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WHISPER FADE
The Cashiers Historical Society Inc. is proud to present “Whisper Fade,” a stunning mountain home at Wade Hampton Golf Club, and host site of the 2010 Cashiers Designer Showhouse.
With a spectacular view of Whiteside Mountain from many rooms, the home sits on a gentle promontory near Wade Hampton’s 10th hole. The five-bedroom home, a project of McKee Development Construction Management Division, was designed by Travis Mileti of Mountainworks and built by R. J. Ward & Company. Mountainworks is known for a mountain vernacular style that liberally incorporates specially selected mountain materials of native stone and wood into their most livable designs. A large open great room with a massive stone fireplace, spacious chef’s kitchen and screened porch with outdoor fireplace are some of its outstanding features. The home is certified through both the Earthcraft green building program and the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program. Whisper Fade features a modern, energy-efficient building envelope and a focus on high indoor air quality. These improvements provide greater comfort, lower annual utility costs and increased durability.
Wade Hampton Golf Club is widely recognized as one of master golf course architect Tom Fazio’s finest works. Named for the legendary Civil War hero General Wade Hampton III (whose summer estate included this property), it was developed by A. William McKee and Ann McKee Austin on family land in the 1980s. The course opened to instant acclaim when it was named Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course in 1987. The course has continued to solidify its reputation as one of the finest mountain golf courses in the country (many say the world), and is currently ranked 17th on the Golf Digest Top 100 List and No. 1 in the state of North Carolina. It is highly rated on virtually every other golf course ranking.
The gentle topography of the land—backdropped by dramatic mountain views of Chimneytop, Rock and Whiteside Mountains—resulted in a Fazio design of exceptional natural beauty that is ever-challenging for the low handicap golfer, but enjoyable for players at all levels.
The surrounding residential community also set a new standard of excellence for mountain development. Homes are subordinated to the setting and roads are narrow and winding. Natural landscaping is encouraged.
Views from the golf course are fiercely protected, and a vigilant architectural review program guarantees that homes are hidden from golfers’ views whenever possible. Several holes, including 9 and 18, have no development on either side of the fairway.
Wade Hampton differs from other clubs in the area in that it is a golf club, not a country club. However, there is an increasing focus on the family at Wade Hampton. Throughout the season, the spacious clubhouse is a popular gathering spot for fine dining and member activities. Other amenities include tennis, croquet, hiking and mountain climbing. Upscale boutiques and outdoor adventure shops can also be found nearby.
The nearby village of Cashiers has long been a quiet getaway for generations of Southern families drawn here by the cool summer temperatures and low-key, understated lifestyle.
WHAT’S NEW AT THE CASHIERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY?
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Cashiers Designer Showhouse™, the Cashiers Historical Society Inc. has made tremendous strides in its short history. It is widely recognized as one of the most successful non-profit organizations in Western North Carolina, and is an active partner with preservation organizations throughout the region.
Founded in 1996, the CHS focused initially on acquiring and restoring the historic 1850s Zachary-Tolbert House. The House and five-acre site are now a lively House Museum, with an active docent program for visitors and a full schedule of activities for the community and area school children.
Staff offices, restrooms, a catering kitchen and open gathering space are included in the Dowden Pavilion, dedicated to Tom and Wendy Dowden who made the initial donation of the Zachary-Tolbert House to the fledgling Society. Last year, restoration of the Kitchen Dependency was completed, containing meeting space as well as the original Tolbert kitchen, now being curated to open later this year.
In recent years, the group has expanded its mission to take a leadership role in preserving the heritage character of the village of Cashiers. Through its ongoing sponsorship of the Mountain Landscapes Initiative Program and the resulting Cashiers Village Council, the group is working with community leaders to “Keep Cashiers, Cashiers” as the town continues to grow.
The newly-formed “Places and Faces” initiative is coordinating efforts to begin an oral history project, conduct a historic sites inventory and promote a historic highway corridor preservation program.
“We are so proud of the reputation and ongoing success of the Cashiers Designer Showhouse,” commented Cashiers Historical Society Board Chairman, Darla McBurney. “It has given us the resources to accomplish great things. We are so grateful to the hard-working volunteers who make it happen every year and to the visitors who come from far and wide to see what’s new in the best of mountain design.”
For more information and to join the Cashiers Historical Society Inc., visit cashiershistoricalsociety.org.
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