By Remy Cox
The Monteith House as seen from the back in front of the garden gate.
The Appalachian Women’s Museum, nestled in Dillsboro, North Carolina, is a small museum on the rise. The Monteith Farmstead, formerly inhabited by sisters Edith and Edna Monteith from birth until death, has been on an over 20-year journey, due the work of dozens of passionate volunteers, to get to the state it’s in today.
Because of the physical hardship the house has faced in the quest towards restoration and preservation and the outside forces that acted upon the museum’s capabilities such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re still getting into the swing of things. Many large renovation projects have taken place to make the house accessible to the public, such as the replacement of the home’s roof. Most of their currently exhibited objects focus on everyday experiences, much of it sourced from the sister’s collection of things they left behind after their passing. Many of the objects, such as those in the quilting room at the front of the house or the kitchen, are very identifiable to visitors. Sewists will likely identify sewing notions in the quilt room such as pinking shears or paper sewing or patterns as part of their own kit, and the kitchen is much the same. The second floor has several rooms, such as bedrooms or a home classroom, set up as they may have been for visitors to explore. Out back, there is a garden of flowers and produce suited to the area.
The museum has recently hosted several events to foster community engagement and bring new visitors to the house. Music on the Porch only recently happened in August, and the Airing of the Quilts, a showcase of both modern and historic quilts, takes place on the front porch of the home every May.
The Appalachian Women’s Museum is worth a visit for anyone in Dillsboro on a Saturday morning, as it is also close to other attractions on Dillsboro’s charming main street and is surrounded by a park that consists of land that formerly was a part of the homestead.