My philosophy is to learn something new every day. And, boy, did I strike it rich when my new friend Brenda introduced me to Hart Square Village.

Located on 200 acres in Catawba County, NC, it’s close to Hickory. I had no idea we had this incredible hidden treasure. An outdoor museum. With 103 log cabins, the largest collection of such buildings in the U.S.

We visited on a cloudy, cool summer day and were impressed with the amount of ongoing restoration. The diligence to restore, preserve, and showcase things in proper historical context was evident in every building we visited.

Impact of Hurricane Helene

Even though Hurricane Helene left them with challenges, the entire staff immediately headed into neighboring areas to work on hurricane recovery in harder hit locations. Paths may be a bit muddier for the next year as they work to smooth them out, but good tennis shoes are all you need. It was an easy, relaxed walk among the trees. Such a tranquil and lovely setting.

From Nature Preserve to Outdoor Museum

Creating the site was the passion of Dr. Bob Hart and his wife, Becky. He initially purchased the property in 1967 as a nature preserve. Thanks to a patient telling him about a cabin that needed saving, Dr. Bob got another idea. Since the early 1970s, he collected and saved log cabin buildings from throughout the surrounding area. Methodically taking each log structure apart to transport and then reconstructing and restoring them in the preserve.

His wife Becky painstakingly took care of the interiors, carefully curating and staging every authentic detail. You can see just a few of her touches in the photos above. Often, the couple was able to speak with someone who had grown up in the cabin or knew ancestors who had. That local connection gave them the opportunity to display the buildings and furnishings as they were actually used.

A Passion for Preservation

Becky Hart launched the Hart Square Foundation, donating the entire property and 103 cabins to the Foundation for long-term historic preservation and cultural sustainability.  Today, the Foundation is under the care and direction of the Harts’ delightful and very knowledgeable granddaughter, Rebecca. We were lucky to have her as our tour guide, and you can tell she shares their passion for Hart Square and local culture.

We were impressed by the work also being undertaken to preserve local arts, crafts, and traditions. The annual Heritage Festival in late October brings to life the Western North Carolina of the 19^th century. Visitors can see everything in action, even the ancient grist mill will be working.

The beautiful Sigmon Family Education Center, built a few years ago, expanded the possibilities for public access, events, and programming. These days, about 5,000 school kids visit during field trips. Students experience what it was like to live in the 1800s, complete with a one-room schoolhouse, and lively interaction with artists and tradespeople.

Hart Square Exec Director, Rebecca Hart, demonstrates a tool used to warm up drinks or as a weapon, if patrons got out of hand. The tavern is a re-creation, inside a cabin built as a home by Andrew Jackson Yount in 1835.

More Opportunities to Visit Hart Square Village

There are monthly guided tours like we took, evening musical events, and monthly square dances. I particularly love that volunteers can even help with preservation work. After removal of the more modern chinking used to fill the space between logs, volunteers can help with traditional daubing using clay, straw, and other local fillers.

Folkways classes aim to preserve traditional skills and have offerings in quilting, canning, bobbin lacing, broom making, cooking, basket weaving, pottery, crafts, art, and gardening. It’s a full schedule, so check it out online.

We want to go back. On our 90-minute tour, we saw plenty, but just scratched the surface of what Hart Square Village has to offer. I don’t think Hart Square is going to be a secret much longer.

Getting there:

About an hour from Charlotte and about 90 minutes from Linville, in the High Country.

We drove down through Morganton, and it was a really nice country drive. There is no giant billboard or sign announcing the location, so you have to pay attention. Putting the address in your GPS might take you the back way, like it did us. If you don’t see a parking area and a large new building, you are not at the entrance. There is a free app I suggest you download on your phone with all sorts of interesting info and details.