A Brief History of The Church of the Holy CrossThe history of the Episcopal Church is woven through the modern history of the Valle Crucis community. The Right Reverend Levi Ives, Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina came in 1842 and gave the area its name. Over the next several years, Bishop Ives established the Society of the Holy Cross, the first Monastic Order in the Anglican Communion since the English Reformation of the mid-sixteenth century. The Bishop Ives Cabin, last of the original buildings, now serves as the Church Library. William West Skiles, who originally came to Valle Crucis to supervise its farming operation, joined the Monastic Order, and in 1847, was ordained Deacon. Brother Skiles kept the Episcopal flame alive from 1852, when the Monastic Order was disbanded, until his death in 1862. Brother Skiles’ inspiration led to the construction of St. John’s Church, where he is buried. St. John’s Church still stands three miles from the Church of the Holy Cross and is used by our parish for special services. In 1895, Bishop Joseph Cheshire came to Valle Crucis to revive the Episcopal Ministry. Under his direction, several of the buildings, which are still in use, were constructed. In 1898, Bishop Junius Horner was installed as Bishop of the newly established Missionary District of Asheville. Bishop Horner began a renaissance in Valle Crucis. He started a dairy and chicken farm, saw mill and wagon factory, apple orchard, hydroelectric power plant and a school for grades one through twelve. This school closed in 1943. After World War II, the facilities housed a summer training program for seminarians and were used as a resort inn. In the 1960’s buildings adjacent to the Church of the Holy Cross became The Valle Crucis Conference Center, where groups from all denominations participate in conferences and retreats. In 1925, during Bishop Horner's renaissance, the present day Church of the Holy Cross was built. The congregation has grown and now serves a wide area of Watauga and Avery counties. In 1982, the Church of the Holy Cross was admitted as a full parish into the Diocese of Western North Carolina. |