Things to do near Franklin, NC

Our cabin was originally my aunt’s house. Her first husband and his brother bought several lots on the river and helped each other build two houses nearby. I have such fond memories of coming to visit as a child. We’d ride up to the tire store to buy inner tubes and hold them tightly as they dangled outside the car window, hoping they didn’t fly away. Then we’d run up to the bridge and drop in, tube down the river to the swimming hole where we’d climb out and jump off the giant rock, then hike back up to the bridge and do it all over again.

Running wild in the woods, hiking behind a mammoth waterfall, mining for gems at the rock shop, sipping on apple cider — all of these things conjure up the lanky, carefree, adventurous spirit of my childhood. At night we’d all pile onto the porch in sleeping bags and watch the fireflies light up the night sky. It was the only time I wasn’t afraid to sleep outside at night because of the combination of peacefulness and exhaustion.

When my cousin decided to sell the cabin, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to purchase it, even though it needed a great deal of work. We spent two years renovating the home from foundation to roof. We installed a new kitchen and bath, reworked the plumbing, electric, and HVAC, installed new wood floors, opened up the enclosed porch, and put in a rolling library ladder to access the loft which is now decorated with giant pillows and string lights. We had the most fun putting all of our personal touches on this sweet cabin.

With my daughter home from college at Texas State, we decided to come up for a short trip. On the ride up, I asked my kiddos (16 and 20 years old) to help me make a list of what they wanted to do. As they called out items on their list, my heart was so full — driving up to the gem mine, walking behind the massive waterfall, playing in the river with tubes, visiting the bamboo forest in Cherokee. We did all of these things, and more. These are all memories they have made with us that now remind them of their childhood. Now, just like me, they want to make new memories in these same spaces I’ve enjoyed my whole life. How sweet is that?

Once I got to the cabin and dusk started to set in, the fireflies began to emerge. I am like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to fireflies, like ridiculously ecstatic and it doesn’t fade with time. They are one of my favorite things on the planet earth. We ran around catching them in our hands and watching them light up then releasing them. After they stopped their illuminating dance, we lit some sparklers in the darkness and danced around outside burning shapes into the night sky. Oh, my heart is full.

If you make it up to the Franklin, North Carolina area, here are a few of our favorite things:

  • Jack the Dipper Ice Cream Parlor — There are so many delicious flavors to choose from — I am a fan of mint grasshopper, while my son loves the sorbets and my daughter digs on caramel bourbon truffle . We like to get our ice cream on a hot waffle cone, which they make fresh with a choice of vanilla, chocolate or cinnamon. There are two locations, one in Franklin and one in Sylva.

  • Jackson Hole Gem Mine — We always go inside and browse the shop first, which has an interesting selection of gems, minerals, pottery and rustic kids toys. Then we order boiled peanuts and apple or cherry cider (served hot or cold), and two medium buckets of dirt. Outside the kids set up and start sifting through their buckets to find treasures of amethyst, citrine, quartz and more.

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park — I can’t possibly outline all the amazing things to do in this park here. My favorites so far are a variety of the wooded nature hikes, the spectacular view of Clingman’s Dome (which is breathtaking at sunset), and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which has a sweet Mountain Farm Museum (don’t forget to do the junior ranger program)! Also, sit outside this visitors center at dusk and you might spot of herd of elk who gather here in the evenings.

  • Tubing or kayaking the river — If you own your own tube, there are so many spots to pop in the river and take ride. It is easy if you have someone to pick you up or if you have two cars and can park one at the end point where you want to get out. If you want someone else to take care of you, we like Dillsboro River Company, which has a nice outfit on the Nantahala River. We’ve also rented tubes near Bryson City at the Deep Creek Rental and tubed in the National Park. So many options!

  • Visiting the Waterfalls — The Franklin Chamber has a great Waterfall Guide but my go to waterfalls are all on 64 as you head from Franklin to Highlands. One of the most photographed falls in the area is Cullassaja Falls, followed by what the locals refer to as Bust Your Butt Falls (you can slide down this one into a huge swimming hole or jump off the cliff if you are brave enough). Further up the road is Dry Falls, which is a 75’ waterfall that you can actually walk behind, followed by Bridal Veil Falls, which is a 120’ fall that used to route traffic behind it.

  • Cherokee — There is so much to see in Cherokee, NC. Personally, I love learning about the history and culture so one of my favorite stops is the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which is so well executed. I am a museum nut and this is one of the best museums I’ve ever visited — it is worth the time! We also always visit the Bamboo Forest which is situated in an island park as you enter town. It is breathtaking and we also enjoy skipping rocks and playing in the water here.

  • Antiquing — There are some really cute antique stores in the Franklin area. One of my favorites has always been the Whistle Stop Depot because it has a great selection and lots of cool things to interest the kiddos, too. There is also some great antiquing in the nearby town of Dillard, GA (just watch your speed as we’ve been warned they like to give out tickets). Another fun place to visit is Culpepper’s Otto Depot , which is a really cool architectural salvage business that you can just get lost inside.

The Skinny on Jax Historic Districts


 
In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create but by what we refuse to destroy.
— John Sawhill
 

Edgewood Avenue

Considering moving to one of Jacksonville’s beautiful historic districts so you can live a more urban lifestyle in walking distance to parks, restaurants and museums? Or maybe you already live in a historic neighborhood where massive live oak trees draped with Spanish moss hold court next to 100-year-old homes that are built to last another 100 years if properly maintained. When I was serving as the Executive Director of Riverside Avondale Preservation, one of the biggest questions for homeowners was related to the approval process for working on these old gems. You are welcome to scroll to the bottom to find a link to the permitting process or you can take a journey with me to learn a bit about what qualifies as historic, why, and how we got here!

