Stecoah
Union School welcomed its first students in October 1926. The school
was built of native rock with the skill and labor of many local
residents. On Dedication Day, the proud community posed for the
panoramic photograph shown above and now featured in the auditorium.
After sixty-eight years of service to the community, the school
was closed in consolidation in 1994. |
Mission
Statement
Our mission is to serve the people of Stecoah and Graham County
through programs and services that benefit all members of the community,
through the preservation and promotion of Southern Appalachian mountain
culture and through the restoration of the historic old Stecoah School
to its original role as the center of the community.
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CONTACT
US |
MAP |
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Stecoah Valley Cultural
Arts Center
121 Schoolhouse Road
Stecoah (Robbinsville), NC 28771
Ph 828-479-3364
Fx 828-479-1434
info@StecoahValleyCenter.com
Media Information
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The Stecoah Valley Center is
classified as an IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit corporation and
all gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Click
here for information on how you can contribute to the preservation
of the Stecoah Valley Center. |
STECOAH
VALLEY ARTS, CRAFTS & EDUCATIONAL CENTER, INC., a non-profit corporation,
was formed by a group of concerned citizens dedicated to restoring
the historic school to its original role as the center of the community.
The school property consists of the main school building,
adjacent gymnasium building and grounds. The original main building
burned shortly after completion; the present school building was constructed
within the same rock walls and reopened in 1930. It remains today a beautiful
solid stone structure surrounded by approximately ten acres of natural
mountain land.
Growing from an abandoned school building just a
few short years ago to the vibrant center of the community today, Stecoah
Valley Cultural Arts Center now offers over 20 programs to approximately
10,000 people annually. The Center brings music to the mountains through
the summer performing arts series An Appalachian Evening,
as well as the annual Mountain Music Championship, Folkmoot USA, Harvest
Festival and other events. Additionally, the new Stecoah Artisans Gallery & Guild
provides sales promotion and support for over 60 local and regional
artists. The Stecoah Valley Food Ventures project offers newly renovated
kitchen and meeting facilities to support the development of food-related
small businesses as well as providing a great space for community meetings,
parties, etc.
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The Center also provides
many other services to the community, including the award-winning Support
Our Students after-school program that serves over 50 students annually.
The Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program offers students the opportunity
to play stringed instruments such as the banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin,
thus helping preserve the Appalachian heritage of the area. The Center
also provides visitor information services, a library, computer center,
and is home to other non-profit organizations as well.
Restoration work
continues on the main school building and grounds and plans are now being
made for renovation of the gymnasium in the future. |