Mast Farm Inn (This is not an advertisement for Mast Farm Inn. I found the history to be interesting ~ Johnny) History The Mast Farm dates from the late 1700s, when Joseph Mast traveled to the mountains from Randolph County, North Carolina, where he was born in 1764. His father John had settled there after emigrating from Switzerland via Pennsylvania. Joseph is said to have traded his rifle, his dog, and a pair of leggings for 1000 acres of fertile Watauga River Valley land. The first house, a two-room log cabin, was built between 1810 and 1812 and remains today as the oldest inhabitable log cabin in North Carolina. It is called the Loom House because Aunt Josie Mast turned that original log cabin into a loom house and became celebrated for her coverlets, rugs, and handbags. Some of her coverlets are in the Smithsonian today. Allie Josephine Mast (1861-1936) wove a giant rag rug for the White House when Woodrow Wilson was president but they may not know the real story. Allie Josephine Mast was a skilled weaver, active churchwoman, gracious hostess, devoted wife and mother who lived with her husband on his family farm in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Beyond her personal virtues, Josephine’s most noteworthy accomplishment was her handweaving. Her woven items reflect Josephine Mast’s ability to spin, weave, and understand pattern drafting. Money from the sale of her weaving supplemented the family income, and brought Josie local fame and national renown. Josephine Mast wove over continually from the 1880s to the early 1930s, using patterns and weaving techniques typical of other nineteenth and early twentieth century Appalachian handweavers. These women used their artistic skills and mathematical ability to weave artifacts of beauty and practicality; but not all were as creative or as versatile as Allie Josephine Mast. Early families that settled Western North Carolina came to the region with strong weaving traditions from their native lands, sharing their skills and knowledge, and taking pride in the ability to beautify their lives with useful handwork. Josie took it one step further by selling her work, becoming better known than most weavers for reviving the art of handweaving. I posted a 7 minute video on Vimeo for those who would like to see more on this story. vimeo/91221824
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 01:02:09 +0000
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