Welcome to Banner Elk-Naming the Town
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click "Back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Start tour in Banner House Museum Parking lot. Select "Follow Me" at the bottom right of your screen for better navigation. Each tour stop will feature brief directions to the next stop at the end of the information paragraphs. Welcome to Banner Elk! It is an odd name for a town, isn't it? Well, you see, in the 1850's, five brothers from the Banner family each brought their wives and children from their family home in Surry County on the Virginia border to what was then a very remote area along the Elk River (this lovely clear waterway that runs in front of the Banner House Museum along Highway 194). Other families arrived around the same time, but there were so many members of the Banner family that the area was called “Banners at Elk River,” later shortened to “Banner’s Elk.” In 1911, the town was incorporated and the “apostrophe S” was dropped making the name simply “Banner Elk.” (See Image 2 for an early view entering town on Shawneehaw Avenue) Walk along the grassy shoulder of Hickory Nut Gap Road and stop in the yard of the Banner House Museum, just in front of the sign facing Hickory Nut Gap Road. Please move safely off the road while you read the information.
Samuel Banner House (c. 1870)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Although what is now Avery County was strongly Confederate, there were notable Unionist sentiments. Samuel Henry Banner (Image 2) enlisted in the Union Army as did most of the Banner men of fighting age. After returning to Banner Elk, Samuel Banner built this lovely home (c. 1870) on his father's land (Image 3) for his soon-to-be wife, Jane Hyder. This home, a two-story clapboard building with glass windows was quite different than the "pioneer" style home he grew up in (Image 4) which notes how much the economy of the area had changed in less than one generation. Sam and Jane raised seven children in this home (3 boys, 4 girls). The house remained in the Banner family until 1977. During the following years, it housed skiers, Lees-McRae students and the Bruce Society (Highland Games). Slated for destruction, the Greater Banner Elk Heritage Foundation purchased the property in 2005. It was renovated and furnished with period pieces donated or lent by local families, and opened as a museum in 2005 offering guided museum tours which show the growth of Banner Elk in the 1890s and early 1900s. BannerHouseMuseum.org Continue along the grassy shoulder of Hickory Nut Gap Road to the intersection. Carefully cross the road at the intersection and use the path between the guard rails to acess the boardwalk along the Elk River heading towards town. As the river widens to a Pond, you will be notified with a "buzz" of the next tour stop for the Mill Pond.
Mill Pond (c. 1875)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Sam Banner, who built the Banner House, used oxen to drag logs across the Elk River to create a dam to power his twostory gristmill. (Image 2-The mill building is now gone.)Later, a man who "identified himself as" Daniel Boone IV (Image 3) operated a blacksmith shop above the mill around 1900. Lots of Boone's ironwork can still be seen around the Lees-McRae campus (Image 4)Continue on the boardwalk until alerted to the next stop on the tour, the small white cottage across the street which you will view from this side of the road.
James Rowe House and Store (c. 1880)
This is a private residence. Please do not enter the property.Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Across the street from the Cheese House is a quaint white cottage. Underneath the white siding is a log cabin built by James Rowe (c. 1880). The home's location on a main road entering town (Image 2-see house in background) made it a perfect spot for one of the original general stores in the area. The small, unpainted structure by the stream is that once-bustling store which also supplied apple trees to many of the area's apple orchards. Apples were part of many families' livelihood and today the NC Cooperative extension runs a "Heritage Apple" program which identifies and preserves rare apple varieties, even in the front yard of the Banner House Museum! They have actually have found a number of "lost" varieties on old homesteads in the county--quite a feat for agricultural heritage efforts. Step off the boardwalk and follow the dirt path over the small hill towards the red building in front of you, the Cheese House.
Cheese House (c. 1917)
The Cheese House was built in 1917 by local residents who owned stock in the "Shawneehaw Cheese Cooperative." First quality, award-winning cheddar cheese was made here and shipped as far away as Atlanta. The fact that this was a cooperative business rather than a sole proprietorship meant that many people could benefit from the operation, whether selling extra milk from a productive cow or sharing in the profits as shareholders. It is another uniqe feature in the development of the town. The co-op closed during the Depression and the building was then used as a house for the dairy manager of Lees-McRae College, then a Lees-McRae chemistry professor, and then the office for the local fishing warden before standing vacant for a number of years. The Greater Banner Elk Heritage Foundation (Banner House Museum) renovated the building in 2003 for its headquarters. It is now office space for Lees-McRae College. Carefully cross the street and follow the brick sidewalk towards the center of town and your next stop, the red caboose.
