Written by Catherine Perry
This is the tenth and final article in a series covering the long, rich history of the Springhaven Inn, built in 1888 in Blowing Rock, NC.
When studying the history of the Springhaven Inn, a common thread throughout the 137 years it has existed is the role of the visual arts and music. The walls, if they could talk, would speak of artists and musicians filling the rooms with creativity and entertainment for years. Music and art play many roles in society—entertainment, cultural preservation, and emotional connection—and this is no different in Blowing Rock at the Springhaven Inn. It is difficult to fully comprehend and actually “get your brain around” the fact that this structure has existed for over a century and the many people who have lived and visited here.
Longevity
Not many physical structures in our present society have lasted as long as Springhaven Inn. And, certainly not many historic buildings in Blowing Rock have. One reason for this was the fire of 1923, which almost destroyed the entire downtown community. This was a time when there was no fire department, so the citizens carried water in buckets from nearby wells to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading. Their efforts were to no avail, and a significant section of town was lost within hours. Another reason is that, in recent years, historical properties in Blowing Rock have experienced the wrecking ball because no one stepped up to purchase and/or to preserve them.
Let’s look again at the people connected to Springhaven Inn through the years who have been musicians and artists.
Musicians
Charles Gildersleeve Vardell
Charles and Linda Vardell had one son, Charles Gildersleeve Vardell (1893-1962). He was a gifted musician who became one of North Carolina’s most renowned music educators and composers. His mother, Linda, taught him the piano as a young child. Many of his lessons took place in the summer cottage, Springhaven Inn. Charles Vardell’s production of musical compositions was prodigious. Conductor Eugene Ormondy of the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra stated that Charles Vardell was “one of the world’s greatest contemporary composers.” He was the only North Carolinian whose music was ever performed by the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. The symphony performed his work entitled “The Carolinian.” Maybe this work could be performed one day in Blowing Rock!
Sallie Charles Cheatham
Sallie Cheatham owned the property from 1934 until 1945. She was a resident of Raleigh who was a music teacher and a concert pianist. She operated the inn under the name “Bark Inn” as the exterior was, at that time, covered in chestnut bark.
Margaret Reineking
John and Margaret Reineking purchased the “Bark Inn” in 1945 from Sallie Cheatham. Margaret was musically talented and had an artistic temperament, particularly for performing arts as she directed drama for the schools and community theater. And, she played the piano and organ at weddings and other public events.
Dr. Linda High
Dr. Linda High is the current owner of Springhaven Inn. She had a long career as a professor of music education at East Carolina University. She is notably known for being on the cutting edge of musical pedagogy in North Carolina. She studied the Orff Method of music education at UNC-G, on which she then provided training to hundreds of teachers. The Orff Method is a playful approach to learning musical terms such as melody, harmony, timbre, rhythm, texture, form, and dynamics. It encourages students to engage their minds and bodies through singing, dancing, acting, and the use of percussion instruments such as xylophones. Students learn at their own level and are not tied to rigid lesson plans.
Artists
Ben Long
Ben Long, the internationally known painter of frescos, spent time in Blowing Rock and at Springhaven Inn in the 1970s. He and his first wife Diane were married at the St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock. He made connections with a very social group of artists in the Blowing Rock area. Through meeting the Episcopal priest Faulton Hodge, he was able to secure a place to display three frescos at two churches in West Jefferson. Ben and Diane rented the Springhaven Inn in 1977 where they set up an art shop and gallery with a framing section in the back.
Tony Griffin
Diane Long’s brother Tony Griffin spent a great deal of time with his sister and Ben, learning how to paint frescos and sketching in the High Country. Ben was a mentor to Tony. He assisted Ben with the frescos at St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity in West Jefferson. He accepted a commission to paint a fresco for the Methodist Church in Rockford, NC. Most of Tony’s paintings are landscapes in oil on canvas. Tony talks about how much he has benefited from his relationship with Ben. He continues to produce art and has art shows in Banner Elk, N.C. regularly.
Alex Hallmark
Alex Hallmark purchased the Springhaven Inn in 1978. He had been a frequent visitor when Diane and Ben Long operated the gallery and framing shop in 1977 and 1978 and was active in the artists’ community of Blowing Rock. After running a real estate business for years, at fifty years old Alex became an accomplished sculptor after first being ignited by a spark when his wife, Jo Ann, left some clay from her pottery class at the house. Some of his statues include Doc Watson in Boone and Senator Sam Ervin Jr. in Morganton as well as “The Stations of the Cross” display at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock.
Writers
Margaret Mitchell, author of the novel Gone With The Wind, a national bestseller published in 1936 stayed at the Inn in 1938. Duke University in affiliation with Rollins College leased the Bark Inn for six weeks in July and August 1938 as headquarters for the Blowing Rock School of English. Margaret Mitchell was invited to travel to Blowing Rock, not to teach at the school but to stay and relax. She was experiencing depression and anxiety because of the ballyhoo surrounding her becoming a celebrity and other stresses in her family life.
The most famous writer who is connected to Springhaven Inn may be Margaret Mitchell; however, during the summers that Duke University and Rollins College leased the space for housing the Blowing Rock School of English Writers Workshop, many potential writers were honing their craft there. Who knows how many writers developed from those summer days spent being inspired by the beauty of the mountainous environment?
In Summary
As this article reveals, the role of the arts and music has been a common thread in the history of Springhaven Inn. Many lives have been touched both by the talent of these individuals who spent time in the Inn and by the existence of the Inn itself. This one house that has stood for 137 years has impacted many lives and, indeed, the town of Blowing Rock. Springhaven Inn is a treasure for the town. It should be protected so it can last for many years to come for future generations to learn about and gain insight from.
Please help us make preserving Springhaven Inn a reality.
Springhaven Inn is for sale. A group of town residents, with the Blowing Rock Historical Society, BRAHM, and Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc. (PMI), is working to save the structure. We are actively looking for a buyer or buyers for the property willing to keep the outside structure of the historic inn. If the property is demolished, this physical evidence of the history at the very core of Blowing Rock will be gone forever. We think it is worthy of being saved. If you would like to learn more about how you can be involved in the effort to save this property, contact Tommy Lee at either 704-737-5609 or tommy@appiantextiles.com.
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