The Morning Star

Block Number: 23

By Nora Worthen

The Inn on Mill Creek in Old Fort has two new quilt blocks that were installed by the McDowell Quilt Trail on February 27, 2010. Dave and Brigette Walters, owners and innkeepers of the Inn on Mill Creek, which is located on private land within the Pisgah National Forest near Old Fort and Black Mountain, moved here from Cleveland, Ohio, and say they just fell in love with the mountains. They made a conscious decision to move here, operate their business, and make it their home. Brigette says, “We love the climate, love the people, love the area, love everything about it – love the history and the culture, and just fit right in.”

They report following the progress McDowell Quilt Trail has made over the past eight months, and love the idea that McDowell County has its own trail and want to be a part of it.

When The Walters learned about the McDowell Quilt Trail, “it just seemed like a really great thing to do,” says Brigette. They wanted something that would reflect a general outdoors nature theme. They chose the “Morning Star,” block No. 24, and “Evening Star,” block No. 23, to place on either end of their guest cottage they call the Lake House, because “out here at night you can see thousands upon thousands of stars. We wanted one with spring colors and one with fall colors to match the spring flowers and the absolutely gorgeous National Forest around us in the fall, says Brigette.”

Dave describes the “Evening Star” block, as green for the garden, purple and pink for the dusk of the evening, and blue for the sky, which can be seen from the dining solarium and the Lake View Room. The “Morning Star” block is done in shades of fall colors – yellows and soft oranges that complement and blend well with the building, and the red and black star that makes it look three-dimensional. This block hangs on the south side of the Lake House and is visible from the road as you travel into McDowell County. “The colors are exciting and vibrant.” Dave says, “We have been saying for the two-and-a-half years we have been here, ‘What are we going to do with that big open bare space?’ The quilt blocks are perfect for that.” The quilt blocks at Inn on Mill Creek can be found at 3895 Mill Creek Road in Old Fort, not far from Andrew’s Geyser where you can still see and hear the Southern Railways train climbing the mountain, which brings back memories of stories about the Round Knob Hotel, built in 1879 to draw tourists to the resort.

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