First, did you know that not all historic properties are governed by local law? Which properties are protected by local law has more to do with the history of historic preservation efforts in Jacksonville than the historic structures themselves. Historic designations are the result of the dedicated grassroots efforts of a lot of passionate people who understood that preservation was not just about saving buildings. Historic preservation saves and revitalizes communities, building on all that makes a neighborhood special.


Some Historic Background

Without getting too much into the weeds, a little history goes a long way. Here goes an extremely truncated history of how Jacksonville got historic districts. In 1901, a fire broke out at a mattress factory in downtown Jacksonville and in eight hours 146 blocks were destroyed, a total of about 2,000 buildings. The city went on high alert, sending out messages across the country to recruit architects and builders to come to Jacksonville, as money was being poured into rebuilding downtown. Hundreds of building professionals answered the call. Within five months after the fire, 1,000 building permits were issued!

Much of Riverside and Avondale was still fairly rural at this time (check out the rural photo of Riverside Avenue near Park and King). The architects and builders who came to Jacksonville not only rebuilt downtown, they stayed and expanded housing into Riverside and Avondale. They also challenged one another, using our City as an architectural proving ground. This is why there is such an amazing diversity of architectural styles in Riverside Avondale!

Ok, so fast forward to the 1970s (I know I skipped over decades of history but bear with me). The families that had once inhabited the beautiful mansions and quaint bungalows of our historic districts had moved out to more suburban areas. These beautiful old buildings started to fall into disrepair and in an effort to revitalize the area, the City of Jacksonville changed much of the residential zoning to commercial and office. This disjointed the residential character of much of the neighborhood and also led to historic buildings being demolished to make way for larger buildings to accommodate higher commercial and office uses. In reaction to historic buildings being demolished with speed, Springfield Preservation and Revitalization and Riverside Avondale Preservation were both formed in 1974 by concerned citizens who wanted to save what they knew was special about their neighborhoods. They did what they could to save historic buildings, one fight at a time. Both Springfield and Riverside Avondale were added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s. But it wasn’t until the 1990s that the demolitions were stopped through local legislation. That is when the City adopted a historic preservation element into the comprehensive plan (a long term plan for the city). That element forced the City to start inventorying and protecting historic structures. Unfortunately, from 1970 to 1990 over 1,400 structures were demolished in Riverside Avondale alone. Clearly, the local legislation and protections were much needed.


 
Politicians, old buildings, and prostitutes become respectable with age.
— Mark Twain
 

Historic Designation Basics (Local = Legislated)

Historic properties can be locally or national designated (one is protected and the other is not). They can be designated as individual buildings (City Hall, Florida Theatre, for example) or whole districts, which are essentially a collection of buildings representing a time and place of architectural significance that are surveyed as a whole.

Florida Memory

National Register of Historic Places: In addition to a lot of individual buildings, Riverside Avondale, Springfield, Downtown, and parts of Ortega are on the National Register as Historic Districts. This is a great list of the National Register Properties in Jacksonville. The National Register designation is a honor, meaning it does not regulate changes made to individually listed properties or those within historic districts (except that the City does require what is called a “demolition delay” or a review by the JHPC (Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission).

Local Landmarks and Historic Districts:: Riverside, Avondale, Springfield and the St. Johns Quarter are all locally designated historic districts. Plus, there are about 100 or so individually listed local landmarks. Any exterior work on locally designated properties requires a special permit called a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) through the City of Jacksonville. The neighborhood organizations RAP and SPAR do not process COA applications or make decisions about your home renovations.

Undesignated Historic Neighborhoods:  So many Jacksonville neighborhoods are packed with historic architecture but are not designated either locally or nationally. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth designating. For some there is not the local support or drive for the designation process, and for others, too much historic fabric has been lost over the years to create a cohesive district. Some historic neighborhoods that are NOT designated either locally or nationally are Arlington, Durkeeville, Eastside, Lackawanna, Mandarin, Mixontown, Murray Hill, New Town, Panama Park, San Marco, and Tallulah (this list is not mean to be inclusive of all historic areas of Jacksonville).


Obtaining a COA Permit

Administrative Approval: –Did you know you can get what I call a “no fuss” COA permit for work on your historic building? There are certain defined scopes of work that the City of Jacksonville Historic Section staff can approve administratively (if the work conforms to the district guidelines). See Riverside Avondale and Springfield guidelines for reference. Currently, there is no permit fee for these types of applications and there is a quick turn around time (about a week)!

JHPC Approval: The JHPC is a seven member mayoral-appointed commission that reviews those COA applications that can’t be administratively approved (mostly those that don’t meet the regulations or are new construction/additions). There are permit fees, public notice fees and it is a longer process (1-2 months). Essentially, you meet with the City of Jacksonville Historic Section staff, they write up a report of suggestions/modifications based on your application, then there is a public meeting before the JHPC where you get three minutes to present your project. Other people like your neighbors can speak about your project also and then the commission makes a final decision.

How to Apply for a COA: : The City of Jacksonville’s Historic Section has a pretty good overview of the Steps to Obtaining a COA so check that out to learn more and to access the application portal.


I hope this was helpful! Still have questions?

Feel free to reach out to me at carmengodwinrealty@gmail.com. I love all things historic and am happy to help!