Bill Banner House and Mill (c. 1890)
This is a private residence. Please do not enter the property.Note: Slide image left to see moreBill Banner, a well-known woodworker and nephew of Sam Banner, installed a a waterwheel in the Shawneehaw Creek to power a small mill and Banner's Chair Factory on the site next to the Rowe store. The Bark House (c. 1890) was his lumber mill and the red house is part of what was his family home (Image 2). Though the "factory" was a different sort than what we might think of today, it was very productive--another clue as to the quick economic growth of our town. In fact, Bill Banner "paid" for his children's tuition to Lees-McRae in trade for chairs for the school. When the factory closed in 1915, these buildings and another which is no longer standing were sold to Henry VonCanon and the family still owns them today. A Bill Banner chair is on display in the parlor of the Banner House Museum. Continue along the sidewak towards town and you will see the red caboose on your right in a parking lot.
Red Caboose 1024
Clinchfield Caboose #1024 was in service with the Hampton Railroad Car Company from 1948-1964 The caboose made almost 5000 trips between Spartanburg, SC and Elkhorn, KY before being replaced by one of the new, lighter alumninum rail cars. In 1971, a young entrepreneur named Oscar G. Mason, III bought the caboose to use as a men's and women's clothing store and had it delivered to its current location on property owned by Charles VonCanon. The back addition with restrooms and a full basement was built in 1990. When Mr. Mason moved on, the VonCanons became the owners of the caboose which has since been home to a winery, a craft shop, a legal office, the High Country Hearth Store, a bird supply/gift shop, and most recently an outdoor lifestyle consignment store. Note the old apple tree to the right of the front porch which might have even come from Mr. Rowe's store! Continue along the brick sidewalk and carefully cross the small instersection just past the Fire Station for the next tour alert, the Historic Banner Elk School.
Historic Banner Elk School (c. 1939)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Look to your right across the open field at the beautiful stone landmark on your right. Construction of this school was begun in 1938 by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and welcomed children in grades 1-7 from 1940 until it closed in 2011 when a new school opened on Apple Orchard Road nearby. Prior to the building you see before you, this property was home to another two-story school house completed around 1925 on the banks of the Shawneehaw Creek. In 2014, this beloved landmark was bought by the town of Banner Elk and is funded through community fundraising events and private donations. Almost fully restored, the Historic Banner Elk School is now home to several community assets such as the Book Exchage (a free library--coincidentally located in the original library of the elementary school), an Artist Co-op, and The Ensemble Stage Company, housed in the renovated gymnasium. The Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce that the Historic Banner Elk School is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Continue along the brick sidewalk and stop when alerted for the next tour stop. The building is across the street but it is best viewed from this side, so no need to cross.
James Puckett House (c. 1923)
Across the street from where you stand, the original portion of the "My Best Friend's Barkery" building (closest to the street) is a house built in the 20s by Jim and Beulah Townsend Puckett from a Sears Roebuck kit - so popular in the day! Jim passed away quite young, but Beulah lived in their home until around the turn of this century. After her death, the home was sold and has been used as a construction company office and a real estate office. The current business, a very popular pet store, opened in 2010 and is responsible for several additions since. Note that what is now the the back of the building was originall the front porch and faced the house of Jim's brother L.M. (now Antler Realty, a later tour stop). The area between the two houses has always been yard and garden. Continue along the sidewalk and you will be alerted for the next tour stop just before you cross the small intersection at Elementary Way. Though the building you are looking for is just past the intersection, it is best viewed before you cross.
Old Town Hall and Jail (c. 1910)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Aunt Bea Lowe (nee Banner) built the original house in the early 1900s. It was sold to her niece Caroline Lowe Lyerly who sold it to the town to be used as Town Hall. It was also the first jail, though more of a holding cell, with the back addition (Image 2- tall cinder block structure) completed in the 1920s. When the town outgrew the building, they did not want to sell it, so it was rented first as an attorney's office and in the 80s as a nice craft and dress shop. Most recently Eric Baltzley operated a jewelry store in the building for a number of years. Mr. Baltzley sold the property to Eagles Nest Holdings, LLC in early February of 2019. There has been no sign of activity to date on the site. Cross the small intersection at Elementary Way and walk a few more steps before you are alerted to the next tour stop. Again, it is across the street, but best viewed from this side.
