[gentle music] ♪ - [Narrator] An organized folk art initiative began in our state in 1895 from a cabin about 40 minutes north of Asheville.

Its founder was an artisan herself from New York who moved to North Carolina, Francis Goodrich.

- And she helped the mountain crafts people bring their quilts, their baskets to this small cabin.

- [Narrator] She called it Allanstand Cottage Industries.

- Her purpose was to help mountain crafts people provide a marketing outlet for these people who were very poor, to give them an opportunity to market, whether it's their quilts, their baskets, whatever they were making, pottery, clay.

- [Narrator] Fast forward to 1930 when Goodrich and others formed the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

- [Tom] Today we represent 800 members.

They have to live in the 293 counties that boarded the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

It encompasses nine states, all the mountains, all the way from Maryland down to Alabama.

- [Narrator] Nearly 50 years later, the Guild located their headquarters in Asheville on 16 beautiful acres donated by the National Park Service, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the mountains to C Trail.

They called it the Folk Art Center.

- [Tom] The building is a 30,000 square foot building.

It houses a 270 seat auditorium.

We have an information desk, bookstore there for any kind of questions they have about the parkway.

- [Narrator] And it's all handicap accessible.

- Not only are there ramps, which is awesome, all of the displays are spaced well enough that someone in a wheelchair or using a walker can see everything without tripping or bumping into anything.

- [Narrator] Francis Goodrich gave Allanstand to the Guild and it's at the heart of the Folk Cart Center where the work of its members is available for purchase.

- Oh my goodness.

It's a feast for the eyes.

- [Tom] It is the oldest running craft shop in the United States and the Southern Highland Craft Guild is the oldest craft guild in the United States.

They go through a very rigorous standards during process.

- By other crafters, by your peers and so to be juried in was an honor to know that these other crafters, they found my work was up to par to be a member.

- [Narrator] Those artisans also provide live demonstrations from March through December.

- [Tom] You can see pottery being made, brooms being made, jewelry being made, quilts being made.

- I talk quilts all day with folks.

I help them give them ideas what they can do if they have a quilt that's falling apart.

- [Narrator] That is on the first floor.

Upstairs, the Folk Art Center has three gallery spaces.

- The felted birds that were down there just were adorable and the artistry in the furniture that we just walked through was stunning.

- [Deborah] It's also where their permanent collection is located.

- A lot of old, historic handmade craft can be found here and we also have adjacent to this space, probably one finest craft libraries in the country.

- [Narrator] At the root of it all is education.

- Not only on our history, but to educate them on how fine handmade craft in the United States is made from beginning to end.

- [Narrator] And why it's so important to continue the work Miss Goodrich started all those years ago.

- [Tom] And we're helping to perpetuate that and encourage these creators, these craftspeople, to continue to do what their passion and what they do well.

- The Folk Art Center is at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of Asheville and they're open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

For more information, give them a call at [828] 298-7928 or visit them online at southernhighlandguild.org.