Henderson County's
BLUE RIDGE HERITAGE |
Henderson County Heritage Tourism Plan - Summary
(pdf file) |
| Henderson County Heritage Tourism Plan - Summary (PowerPoint/Flash) |
| HENDERSON COUNTY HERITAGE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES - Overview |
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Henderson County Heritage Tourism
Development Initiatives |
| Henderson County Heritage Council: Promotion and Implementation of the Heritage Tourism Plan |
| Facilitate, support, and sustain the on-going implementation of the Henderson County Heritage Tourism Plan, including providing technical support, collecting and disseminating pertinent information or data, and educating the public. |
| Henderson County Heritage Resource Inventory and Map of Cultural, Historic, and Natural Amenities |
To provide an inventory of cultural, historic, and natural resources in Henderson County to enable local governments, citizens, organizations, committees, and task forces to work toward preserving these landmarks and historic elements. |
| Historic Henderson County Courthouse Renovation |
| To preserve a well recognized and loved historic site vital to the appearance and appeal of the Historic Downtown District while establishing a sound operations plan to fund the continued use of the facility. |
| Rail Corridor Preservation Policy and Reuse Strategy |
| To fully explore all practical options to establish a strategy to ensure any rail property is unused or may become abandoned in the future would be used for public transportation and recreation purposes. |
| Multi-purpose Meeting Facility - Blue Ridge Community College |
| Grow tourism industry in Henderson County by providing conference facilities to meet the needs of small and medium size conferences. Increase capacity for local group functions, trade shows, etc. |
| Cultural, Visual, and Performing Arts Center (Mill Center) |
| Renovate and preserve historic landmark to serve the arts and cultural needs of the community and attract visitors through the presentation of quality cultural, educational, visual arts, music, and entertainment events. |
| Marketing and Promotion of The Foothills Highland Games |
To educate people about the culture, heritage and contributions of the Scots and Scots-Irish, to promote the perpetuation of Scottish culture, traditions, customs, history, literature and music in an effort to stimulate travel and tourism in Henderson County. |
| DuPont State Forest Welcome Center |
| A front-door facility available to the public for information about DuPont State Forest, including recreation opportunities and resource management. |
| International Festival Day - A Henderson County Heritage Day |
| To establish an event to celebrate and nurture the diverse ethnic cultures in the county. |
| Farm Land Preservation and Young Farmer Support Initiative |
| Preserve Henderson County’s farmland and increase the opportunities for young local farmers to continue farming. |
| Blue Ridge Grown - Buy Local Initiative: Marketing, Distribution Center, and Processing Facility |
| 1) provide marketing assistance to various local organizations that produce or sell agricultural products and/or have agri-tourism events; and 2) provide a distribution and processing facility to distribute locally grown agricultural products. |
| Greenway System to Connect Henderson, Buncombe, and Transylvania Counties |
| To construct a greenway system through three counties -- Henderson, Transylvania, and Buncombe Counties -- to highlight the region's natural amenities, increase tourism, enhance quality of life for residents, and improve the economy. |
| Develop a Plan and Strategy to Establish Passenger / Excursion Rail Service |
| To fully explore all practical options to establish a regional passenger/excursion train and develop a strategy to ensure existing underused or abandoned railways would be used for public transportation and recreation purposes. |
| Scenic Byway Connecting the Historic Flat Rock Byway in Henderson County, the Pacolet River Byway in Polk County, and the Forest Heritage Scenic Highway in Transylvania and Haywood Counties |
Scenic byways designated with inclusion in an updated NC Scenic Byway Map to achieve:
- Increased tourism through a new “attraction”
- Establish a push-pull opportunity for visitors between four counties
- Create access to newly designated DuPont State Forest in Henderson County
Preserve and protect the natural, cultural and historic features in four counties |
| Carl Sandburg National Historic Site - Establish Poet/Writer In-Residence Program |
- Create a connection between a contemporary poet/writer, the park, and the greater community
- Foster an appreciation for the legacy of Carl Sandburg.
- Support and perpetuate the craft of writing in contemporary society.
- Provide educational opportunities for community schools and colleges.
- Provide an opportunity for the community to host, enjoy and learn from first class writers.
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| Community-Based Educational Programs Relating to the Creation, Maintenance, and Preservation of Henderson County Heritage Resources |
| Provide community-based training and education programs to prepare our citizens (especially youth) to utilize innovative skills for sustainable employment in the area of community Heritage Tourism and preservation of Heritage sites. |
