OCTOBER 29, 2009 ISSUE
The Architectural History of Watauga County Released
Book Highly Acclaimed at Reception
A book signing reception was held last Friday, October 23, at the Jones House in downtown Boone for The Architectural History of Watauga County, a hardback coffee table book about 30 years in the making. Members of the Watauga County Historical Society, who brought about the publication of the book, attended, as did the editor, Dan Pezzoni—an architectural historian and preservation consultant with Landmark Preservation Associates in Lexington, Va.
With more than 600 pictures and more than 300 pages, the book details the wealth of buildings throughout Watauga County that were constructed from the 19th century up until World War II.
“We’re elated that it’s here [and] that it’s done,” said Diane Terry, president of the Watauga County Historical Society. “[The book] turned out beautifully.”
The historical society sold about 250 books as of the reception, said Judy Bondi, treasurer for the historical society.
Catherine Bare, secretary for the historical society, said that the book, while a “tremendous effort,” was also an exciting process that involved great teamwork.
The Watauga Historical Society helped bring about the publication of the book 30 years after the first architectural surveys were conducted in the county. From left to right on the back row are Watauga Historical Society Secretary Catherine Bare, President Diane Terry and Vice President Bettie Bond. On the front row are Treasurer Judy Bondi and Dan Pezzoni, who was chosen as the book’s editor. Photo by Corinne Saunders
“I’m going to miss it,” Bare said. “I’ve learned a lot about the area and I’m looking forward to learning even more,” she added, indicating her copy of the book.
“I wanted it to be kind of like Christmas,” Pezzoni said of the book’s release. “I hadn’t seen the book [in its final form] until today…just pages.”
Pezzoni, who previously edited or co-edited similar architectural inventory publications for seven other North Carolina counties, highly praised those involved in the Watauga County publication.
“These people I worked with were exceptional,” he said. “They couldn’t have been a more enthusiastic, knowledgeable group of professionals.”
Two representatives from the State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh attended the book reception.
This is the first architectural survey publication that has come out for a county in the western part of the state in five or 10 years—five if you count Cleveland County as located in the western part of the state, or 10, if you count from the time when a book was published for Transylvania County, said Claudia Brown, supervisor and architectural survey coordinator for the State Historic Preservation Office.
The State Historic Preservation Office provides grants for architectural surveys to be conducted and for the writing of manuscripts, but does not fund the production of a book, which is the most expensive part of the project, Brown said.
The book’s editor, Dan Pezzoni, who is an architectural historian and preservation consultant with Landmark Preservation Associates in Lexington, Va., signs a copy of the finished product at last Friday’s book signing reception. Watauga Historical Society Treasurer Judy Bondi accepts the payments for copies of the book. Photo by Corinne Saunders
“We urge the local community to forge ahead with the effort [to publish a book],” she said, adding that in many cases, as with this book, it takes years to raise the money necessary for production and “it’s a labor of love” for those involved.
“Our architectural survey program is known for the great number of comprehensive surveys [conducted] and for the fact so many of these have been published,” Brown said. “[North Carolina has] more surveys published than any other state in the country,” she added.
Michael Southern, an architectural historian with the State Historic Preservation Office, had been involved with the book in various capacities since the 1970s, overseeing some funding for the surveys which formed the basis of the book and providing technical advice and support, he said.
He worked as a preservation specialist in the Western Office in Asheville, which stores the photos, field notes, research notes and drafts for publication, Southern said.
Although 40 to 45 county surveys have been published in North Carolina, “this is one of the most beautiful and professionally done,” Southern said. “[It is also] one of the most well-researched statewide.”
For more information about The Architectural History of Watauga County and those involved in its creation, pick up a copy of the October 2009 High Country Magazine.
Copies of the book can be purchased for $65 at the Jones House, located at 604 West King Street in Boone, or at the Edgewood Cottage, located by the Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church on Main Street in Blowing Rock. Copies can also be purchased by clicking to www.ebay.com and searching for the seller “watauga1849.”
For more information, call Bettie Bond at 828-264-4275.
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