If you're a history buff, we've got just the mountain destination for you.

The Shook-Smathers House is the oldest standing frame house in the mountains.

Theresa Linsky paid it a visit and discovered lots of other treasures in Haywood County too.

[light music] - Welcome to the Museum of Haywood County history at the Shook-Smathers House.

- [Theresa] It's a home whose story is a lesson in much of our nation's late 18th and 19th century history.

- It is the oldest frame house in all of western North Carolina - [Theresa] Built by a man named Jacob Shook from Burke County in 1795.

- Jacob Shook was my third great-grandfather on my dad's side.

- [Theresa] Where the home was built in Haywood County was crucial to our victory over the British.

- If you go to the Revolutionary War, it was the western front.

- [Theresa] That campaign was called Rutherford Trace where Patriots like Jacob fought against Native Americans who had sided with the British, but it didn't stop him from returning when the war was over.

- Was familiar with the territory and came back and settled here.

- So this is the Shook Room, it's the oldest room of the house.

We profile in this room various members of the Shook family and their contributions.

- [Theresa] That would involve their support of Methodism.

By all accounts, shook was a religious man which made it fitting that a traveling circuit writer by the name of Bishop Francis Asbury, widely considered the father of American Methodism, spent the night here.

- In Francis Asbury's journals in November 30th, 1810, he wrote, "After crossing many streams and losing ourselves in the woods we finally arrived about nine o'clock to Vater Shuck's.

What an awful day."

- [Theresa] Asbury most likely spent the night in a third story room of the home, which Jacob then dedicated as a chapel.

- And that's where the Louisa Chapel, which is one of the first Methodist churches in the area was actually formed in 1798.

Here in this house.

- [Theresa] Jacob Shook died in the 1830s.

The house set empty until Levi Smathers bought it in 1851, and along with his children enlarged the home and brought about other changes.

We call this the Smathers room.

It was originally a dining room and all the embellishments were done by Levi Smather's son, Doc Smathers.

- [Theresa] And it was Levi Smathers who brought slaves here and their story is also a part of the home.

- Well, my great-great-grandmother, second great-grandmother Dorcas Smathers, was a slave in this house.

- [Theresa] Descendants of Dorcas and her husband, Henry, were drawn to the house and to finally learn about their ancestors and their history in this country.

- And I thought when I walked through the door, I could hear my grandmother say, "Child, you found me."

- Whatever part they play needs to be recognized and brought to light so that they get as much notoriety as they can get.

- And we need to know our history so we don't repeat our history.

- [Theresa] The last Smothers descendant to live in the home passed away in the 1980s.

After that, the house set empty for decades until a Shook descendant purchased, restored, and donated it to the Historical Society in 2011.

Today, the home's more than two century history, as well as that of the entire area, is on full display.

- [Francis] It's been known as the pride of Clyde.

For example, you'll see the military room and the quilting room.

- Where we feature women's work.

We have a Smathers' family spinning wheel.

- You'll see the industry room and a community's room that we have.

So it en captures more of the history of the entire county.

- [Gwen] And I said, well, when that happens I wanna be a part of it.

And told them I wanted to be a docent here.

And they asked me why.

I said, "Because my great-great-grandmother was a slave here."

- [Theresa] This one house touched the lives of many people throughout Western North Carolina and hopefully will continue to tell their collective stories for centuries to come.

- And that's good.

And we want the world to know.

[light music] - The Museum of Haywood County history at the Shook Smathers house is at 178 Morgan Street in Clyde.

For information and tours give the Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society a call at 828-564-1044.