37th Annual Living History Festival
October 22, 2022
Rain or Shine
Purchase Tickets Here
Hickory, NC
Located in Vale, NC just south of Hickory, sits the nation’s largest collection of historic log structures from the 1800’s. The village was started by Dr. Robert W. Hart III. Dr. Hart and his wife, Becky.
Led to move from Ridge Spring, SC to Hickory, NC – Dr. Bob started as a primary care physician at Frye and Catawba hospitals and later began Hart Family and Hart Industrial Practices. In August of 1967, Dr. Bob purchased the 200-acre property (that is now Hart Square) as a nature preserve. For several years, the land remained only a woodland reserve to deer, geese, and a few wood ducks.
In 1973, a patient told Bob about an old cabin on his property that needed saving. He suggested it would really look nice on his upper pond. Bob, who was never quick to turn down an adventure, chose to move the cabin, log by log, to that pond where it still stands today.
As you may have guessed, that is just the beginning of the story. Bob had a knack for taking things from good to great, and a cabin is good, but a cabin with a barn is even better. Time marched on, and so did Bob. He marched his way to 103 19th century log structures one by one with the help of several volunteers. Each cabin appears as if a pioneer just got up and walked out moments prior with traditional and authentic furniture, clothing and more. All of the cabins were rescued from the Piedmont and Western regions of North Carolina keeping everything as historically accurate as possible to the era and lifestyles of early settlers in the Piedmont of NC.
This October marks the 37th Annual Festival where visitors walk amongst the village structures that have truly come to life. Tickets are on sale now for this truly one-of-a-kind festival.
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