The Mast Farm Inn

The Mast Farm Inn. . The Mast Farm dates from the late 1700s, when Joseph Mast traveled from his birth place of Randolph County, North Carolina to the mountains. Joseph is said to have traded his rifle, his dog, and a pair of leggings for 1,000 acres of fertile Watauga River Valley land., The first house, a two-room log cabin, was built between 1810 and 1812 and remains today as the oldest inhabitable log cabin in North Carolina. Now the center of The Mast Farm Inn and Restaurant, the cabin is called the Loom House. Here, “Aunt Josie” Mast created coverlets, rugs and handbags, some of which are in the Smithsonian today., Josephine wove continually from the 1880s to the early 1930s, using patterns and weaving techniques typical of other nineteenth and early twentieth century Appalachian handweavers. “Aunt Josie was a remarkable woman. A slender, vigorous, gray-haired little figure filled with energy and warmth, she ran her part of the farm – the vegetable garden, the dairy and the house, with its dozen or so paying guests – with almost careless competence. She mothered the people of the countryside. In her spare time she relaxed by going into the loom house and weaving.” , David Yates, author ,
[Captions (left to right) , . Mrs. Woodrow Wilson chose Josephine Mast to weave a giant rug for the “Blue Mountain Room,” President Woodrow Wilson's bedroom at The White House. “Josephine's most noteworthy accomplishment was her hand weaving. Her woven items reflect Josephine Mast's ability to spin, weave and understand pattern drafting. Money from the sale of her weaving supplemented the family farm's income, and brought Josie local fame and national renown.” – Kathleen Curtis Wilson, author. , . A family farm since the late 1700s, and a world-renowned country inn since the late 1800s. The Mast Farm Inn is still engaged in organic farming, running an award-winning restaurant, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn regularly hosts Celtic, bluegrass and acoustic roots music concerts and is part of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina., [Box] The North Carolina mountains and foothills were designated the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in recognition of their natural beauty and living traditions of music, craft, agriculture, and Cherokee culture. This location is part of a regional trail of distinctive heritage sites. Ask for information at area visitor centers. More information online at: www.blueridgeheritage.com