Clay County Historical and Arts Council

Clay County Historical and Arts Council The Clay County Historical & Arts Council was formed in 1974 to preserve the local History and Native Arts and Crafts of Western North Carolina. Mrs.

~OUR MISSION STATEMENT~

According to our By-Laws, the mission of the Clay County Historical & Arts Council is to sponsor and encourage educational activities in Clay County Schools, the Community and surrounding areas, with particular emphasis on the Historical and Cultural Heritage and Visual, Performing and Literary Arts. How We Began~

In recognition of the need to preserve the local History

and Native Arts and Crafts of Western North Carolina, the Clay County Historical and Arts Council was established through the efforts of the Clay County beautification Committee in January 1974. By the end of February, 1974, the Council had gained enough support from Clay County residents to be incorporated. Gertrude Price was elected as the first president. It was under her direction that the Clay County Historical and Arts Council began operations. Out of the early community theater founded by the council in June, 1974, the Licklog Players emerged. The Mountain Community Chorus was also a direct result of early Council activity in September, 1974. It is important that every viable Arts Council has a home out of which to operate. Through the efforts of the then county commissioners, the old Clay County Jail building was secured for the purpose of housing both a History and Arts museum. The building has also served as a center for cultural events in the county throughout the years. Several additions to the building such as the Gertrude Price room and Dr. Killian’s office have been added over the years so that what now functions as the Historical and Arts Council Museum truly represents early life in the Carolina mountains.

06/06/2026

Donna Washington came to Hayesville Middle and High Schools April 21 and 22, 2026, supported by CCHAC with a Grassroots grant from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Donna Washington is a well-known storyteller who provides life lessons for students through stories that may be scary or humorous while supplying relevant instruction.

There were three middle school sessions on April 21 and two for high school on the 22nd. The attached video snippets show the high school session which included students from all grade levels.

Each presentation illustrated Ms. Washington's ability to communicate effectively to students on each grade level.

https://youtu.be/1aJFseFBhJc

So happy to share with you all that our next "One on One with Clay County History" video interview will be coming up in ...
06/04/2026

So happy to share with you all that our next "One on One with Clay County History" video interview will be coming up in the next couple of weeks~ with Johnny Scroggs! Scroggs Farm
You don't want to miss it~ so stay tuned!!

Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies are going crazy over the Butterfly W**d (asclepias tuberosa) milkweed in the Nativ...
06/04/2026

Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies are going crazy over the Butterfly W**d (asclepias tuberosa) milkweed in the Native Plant garden this week. These butterflies use milkweed as a nectar source but not to feed their caterpillars. They lay their eggs in late summer near a clump of violets. The caterpillars hatch out in the fall and immediately enter hibernation. They awaken in the spring when violets begin to grow. Violets are their only food source. Since we have lots of common blue violets, we have lots of fritillaries!

06/04/2026
We still have some vendor spots available for our Festival on The Square! Please email Joan Joppie at: clayjoan@frontier...
06/04/2026

We still have some vendor spots available for our Festival on The Square! Please email Joan Joppie at: [email protected] to participate!

Celebrate the 2026 Grand Opening of the Old Jail Museum. Featuring Helen Gibson’s award-winning nativity carvings (NC Ar...
05/27/2026

Celebrate the 2026 Grand Opening of the Old Jail Museum. Featuring Helen Gibson’s award-winning nativity carvings (NC Arts Council Heritage Award) and inspiring artwork by Hayesville High School students. Join us for art, history, and community.
https://www.clayhistoryartsnc.org/old-jail-museum

Blooming today and loving the rain in the Clay County Native Botanic Garden. Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) is named for...
05/23/2026

Blooming today and loving the rain in the Clay County Native Botanic Garden. Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) is named for its straight branches good for making arrows. May flowers bring purple berries in summer, food for songbirds, squirrels and deer. The flowers provide nectar for native bees and other pollinators. This is a large shrub to 12 feet tall, good for hedges and stream banks.

We're Growing!Thank you to everyone that "likes", "follows" and Shares our posts! YOU are helping us get the word out ab...
05/23/2026

We're Growing!
Thank you to everyone that "likes", "follows" and Shares our posts! YOU are helping us get the word out about History & Arts in our Community! You're the Best!

TOMORROW'S THE DAY!See you there!
05/22/2026

TOMORROW'S THE DAY!
See you there!

Thank you to Granny's Attic for your Support!!Granny's Attic Thrift StoreWe are proud to have presented $170,000 today ...
12/11/2025

Thank you to Granny's Attic for your Support!!

Granny's Attic Thrift Store
We are proud to have presented $170,000 today to help needs to be met in Clay county. For more information please read our article in the Clay Progress next week. We thank our community for all the donations that allow us to accomplish our mission. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Todays recipients, front row left to right: Lori McClure - The Still Place , Debbie Graham - New Digs for Dogs, JoAnna Atkisson -Clay County Communities Revitalization Association, Sue Lynn Ledford - Four Square Community Action, Jeanne Strack - Puppies Under Protection, Robin Sinay -Wonderland Animal Sanctuary, Reba Beck -Clay County Historical and Arts Council. Second Row: Hannah Miller - Clay Co Community for Students, Jacquine - Hinton Center, Amy Gibby -Still Waters Landing, Greg Utech - American Legion 532, Sue Scott - Animal Rescue Financial Support. Back Row: Det. Steven Smith - Clay County K-9 Initiative, Todd Goins, Clay Co Hearts for Kids and Seniors, Bob McGinnis - St Vincent Depaul, Pam Cray - Brasstown Community Center, Dwight McClure - Clay Co Veterans Memorial Park, Matt Brubaker - Truett Camp, hiding next to Matt is Tom Landis - Hayesville First United Methodist Church The Gathering Place, Sandy Benson - Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville, NC, Michael Avery - Wonderland Animal Sanctuary, Stacie Ledford - Rock Bottom Recovery. (Not pictured) Maggie Butler - Matt's Ministry

Address

21 Davis Loop Rd
Hayesville, NC
28904

Opening Hours

Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18283896814

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clay County Historical and Arts Council posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Clay County Historical and Arts Council:

Shortcuts

Share

Category