L.M. Puckett Home (c. 1924)
Also across the street is the L.M. Pucket home. Now home to Antler Realty, this attractive structure has been owned by the Puckett family since L.M. and his wife, Iris Tate, built it in 1924. Their son then lived in the home until 1974. After Iris died in 1982, the house was rented to families for a number of years before being sold for use as an interior design shop and now the office of Antler Realty. Continue along the sidewalk towards the traffic light. Use the buttons to request a "Walk" signal to safely cross the intersection, stopping in front of the Chamber of Commerce when you are alerted for the tour stop.
Village Grocery (c. 1928)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.One of the town's most notable landmarks, the Village Grocery (Image 2-rendering) was built by Bob Cook in the late 1920s (Image 3-Robert Cook Home). It passed to his son Clyde who operated it with his wife Rosalyn until they sold it in 1970 to Luther and Hazel Riddle (Mr. Riddle was the fishing warden whose office was in the Cheese House at one time), and their daughter Carolyn and her husband Jimmy Ollis. The store, at the time the oldest continuing business in Banner Elk, closed in 2003. The Heritage Foundation led the renovation efforts and the Chamber moved in to the building, owned by the neighboring bank, in 2005. Please stop by the Chamber on your walk to learn about other things to do in the area or just rest on their benches! Continue on the sidewalk towards Dunn's Deli (essentially turning left at the stoplight from your previous path). You will be alerted for the next tour stop, the Perry House, at a good viewing spot just after you carefully cross over Klonteska Road.
Perry House and Dunn's Deli (c. 1907)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.The Perry House was actually built by Felix and Helen Richards, circa 1907, as their dream house (Image 2). When Helen Richards died in 1915, the property was sold to Frank and Annie Belle Perry. The Perrys opened their home as a boarding house for Lees-McRae students. Mr. Perry added the small building near the street (now Dunn's Deli) where he operated a gas station and a taxi cab company. Mike and Robin Dunn have operated the bed and breakfast and Dunn’s Deli since 2001, but Dunn's Deli has since been closed. Continue in the same direction and you will be alerted for the next tour stop as you pass in front of BJ's Resortwear. The former RO Banner Store is across the street, but again, best viewed from this side.
R.O. Banner General Store and Tea Room (c. 1920)
Across the street from the Perry House, this building now known as BJ's Resortwear was constructed around 1920 by Robert Banner as a general merchandise store. By the 30s, his wife Eva Lowe Banner established the Banner Elk Tea Room, which became the town's primary restaurant and was noted far and wide for the quality of its pies. Though it had been other businesses since its days as a general store, in 1977 B.J. Russell and Sally Breslauer renovated the building, preserving its original character, and opened B.J.'s Resortwear. Ms Bresluaer says that B.J.’s itself deserves historic destinction, as this is now the longest continuously run business in town! Continue along the sidewalk and you will be alerted to the next tour stop as you approach the stately white house in front of you. It is a private home, so please stay on the sidewalk.
Robert and Eva Lowe Banner House (c. 1910)
This is a private residence. Please do not enter the property.This was the distinctive homeplace (c.1910) of Robert and Eva Lowe Banner who reared their nine children here and ran the general store across the street. A Banner grandson and his wife now live here. The small cottage adjacent to the main house was once a carriage house. Continue walking on the sidewalk until you are across from a large sloping lawn. Carefully cross the street at a crosswalk and you will be alerted to the next tour stop, the large stone Grace Hospital, when you are approximately centered in front of the building.
