Tour Five Stunning Homes

When Highlands Performing Arts Center stages its Satulah Mountain Home & Garden Tour, you can bet that it’ll be packed with entertainment and enlightenment.

The tour, set for 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 20-22 – will spotlight five stunning homes and gardens found on Historic Satulah Mountain, never before opened to the public.

Tickets are available for the morning or afternoon and at $125 each. The last shuttle leaves PAC at 2:00 P.M.

The homes represent a wide variety of architectural designs and interiors.

The gardens are considered among the finest in the region, with mature native and introduced plant species.

For instance, tour members will visit the home and gardens of Cathy Henson and Chris Carpenter, purchased in 2004.

In 2005 they had the opportunity to purchase an adjacent parcel – the long-neglected gardens in the heart of the old historic district of Satulah Mountain created by New Orleans cotton broker Henry Worrell Sloan.

Also included on the tour is Chetolah. Located on the western face of Satulah Mountain, it’s the original home of Henry Martin Bascom, the second mayor of Highlands. Built in 1892, this American Foursquare home was constructed on a three-acre lot purchased from his mother-in-law, Mrs. Amanda Davis. Between 1894 and 1916, Bascom purchased several adjoining lots, culminating in twenty acres of privacy and a near 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains.

The American Foursquare design is meant to maximize floor space within a narrow footprint, which worked well in early urban neighborhoods and streetcar suburbs. That’s why Mayor Bascom’s Foursquare is so unique: a simple, urban design perched high on a mountain slope. Even more unique was Bascom’s inclusion of a wood-burning furnace in the basement. It was the first home in Highlands to have central heating.

In 2018, Chetolah was rescued by the skill and vision of Highlands designer Darren Whatley and his spouse, David Moore. In a matter of months, they restored and updated the house while respecting the original design integrity of the home and by preserving the character and historical significance of Chetolah.

If you’d like to tour these exclusive gardens and homes, sign up for the tour by visiting highlandsperformingarts.com or calling (828) 526-9047. Highlands PAC will offer shuttle service from its 507 Chestnut Street location – private cars will not be allowed. There will be golf carts available to anyone who needs assistance. Everyone should wear comfy, durable shoes.

The event is sponsored by Bock Builders, MHK Architecture, Laurel Magazine, Suncoast Equity Management, and Berkshire Hathaway.