Author Kitty Taylor, a writing instructor and former programs assistant at the Folk School, selected images and materials from the John C. Campbell Folk School Collections and the Fain Archives to share a glimpse of the first 100 years. Bethany Chaney, executive director, advised the project.

In 1925, the initial creative pursuits began with education, agriculture, and traditional Appalachian crafts, including wood carving and blacksmithing. One hundred years later, the school has expanded into more than 50 subject areas, from cooking and clay to shoemaking and stained glass. Friends and cofounders Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler were influenced by the Danish folkehøjskole, or “folk high school,” and set out to create a similar opportunity in Appalachia.

The John C. Campbell Folk School provided the foundation for the internationally recognized Brasstown Carvers, created a music and dance program with regular offerings for concerts and contras, and now welcomes thousands of students while holding over 800 weeklong and weekend classes per year. It continues to be, as Olive once described, “an experiment in adult education” that seeks to enliven and enlighten the world.

About the cover: 
Cathy Henson moved the Brasstown in 1975 and fell in love with the John C. Campbell Folk School after attending her first Saturday night dance. She volunteered in many areas of the school in exchange for classes, joined the Rural Felicity Garland Dancers, and became a dance caller. She later started a garland team in Asheville, North Carolina.  Henson credits her friendships with many people across and outside the country to the time she spent at the Folk School.

This image was taken in 1978 by Johanna McConnell. (Courtesy of the John C. Campbell Folk School Collections and Fain Archives.)

Kitty Taylor has always found her truest self in the written word. Taylor studied literature and professional writing at Western Carolina University and received a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School. In a yearlong residency as a hospital chaplain, she found her niche in creative nonfiction. She has written for Ministry Matters and was a contributing essayist in “Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Bestselling Memoir.” Taylor is currently working on an essay collection that blends spirituality with public transportation and serves as the Advancement Coordinator at Young Harris College.

Arcadia Publishing is the nation’s leading publisher of books of local nonfiction and rarely explored pockets of history. Our mission is to connect people with their past, with their communities and with one another. Arcadia has a catalog of thousands of titles exploring the story of America one city, state, or county at a time. The History Press is an imprint of Arcadia Publishing. 

Imprint: The History Press 

ISBN: 9781467162760 

Price: $24.99 

Publication date: 08/26/2025
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 128 

About the John C. Campbell Folk School 

For 100 years, the John C. Campbell Folk School has transformed lives and brought people together in a nurturing environment in Brasstown, N.C. for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Our values are joy, kindness, stewardship and non-competitiveness in our vision of community that awakens, enlivens and enlightens the world in accordance with the Danish folk school tradition and Appalachian craft.