by Wiley Sloan
The Peggy Crosby Center is home to a trio of Highlands' most celebrated residents.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, botanists explored the Southern Appalachians in search of rare plants.
William Bartram, the son of explorer John Bartram, visited the region in 1776 and noted the wealth of unique varieties of plants found here.
Famed French Botanist Andre Michaux spent six years between 1785-1791 keeping detailed journals and sending more than 90 cases of plants back to France for further study.
South Carolina native Silas McDowell lived most of his life in southeast Macon County near the ancient Cherokee town of Sugartown. McDowell wrote articles expounding on the Thermal Belt (the no-frost zone) of the Southern Appalachians that provided a favorable area for fruit trees and other plants.
Eventually, McDowell's writing came to the attention of Samuel Truman Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson, the two men credited with founding the town of Highlands. The duo believed that they'd be able to draw people to their community because of its unique flora and fauna and its health benefits.
Many of Highlands' earliest settlers came here because of the bio-diversity of the trees and plants that line the mountain slopes and creek sides.
Botanist turned educator Thomas Harbison walked from Pennsylvania to study the plant life of the area. Little did he know he'd end up spending the remainder of his life here.
The Highlands Improvement Society (the precursor of the Highlands Land Trust) and the Ladies Floral and Industrial Society were both formed to protect and preserve the natural beau- ty of the area.
A prime example is the Franklinia Tree named after Benjamin Franklin. You may have noticed its beautiful white blossoms in the front of the Peggy Crosby Center at 348 South Fifth Street in Highlands. It's one of three Heritage Trees -- those specimens that are found only in our area of the Southeast. The Franklinia Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) is a small deciduous tree or large shrub which grows to be approximately 15 to 20 fees tall and 15 feet wide. Its elongated, dark green leaves turn orange, red, and pink in the fall. Its snowy white flower (2 to 3 inches in diameter) reminds some people of the bloom of the camellia. This Franklinia Tree is a descendant of the trees that were propagated by Bartram in the Bartram Gardens outside Philadelphia. These trees are nearly extinct in the wild but are readily available through nurseries. They like sandy, high acid soil that is well drained.
The Peggy Crosby Center property also includes the European Silver Fir planted by Thomas G. Harbison and the Nordman Fir (a threatened species). Stroll up Fifth Street and walk the property to see these gems. The Peggy Crosby Center Board of Directors is constantly working to protect these unique plants. If you would like to help, give them a call at (828) 526-9938.