The Mission of the Appalachian Women’s Museum is to gather, preserve, and share the stories of Southern Appalachian women past, present, and future.
Cherokee Women of Southern Appalachia
Our exhibit honoring Cherokee Women of South Appalachia is open. This exhibit, made possible by a grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, showcases Cherokee Women and their many accomplishments and contributions within the Eastern Band and western North Carolina.
Ordinary Women Leading Extraordinary Lives
The mountains of western North Carolina are breathtaking. However, it wasn’t always an easy place to live. For many women, life in the Southern Appalachians was hard with raising children on very little means, caring for families and making a living in an isolated part of America. No matter the circumstances, these women faced whatever came their way with determination, grit and grace.
Some women achieved prominence in the arts, government, education and social causes while others achieved success through raising productive children. Regardless of their status, it is the stories of these ordinary women leading extraordinary lives that must be preserved and shared to inspire future generations.
The Appalachian Women’s Museum is an organization governed by an all-volunteer board, that has worked to open the doors of the Monteith Farmstead in Dillsboro, North Carolina. In the spring of 2025, the Appalachian Women’s Museum hired the first part-time House Manager, Danielle Duffy. This position will help guide the museum into the next phase as a place to collect, preserve and share the stories of Appalachian women past, present, and future. The AWM Board of Directors, the House Manager, interns and volunteers continue to renovate and actively plan permanent and rotating exhibits. We are excited to partner with community organizations such as: the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, WCU Mountain Heritage Center, WCU History Department, the County Extension Office along with major support from the Jackson County Commission, TWASA and other members of our community.
We’ve Come A Long Way!
Since 2016, the museum has made tremendous renovations to the farmhouse that now houses the AWM exhibits. In 2020 we put on a new roof and were able to get running water outside. In 2024 plumbing was restored to the house. Through countless volunteer hours and continued support from private and community donations, the house is now open to the public from April through October on Saturdays,10:00 AM-2:00 PM.
Your friendship and donations are very important. Please friend us on Facebook @AppalachianWomensMuseum to keep up with what is happening or send us an email if you would like to get involved! We would love to have you in our volunteer-based organization.