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Several programs are on schedule for October at Sycamore Shoals State Park with park rangers Sarah Vogt and Taylor Moorefield and Museum Curator Chad Bogart.
Tours of the Carter Mansion are scheduled October 3 and 12 at 11 a.m. and on October 17 and 26 at 1 p.m. The cost is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 65 and up, veterans and active duty, and $5 for ages 17 and under.
The Carter Mansion is Tennessee’s first frame house, completed around 1780. It retains 90 percent of its original building materials and played an integral role in the early community of frontier settlers in Watauga. Visitors will learn about the construction and historic significance of the house and discover both the known facts and mystery of the Carter family who built and lived in this beautiful old house. Accessibility includes steps and an interior staircase.
– Guided tours of Sabine Hill will be held Wednesdays, Oct. 4, 11, and 18 at 1 p.m. The cost is the same as that of the Carter Mansion Tour.
Museum Curator Chad Bogart will lead the tours, which will feature Early American Death and Mourning Customs. This stately home was built by Mary Patton Taylor, widow of Brigadier General Nathaniel Taylor. It has been described as one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in Tennessee. Visitors can take in the colorful and architecturally detailed interior while learning about the influential Taylor family who called Sabine Hill home in the early 19th century.
An added feature will contain exhibits on Early American death customs and mourning traditions.
Other October events include:
– Tomahawk Throwing Saturday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. Ranger Taylor Moorefield will provide a hands-on tutorial on 18th century tomahawk throwing. No children younger than 12. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear close-toed shoes. All supplies will be provided. Meet inside Fort Watauga.
– Fire By Friction (Cherokee Fire Making) Monday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. Ranger Taylor Moorefield will provide a demonstration of firecraft by rubbing two sticks together. In celebration on Indigenous Peoples’s Day, see this ancient fire-starting method come to life just as the Cherokees and neighboring tribes would have achieved it centuries ago in this area. Meet inside Fort Watauga.
– Tea Time on the Watauga at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15. Ranger Sarah Vogt will teach about the origins of tea and its history in the early colonies and on the frontier. Meet in the Talbot Cabin at Fort Watauga.
There is a $5 charge for these events.
To register for the events call the park at 543-5808.
The Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad St., and the Sabine Hill Historic Site is located at 2328 West G St.