Grace Hospital (c. 1922)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.After you cross the street, look up to a stately stone building on a hill. Currently serving as a men’s dormitory, this building was built in 1922-23 as the first “fire-proof” hospital, the joint dream of Dr. W.C. Tate and Rev. Edgar Tufts. There had been two previous hospitals: one in the doctor's wooden home with two hospital rooms built in (Image 2) and the first brick hospital, both burned down. Both the brick hospital and this beautiful stone building were named “Grace” after the late sister of a major donor. The facility was so desperately needed that work proceeded day and night under electric lights powered by the new hydroelectric plant at the Mill Pond (seen later in tour). The original plan was to use the top floor to house home economics students who would be trained as nurses (Image 3). However, by the time the hospital was completed (Image 4), all the rooms were needed for patients.For most of its early history, the health of Banner Elk and the surrounding area was the responsibility of ONE doctor: Dr. W.C. Tate. Dr. Tate came to the area for a temporary job as a lumbermill surgeon and soon joined forces with Rev. Edgar Tufts not only to take over the then two- room wooden hospital, but grow the healthcare in the area such that residents of Boone traveled here for their care. In addition to his duties at the hospital, Dr. Tate also rode his horse and eventually his Ford (Image 5) deep into the mountains to deliver babies and care for the ill.Please turn back towards the stoplight and continue along the sidewalk until alerted to the Banner Elk Bank tour stop in front of Einstein Bros. Bagels/The Exchange Bookstore.
Banner Elk Bank (c. 1919)
As you eye the display of bagels at Einstein Bros. Bagels, be sure to look to your right where you can still see the original vault from the Banner Elk Bank. The Banner Elk Bank opened in 1919 though the investment of six local men. The original documents of incorporation and the charter issued by the North Carolina Secretary of State are displayed in the parlor of the Banner House Museum. The Banner Elk Bank became North Carolina National Bank which became Nations Bank which became Bank of America. While it was NCNB, the bank moved into a stand-alone building at the front of the Town Hall complex further down the road in 1986. Lees-McRae College renovated the building in 2017 in order to expand its dining offerings. Turn right down the side street between the Banner Elk Bank and RO Banner Store. As you walk along the brick sidewalk, you may notice the Post Office in front of you, although the next tour stop is the two-story white house across the street now operating as "Banner Elk Olive Oil and Balsamics." As with other stops, it is best viewed from this side of the street.
Robert Guy House (c. 1895)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Currently Banner Elk Olive Oil & Balsamics, this house across the street was built in 1895 by Robert Guy who also operated a lumber mill which ran off a steam engine on the property (Image 2). He sounded the engine at noon each day as a signal to the community that it was time for a lunch – or dinner! – break. Mr. Guy served a term as mayor of Banner Elk and his wife Crathie Shell Guy was a well-known artist. Her works remain in the hands of a number of private and institutional collectors. The property was acquired by Mark Minor in 2016 who confirmed the belief that the house was original a log home: during current renovations, they were using a stud finder and were unable to locate any studs – solid wood everywhere! Now the Guy house is headquarters for another business--Banner Elk Olive Oil and Balsamics. Continue on the sidewalk passing the Post Office on your left and stop near the top of the hill before you cross the next street. The charming blue Dugger home will be on your left, but it is a private residence, so please stay on the sidewalk.
Shepherd Dugger House (c. 1855-1860)
This is a private residence. Please do not enter the poperty. Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Look across the street to the cheerful blue house. Thought to be the oldest house in Banner Elk, this was the home of Shepherd Duggar: teacher, surveyor, tourist promoter, and poet laureate of North Carolina. He was often referred to as “The Bard of Banner Elk.” He built his home as a boarding house. Originally, it had a large wing on the rear with rooms for boarders (Image 2 and 3). Rates were $1.00 per day or $6.00 per week and featured “spring beds and tables heavily laden.” Around 1912, the home was sold to John Henry VonCanon (Image 4) and his wife, Carrie (Image 5). The couple ran several businesses, including a general store, an evergreen company, and a Ford dealership. The rear wing of the original house was torn down during WWII when there was a lumber shortage. Turn right on College Drive for a short detour to view the Banner Elk Methodist and Presbyterian churches as well as the Historic Banner Elk Cemetery. You will come back to this point to continue your tour.
