Come join us at Brevard’s White Squirrel Festival!  The festival weekend is filled with great food, music, and the coolest white squirrels you have ever seen.  Check out this previous blog post and learn about the famous white squirrels of Brevard and their Rockbrook connection!

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. The White Squirrels of Brevard
2. The Brevard Music Festival
3. Rockbrook Reunion Countdown!

We found this great image from the National Wildlife Federation and of course instantly thought of camp! What are some of your favorite magic moments from your days at Rockbrook?  Sleeping under the stars for the first time, splashing in the cold lake, your first S’more?  Please share with us one of your special camp “firsts”!

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. A cold day at the Rockbrook lake
2. Rockbrook Camp – A Place to Recharge
3. Polar Bear Swim at Camp- Brrr!

The Showy Orchid, Brevard, NC

As we walk the paths and trails of Rockbrook we are always excited to find unusual species of plants and flowers.  On a recent walk, Rockbrook alumnae Barrie B. and Maggie K. spotted this orchid, known as the The Showy Orchid.  The Latin name is Galearis Spectabilis.  While they are not rare in NC, they are on the endangered list in SC and several other states.  The Showy Orchid grows in deciduous forests and can typically be found growing on rocks.  It flowers in the spring, the bloom lasting 2-3 months.  When the campers arrive in a few short weeks, the orchids will still be putting on a beautiful show. Thanks you Maggie for sharing this photograph with us!

If you missed our last wildflower report, check out this recent blog post on the Trout Lilies that grow at RBC.

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. Rockbrook Party in Charlottesville, VA
2. Rockbrook’s Trout Lilies
3. My dewcoat is up in my cabin!

The ruins of the Hume Hotel, Dunn's Rock, Transylvania County, NC

In the oral history of Rockbrook there is an interesting story of the connection between Brevard’s oldest hotel, The Hume Hotel and Rockbrook.  Legend says that the stones from the hotel ruins were used by Rockbrook’s engineer Royal Morrow in the construction of The Junior Lodge at RBC.  While we can not authenticate the story, it seems possible that the stones could have easily been used due to the hotel’s proximity to the Rockbrook property.  As you can see in the photo above, the ruins lie just below Dunns Rock, on the current Island Ford Road right across from main camp. Currently there is a house on the site, but there are a few remaining rocks left from the 1840′s hotel.  At the time it was built, it was the first hotel in Transyvlania County. We may never know the real answer to the mystery, but we like to think of Rockbrook’s connection to such an important landmark.  Check out this blog post from our archives for more information about the hotel.

Junior Lodge, do the stones match the old hotel?

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. Rainbow over Rockbrook
2. A View from a Lodge in 1923
3. Help us Solve a Rockbrook History Mystery…

The streets of Brevard will be filled with cyclists this Saturday as the Assault on the Carolinas Bike Race returns for it’s 13th year.   Over 1000 riders will compete in races from 40K-100K.  The 100K course  goes all the way into SC and then travels the 6 mile road UP Caesars Head.  The riders will pass right by Rockbrook!  The race starts and finishes in downtown Brevard, so come on out and join the excitement!  It is quite a sight to behold!  Rockbrook’s own Jeff Carter will be participating!  Go Jeff, GO!

For more information on the race visit The Assault on The Carolinas home page.

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. Holiday Fun in Brevard, NC
2. The White Squirrels of Brevard
3. Frequently Asked Alumnae Questions

Check out this “Land of Waterfalls” video, filmed last fall here in Brevard.

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. The Land of Waterfalls
2. Are you Hungry?
3. Fall Colors Have Arrived at RBC

There was a buzz around Brevard last week when the movie, ‘The Hunger Games’, hit the big screen due to it’s North Carolina connection!  Did you know that many scenes of the film were filmed right in our own Dupont State Forest?  We have been leading trips to Dupont for many years, so odds are good if you have spent time at Rockbrook you have been to at least one of the beautiful waterfalls shown in the film. Check out this recent article which gives you the rundown on the various local scenes.

Another interesting local opportunity is to take part in a Hunger Games Fan Tour.  The tours will take you around the area and show you the highlighted locations from the movie. You even get to try out your hand at archery, hiking and fishing to see how you would fare as a Hunger Games tribute.

We here in Brevard have always known our area was special, but it looks like the word has gotten out!  And remember… “May the odds be ever in your favor!”

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. Holiday Fun in Brevard, NC
2. Rockbrook Campers at Triple Falls
3. The White Squirrels of Brevard

The Transylvania County Library recently contributed over 200 photographs and newspapers to the North Carolina Digital Library.  The digital library includes a searchable database of the entire NC Digital Heritage Center Archives.  With the ability to search images and newspapers from the early days of Brevard, we have had a great time finding out more about the history of Rockbrook and it’s founder, Nancy  Clarke Carrier.

Our first article we discovered is from the Sylvan Valley News, Brevard’s first newspaper which was published from the 1890′s until 1916.  The article is from May, 1908.

Sylvan Valley News, 1908, Brevard, NC

Nancy Clarke was 19 years old at the time of this tournament.  We know from past research that she was a student at Columbia College for Women, so possibly this was a school sponsored tournament?   As mentioned in a previous blog post, The Rockbrook House featured a tennis court in the side yard.  Perhaps this is where Nancy honed her tennis skills?

The Rockbrook House Tennis Court

When Rockbrook was founded in 1921, tennis was one of the activities offered that first season.  With our new insight into Mrs. Carrier and her love of tennis, it is no surprise that she would include it in the activity roster.  We continue to offer tennis today and know Mrs. Carrier would be proud to see her legacy continued!  Stay tuned for more from the digital archives.

Rockbrook Catalog, 1940

Related Rockbrook Camp posts:

1. The Carrier House Tennis Court
2. Nancy Carrier’s Impact on Brevard
3. The Rockbrook House and Richard Sharp Smith