The Clay County Historical & Arts Museum, located in an old jail since 1972 and adjacent to the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit, contains numerous examples of Cherokee heritage, art, and related historical information. In a prominent corner of the Cherokee room sits a life-sized figure of a Cherokee woman basket weaver, made by local artist and Native American expert, Darry Wood. Hand-carved from pine trees and cherry wood that he cut down himself, Wood created the sculpture with local mid-wife Lura Patterson Ledford in mind. The display depicts a Cherokee woman in the midst of weaving a rivercane basket, surrounded by rivercane, rivercane baskets, pottery, and tools for stripping the rivercane.
The remainder of the room contains wooden masks, baskets, leather clothing and moccasins, pottery, beading, projectile points, tools, handmade quilt with a Trail-of Tears connection, and historical information.
In addition to the Cherokee collection, the museum shares glimpses of Clay County history through an early farmhouse kitchen, doctor’s office from 1920-1940, switchboard from 1916, loom and textiles from the late 1800s, post office from 1869, oral and video history of Clay County, photos from early 1900s, and vintage farm implements. A docent is available to answer questions. The museum is open Friday and Saturday in May, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, then Friday and Saturday through October. For additional information, visit the web: clayhistory.org or call (828) 389-6814. Entry to the museum is free.
Sponsored by the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association, a non-profit 501C3 organization.
Please visit http://cccra-nc.org/ or write to PO Box 1533, Hayesville, NC 28904 for more information.