Banner Elk Presbyterian Church (c. 1915)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.When a young seminary student named Edgar Tufts was sent to the western North Carolina mountains as a home missionary, he found a group of Presbyterians without a church of their own in which to worship. A few months later, Tufts was late returning to complete his seminary studies, because he had just finished leading community efforts to build a new white wooden church which sat on this site. The newly ordained Rev. Tufts returned to Banner Elk with his bride, Bessie Hall Tufts and as the town and congregation grew, the now Reverend Edgar Tufts began a campaign to build a larger, more stately stone church which you see before you (c. 1915). While traveling as far as Blowing Rock to perform his duties as a circuit minister, Rev. Tufts went on to found a girls' school which became Lees-McCrae College, a hospital, a hydro electric plant, and an orphanage before his untimely death at a young age. Turn around and walk back down the brick sidewalk and turn right back onto Banner Road to continue the tour. You will be alerted for the next tour stop as you start to walk down the hill.
Banner Elk Hotel
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.Just past the Dugger house across the street, these pale yellow townhouses mark the former location of the Banner Elk Hotel. Robert and Eva Banner Lowe purchased a home from his uncle, Dow Lowe in the 1890’s. Tourism was already becoming a thriving business when they added two wings to turn their home into a hotel which soon became a hub of much community activity. In its heyday (Image 2-c. 1901), there were 20 rooms to rent, long porches, and a large dining room where dances were held every night but Sunday. Activities organized for guests also included hiking, fishing, and various crafts. The register still exists and it pays witness to the fact that visitors came from as far away as California and Florida and even includes the name Vanderbilt. During the winters, the hotel served as a sort of community center. It housed the town’s first telephone and radio. The hotel closed in 1960 (Image 3) and fell into disrepair. A local developer purchased the property to build these 22 townhomes. Continue on the brick sidewalk down the hill to be alerted for the next tour stop which is the small, unpainted wood building on your right.
Original Methodist Church
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.As you walk down Banner Road, take a moment to notice the small, unpainted wooden structure along the road across from the entrance to Elkmont Town Homes.This structure began its life as the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1895. Note the two doors at the right end: one door for ladies and the other for gentlemen, as they sat on opposite sides of the sanctuary. As noted earlier in the tour, Lute Banner moved the building to this location in order to open a store. Later, John Henry VonCanon (who lived in the Shepherd Dugger home at the top of the hill) used the building to house one of his three Ford dealerships (Image 2) and eventually turned it into an evergreen nursery to ship winter greenery to less pristine locales. Note the double door on the side of the building which was used for automobiles to access the dealership. Continue down the hill. As the sidewalk ends, please be careful as you continue to walk along the shoulder of the road. It is one-way going the same direction that you are headed, but sometimes people get lost!
Banner Road
This small, now one-way road was originally the only access road to town of Banner Elk. It is especially easy to envision this as you look at the base of the road which curves gently around the Mill Pond as it comes off Shawneehaw Avenue. The Banner Elk Hotel and the two churches at the top of the hill mark what was once the center of town. Continue down this road and look down the hill to your right to see the next tour stop, the Mill Pond Dam.
Mill Pond Dam (c. 1912)
Note: Slide image left to see more. Tap on image for full view, then click the "back" button on your phone to return to the tour.In 1912, Rev. Tufts commissioned a hydroelectric plant to serve Lees-McCrae College, Grace Hospital, Grandfather Home orphanage, as well as several homes and businesses in central Banner Elk. Interestingly, engineers chose to build a dam in the same location as Samuel Banner’s. We are told that some of Samuel Banner’s logs lay under the dam today. The second hydroelectric plant included a 1,000 foot flume that channeled water to a power house situated below a series of cascades. Part of the flume and a number of its stone supports are still visible further down the river, as is the shell of the stone power plant. The plant, which eventually served much of Banner Elk, closed in the 1950’s. There is a foot bridge that runs in front of the dam and offers a beautiful, cooling view of the waterfall (Image 2).
Thank you
Thank you for your interest in our local history. History in our small town is heavily reliant on stories passed down from generation to generation. The Foundation is proud to keep up that tradition and share it with you! Click the "back" button on your phone to end the tour. We depend on the support of our friends to continue our mission and we appreciate any donation you are able to give. You may do so electronically though this app, or you may drop a cash or check donation in the locked donation box on the front porch of the Banner House Museum (Samuel Banner House, tour point 1). To return to your car at the Banner House Museum, turn right to walk back along the Mill Pond boardwalk and turn right at the guardrails for Hickory Nut Gap Road. Please be careful as you walk along the shoulder of the road. You may choose to walk down the gravel road beside the Mill Pond to access the Mill Pond Dam viewing bridge which is just below the dam.
