Blue Ridge Institute & Museum - BRIM

10/01/2026

Not only do we have the exhibit but we will host authors, Abe & Benny Gibson, at the 53rd annual Blue Ridge Folkife Festival & Arts & Craft Show on October 24th for a book signing!

Happy to "The Vanishing Schools of Franklin County: A History of Public Education in Rural Virginia" by William B. Gibson and Abraham H. Gibson!

Nestled among the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia, Franklin County is the undisputed “Moonshine Capital of the World.” But Franklin County was not as lawless as its reputation would suggest. In addition to making moonshine, the citizens of Franklin County also made a monumental effort to educate their children. In the early twentieth century, Franklin County had more schools than any other locality in the state, per capita. Today, they have all but vanished.

Most of these schools were simple one-room buildings located in abandoned fields. Their foundations were built with local stones, and their walls were built with local timber. Most did not have electricity, running water, or indoor bathrooms. These schools were once vital to life in Franklin County. In this book, a father and son with deep roots in the community set out to recover the history of these long-forgotten schools. They have combed through the archives and trekked through the woods in their efforts to identify, map, and photograph every single school in the historical record. Along the way, they have learned valuable lessons that extend well beyond the Appalachian foothills and into the present day.

"Gibson and Gibson connect the history of rural education to enduring questions of social justice, public investment, and educational access that continue to shape communities today."
- Amy Price Azano, Founding Director, Virginia Tech Center for Rural Education

"This book arrives at a timely moment in our state's and nation's history, just as a battle for hearts and minds is being fought in and for school districts all across America. Uncovering lost histories of education in a rural Virginia county is an important undertaking, and the authors deserve our thanks."
- Charles Thompson, Duke University



https://upress.virginia.edu/title/10232/

09/21/2026

We brought a little piece of the Blue Ridge out on the road! Have you ever stopped by our booth at a local festival? Let us know where we should head next! &Museum

09/17/2026

This sweet sister and brother visited the BRIM searching for photos of their father, Calvin "Tet" DeHart who was photographed by the prolific Appalachian photographer, Earl Palmer. Their father, pictured in the book below, was a moonshiner and allowed Earl Palmer to capture images of him making liquor. They also appear in one of the photographs.

✨The BRIM Heritage Archive of Ferrum College is the repository of all of Earl Palmer's negatives and many of his photographs.✨

09/01/2026

Thanks to Southwest Virginia & Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for hosting the "Blue Ridge Rising" Summit at the Biltmore! It was the ideal opportunity to learn from all 29 county representatives bordering the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway. Pictured below are (left to right) Grace Cooper, Patrick County Tourism Marketing Manager, Bethany Worley, Executive Director of the BRIM, and James Houchins, Economic Director & Tourism Director for Visit Patrick County, VA

07/17/2026

Check out these small signs (18x20) now for sale in our giftshop😍! The BRIM is a major venue along The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail due to the recordings and photos in our amazing archive🤩!

07/09/2026

Throwback Thursday! Here's our dear friend and co-worker, the late Charlie "Cotton" Atkins assembling a still for "educational purposes only" 😂!

07/02/2026

Thank you for always being so good to us, Emma❤️. Our dear friend and volunteer, Emma Perdue Parcell, left this world on Monday. She was a helper--either helping to make loaves of bread in the bake oven at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival or seen here, making our front entrance flower bed so special🌺. You will be missed😔.

06/26/2026

Don’t forget—the farm museum at Ferrum College is open every Saturday, 10-4, until Labor Day!

06/25/2026

We love when grandparents bring their grandkids to visit🥰!

06/24/2026

Excited to participate this Saturday!

Step back in time at the Redwood Community Farmers Market and experience a day filled with heritage, history, music, and homemade favorites in Franklin County, Virginia's Shining Gem.

Join in on the fun this Saturday, June 27, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for blacksmith demonstrations, live bluegrass music, local history exhibits, delicious old-fashioned cooking, fresh-squeezed lemonade, fried apple pies, pork rinds, a classic cake walk, and more.

Bring a lawn chair, gather the family, and enjoy a day of simple pleasures, good food, and community spirit.

📍 Redwood Community Farmers, 3421 Old Franklin Turnpike, Glade Hill, VA 24092
🕘 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Featured guests include:
• Forge In the Holler Blacksmith Demonstrations
• Common Ground Bluegrass Band
• Ferrum College's Blue Ridge Institute & Museum - BRIM
• Franklin County, VA Historical Society

Come make new memories while celebrating the traditions that helped shape our community.