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Happy New Year from Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa!

by FANS Admin

December 28th, 2015

Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) is grateful for all the community support we received this past year as we pursued our mission of “working for a strong and vibrant Swannanoa by encouraging active involvement, fostering community spirit, and honoring our unique history and natural heritage.” From the individuals, organizations and businesses that supported our fundraising efforts, to the many volunteers who participated in FANS’ projects and special events, we’re fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful community.

FANS would like to give a special shout-out to Davidson Homes for their generous sponsorship of the new print edition of this FANS community e-newsletter. Their support has enabled us to extend the newsletter’s reach to hundreds of residents without ready access to a computer. Thank you!

As we move into 2015, we look forward to sponsoring more community yard sales, expanding our community garden, increasing distribution of the FANS newsletter, organizing river and roadside cleanups, and working on improvements along U.S. 70, including bus shelters and new “Welcome to Swannanoa” signs.

As you think about possible end-of-year donations, please consider putting FANS on your list. FANS is an all-volunteer organization, with no employees, no offices and no overhead, so 100% of your donation will be put to work right here in Swannanoa! Checks can be made payable to FANS and mailed to PO Box 697, Swannanoa, NC 28778. FANS is a 501(c)(3) organization; your donation is tax deductible.

Thank you for your support, and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

Categories FANS News

Looking Back: Asheville Farm School for Boys

by FANS Admin

December 28th, 2015

A recent “Today in History” column in the Asheville Citizen-Times focused on the Asheville Farm School for Boys (forerunner of the present-day Warren Wilson College), which opened its doors on November 30, 1894. The Swannanoa school was established under the auspices of the New York-based Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, “as part of its efforts to modernize and uplift poverty stricken Southern Appalachia.” The school could accommodate only 25 students its first year, but enrollment expanded as other Missions Board schools were consolidated with the Farm School. High school classes were phased out in the late 1950s, and after operating several years as a junior college, the school began offering four-year degrees in the late 1960s.

Today, the Warren Wilson College campus covers over 1100 acres, and is home to approximately 900 students from around the country and the world.

Categories History, Warren Wilson College

Beacon Mill History Presentation Draws Large Crowd

by FANS Admin

December 28th, 2015

An enthusiastic overflow crowd of approximately 200 people turned out for a November 20 presentation about the history of Swannanoa’s Beacon mill. The event, titled “Beacon Blankets: Portrait of a Swannanoa Textile Mill,” was held at Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity and Design. Participants were treated to an evening of film, music, and stories about the rise and fall of the Beacon Manufacturing Company, which was once the largest blanket manufacturer in the world, employing as many as 2,200 people.

The program began with mill-inspired music written and performed by Robert “Bert” Brown, a native of Swannanoa, whose grandparents worked at Beacon. Filmmaker Rebecca Williams showed clips from her ongoing documentary project, Blanket Town: The Rise and Fall of an American Mill Town, which uses the Beacon mill as the backdrop for examining the migration of the textile industry from England, to New England, to the American South, and, with the advent of globalization, overseas. The screening was followed by a lively panel discussion with former Beacon mill employees and local historian David Whisnant.

The Beacon mill program received significant pre-event coverage from the Asheville Citizen-Times. To read the AC-T’s article about the history and legacy of the mill, please click here.

If you’d like to learn more about the Blanket Town documentary, or make a tax deductible contribution to help support the film’s completion, please go to beaconmilldocumentary.blogspot.com.

This commemorative Beacon blanket was on display at the Beacon history event at Asheville’s
Center for Craft, Creativity and Design.

Categories History, Swannanoa Stories

Filmed Partly in Swannanoa Gets New Release Date

by FANS Admin

December 28th, 2015

You may recall the stir that was created two summers ago when a Hollywood film crew set up shop in the old downtown area of Swannanoa. The filming brought major Hollywood stars to Swannanoa’s usually quiet streets, including Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson. Due to the studio’s ongoing financial difficulties, the release of the film has unfortunately been delayed several times. But with the recent announcement that a new release date of September 30, 2016 has been set, it now looks like Swannanoans may finally get the chance to see their hometown on the silver screen.

The comedy, titled “Masterminds,” tells the true story of a pair of bumbling bank robbers who somehow pulled off a $17 million heist at the regional vault of Loomis Fargo & Company in Charlotte. The movie was filmed in other areas around North Carolina in addition to Swannanoa, including Asheville and Old Fort.

To read more about Masterminds and view a trailer for the movie, visit www.imdb.com/title/tt2461150/.

Filming Movie Mastermind in Swannanoa, NC

Kristen Wiig and Zach Galifianakis star in this scene from “Masterminds,” shot in Swannanoa on Whitson Avenue.

Categories Other Swannanoa News

Author Archive for FANS Admin

Happy New Year from Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa!

Looking Back: Asheville Farm School for Boys

Beacon Mill History Presentation Draws Large Crowd

Filmed Partly in Swannanoa Gets New Release Date

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