PSABC: History and Heritage of Fletcher

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County (PSABC) will host History and Heritage of Fletcher: A Long, Storied Road From Then to Now on Thursday, July 19, at the Feed and Seed Church in Fletcher. The program will be presented by Brenda Coates, who was commissioned by the Fletcher Arts and Heritage Association, Inc., (FAHA) to author the book At the End of the Road the Journey Begins: How the Murray Clan Shaped the Character of Western North Carolina. “Before it was known as Fletcher, it was known as Murrayville after the large Scots-Irish Murray clan who moved here from Newberry, SC,” Coates says. Coates will explore the highlights from her book and the life of the Murrays in the presentation.

The setting of the program is just as significant as the content. The Feed and Seed Church is housed in a historically preserved building, originally erected in 1919. Pastor Phillip Trees recruited volunteers to rehabilitate the building as a worship space, preserving the hardwood floors and hammered tin tiles on 12-foot ceilings. This PSABC program is important for “the education and exposure it can provide for an honest seeker of what truly matters in a community,” Trees says. “The two words, history and heritage, embody all that we’re about here at Feed and Seed.”

Doors for the event open at 5 p.m. and the program will start with a half-hour of Appalachian and bluegrass music by Brian Hunter and Friends, follow by Coates’ presentation at 6 p.m. “This event will celebrate the cultural history of Fletcher and surrounding areas, and traditional mountain music is a big part of that,” Hunter says. “My band mates and I are happy to participate in this recognition of Fletcher’s history, buildings, people and music.”

Feed and Seed Church is located at 3715 Hendersonville Road in Fletcher. The event is free to attend, but a $10 donation is recommended to help support local preservation. For more information, visit psabc.org.