The CD also features the homegrown music of Todd Neel and Alan Dillman and the song “Saluda Mountain Home” co-written by Clark Thompson and performed by Grammy-nominated guitarist J. Larry Keith. This documentary was written, produced and edited by Kim Clark. Cindy Stephenson Tuttle, chair of the HSC Oral History Committee was executive producer. The CD is available at local stores and restaurants in Saluda or on-line at the Saluda Mercantile at saludalifestyles.com. A promotional video can be viewed at www.historicsaluda.org.

The HSC has been successful in accomplishing several projects since its inception in 2010. In June 2011, a historic tour of homes was held in Saluda featuring Smith Hill. All proceeds went toward the restoration of Saluda City Hall. The oral history documentary DVD, “Home, Hearth and History: Stories of Old Saluda” was released in July 2011, thanks to seed money from the City of Saluda and private donations. On Christmas Day 2011, the Historic Saluda website came to life. The HSC created this website to feature the people and places of historic Saluda, specifically the compilation of oral histories of Saluda’s citizens. Funding for the website came from the sales of the DVD.

Future projects include a second historic tour of homes to be held on June 1, 2013, which will feature the Henderson streetscape from East Main St. to Esceola. Historic preservation workshops will be held in the months leading up to the tour. The HSC is also working on an Arcadia book publication and is exploring the feasibility of a future museum to help tell the story of Saluda’s rich heritage.

The Historic Saluda Committee was formed by a group of concerned citizens who wished to preserve the historical integrity of the town. The grassroots effort spawned interest from Saluda City officials and in June 2010 the Saluda City Commissioners voted to make the committee an advisory committee to the city and committee members were appointed. The current committee members are Greaton Sellers, chair; Cindy Stephenson Tuttle, co-chair; Gloria Testerman, Charlene Pace, Caroline Farris, Carolyn Ashburn and Ammie Weymer. Lynn Cass serves as the city commissioner representative.

The HSC meets on the second Friday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Saluda Public Library. The public is welcome. For more information go to www.historicsaluda.org, email historicsaluda@gmail.com or call the City of Saluda at 828-749-2581.

– article submitted by Cindy Tuttle