Mars Hill – As you travel along Highway 213 in Mars Hill, you’ll come across two historical markers. One commemorates the university, while the other pays tribute to Bascom Lamar Lunsford, known as the “Minstrel of Appalachia.”
Unveiling the Legend: Who Was Bascom Lamar Lunsford?
The marker honoring Lunsford describes him as a “Folklorist, collector, & performer” who pioneered and promoted American folk festivals, and notes that he was born in this very location. But who exactly was Bascom Lamar Lunsford, this celebrated figure known as the “Minstrel of Appalachia”?
According to the biography provided by the North Carolina Highway Historical Markers, Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882-1973) was a renowned figure known for his “collection of Appalachian folk ballads, showmanship, buck dancing, and his role in founding folk festivals. He claimed to have spent more time in homes between West Virginia and Alabama ‘than anybody but God.'”
A Passion for Appalachia: Lunsford’s Early Years
Born in Western North Carolina, Lunsford had a deep affection for this region and sought to preserve its traditional ways. He was born while his father was teaching at what is now known as Mars Hill University. Following in his father’s footsteps, Lunsford initially attended Rutherford College, where he would later teach, and studied law at Trinity College.
In 1925, he relocated to South Turkey Creek in the Leicester community, where he settled on land inherited by his wife. Lunsford engaged in various endeavors, such as selling fruit trees, but as early as 1914, he began giving lectures on the music of the region. From 1931 to 1934, he served as the clerk of the N.C. House.
Preserving Tradition: Lunsford’s Folk Festival Legacy
In 1928, a group of prominent Asheville business leaders enlisted Lunsford to organize the “Mountain Dance and Folk Festival,” which still takes place for three days every August at dusk. Lunsford, the composer of the widely-played song “Mountain Dew,” performed for notable individuals such as the Roosevelts, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. He went on to establish folk festivals at the North Carolina State Fair, in Chapel Hill, and in other states. His expertise in his field was so recognized that Columbia University asked him to record his extensive collection of 350 songs from memory in 1935, and the Library of Congress followed suit in 1949.
A Unique Character: Challenging Stereotypes
Lunsford was an unorthodox personality who challenged the prevailing “hillbilly” stereotype by donning a starched white shirt and black bowtie. As the self-proclaimed “Minstrel of Appalachia,” he faced criticism for his autocratic management of the festivals and for promoting clogging, which some viewed as a distortion of authentic mountain dance.
In his later years, he suffered from two strokes and passed away at the age of ninety-one, just a month after his final festival appearance in 1973. He was laid to rest at the Episcopal Church in the Leicester community near Asheville. Mars Hill University houses his papers, scrapbooks, musical instruments, and other personal belongings. Additionally, a festival held annually at Mars Hill in the fall carries Lunsford’s name to honor his legacy.