Gov. McCrory and Sec. Kluttz with Buncombe County Commissioners David King and Joe Belcher and state Rep. Michele Presnell
Against the backdrop of breathtaking mountain views, Sec. Susan Kluttz celebrated the hard work of local elected officials, Cultural Resources staff members and other supporters at a reception at the Governor’s Western Residence last week. While the Secretary met with and thanked the supporters of Cultural Resources’ historic sites and museums in the mountains, Gov. Pat McCrory dropped in for a moment to share his appreciation for history with the crowd. In his brief remarks, he emphasized the importance of cultural institutions to our state and the region, and the need to find creative solutions to fund those institutions in the future.
Sec. Kluttz with N.C. Historical Commission Chair Millie Barbee and long-time DCR supporter Martha Fullington
Ramona Bartos, Cultural Resources’ Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, even got a few moments to tell the governor some of the history behind the beautiful midcentury modern residence that the crowd was enjoying. The house was built in 1939 by Tom Briner, owner of Good Humor Ice Cream, who loved to spend time in western North Carolina with his wife. The property was donated to the state in 1964. You can read more about the history of the home in this great feature done by Our State magazine. The large crowd gathered showed the wide support that DCR venues have in the west. Among those in attendance were state Rep. Michele Presnell, who represents Haywood, Madison and Yancey Counties; Buncombe County commissioners Joe Belcher and David King; and Christian Edwards, Jeff Futch, Terrell Finley and Chris Morton, all Cultural Resources site managers at western venues.
Sec. Kluttz, Deputy Sec. Kevin Cherry and N.C. Historical Commission member Dr. Valerie Johnson at the Historical Commission meeting
The Secretary also had the chance to chat with Millie Barbee, the newly-appointed chair of the N.C. Historical Commission. Barbee, who currently lives in Blowing Rock, previously served as the Commission’s vice chair, and had a long-career as a public history professional in Beaufort and Morganton. The food and drinks for the reception were donated by long-time supporter former state historic preservation specialist Martha Fullington and a number of local businesses. The reception followed a meeting of N.C. Historical Commission, which Sec. Kluttz attended. The commission is the chief policy making body over the Office of Archives and History, which comprises all of Cultural Resources’ history-related agencies. Click here to see more photos from the day’s events.