McCoy Farm & Gardens Newsletter

Volume Nine: Issue Twelvexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx December 2024

Christmas Tree Lighting This Thursday, 12/5

The third annual Christmas Tree Lighting will be Thursday, December 5, beginning at 5:00 pm. The Bachman McCoy family began the tradition of lighting a big Christmas tree for the whole mountain to enjoy in the 1940's and beginning in 2022, we have invited all our Mountain neighbors to join us in the lighting. The Bachman McCoy House will be open at 5:00 pm and Santa will arrive in a tractor-pulled wagon about 5:15 pm. Shop McCoy merchandise, antique and vintage china, and items from various vendors, make an ornament, and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate served by our elected officials. Pizza will be available for sale. The tree will be lit at 6:00 pm. Parking will be available at the Horse Ring Parking Lot, St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, and the Glade along Anderson Pike. 

Would you, or someone you know, like to learn how to dry stack a stone wall and help rebuild the Serpentine Wall on the east side of the house in the process?

Peter Newson of Newson Stone and Masonry will teach a class on dry stack masonry while rebuilding the current wall. Participants will learn the fundamentals of dry stone stacking and gain a basic understanding of how to build a double-faced wall, plus have bragging rights over the wall when it is beautifully rebuilt. 

Peter learned his skill from other masters of masonry and is now passing on his knowledge to keep the craft alive. Want to learn more about dry stacking? Check out his website, newsonstone.com, and his blog, Drystone Walling: Simplicity and Strength, to see photos of each step he takes to create sturdy and timeless walls like the ones often seen across our historic Walden’s Ridge. 

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to learn a new kind of construction and art (if you don’t believe it’s an art form, just look at the photos of his past work)! Participants will begin by deconstructing the fallen parts of the historic Serpentine Wall originally built with stone from the home of the Emma Bell Miles family and leave with the basic skills to apply to a variety of stone projects at home.

The workshop cost is $100 and will be Saturday, January 11 from 8:30-4:00pm.

This might make the perfect holiday gift for that hard-to-shop-for loved one who enjoys working with their hands. 

Bachman Swing Butter Churn

Returns to McCoy 

Bruce Payne recently donated a circa 1879 swing butter churn that originally belonged to the Bachman family. He made the gift in memory of his mother, Cornelia “Connie” DeMare Janey, a member of the Freudenberg family, which included some of the earliest settlers of Walden’s Ridge. Be sure to stop by during one of the December open houses to see our newest returned treasure.  

Bruce is shown here with the wooden swing butter churn which had been stored in the Bachman McCoy basement prior to being sold in the early 2000s. Additionally, he donated a maple ladder-back chair with an original woven twine seat. The chair belonged to Louisa Bowman, also a Freudenberg descendant. 

Volunteer Celebration

Volunteers are at the heart of all the projects at McCoy from open houses to trail maintenance, from community events to the gardens. Board members and our executive director gathered to say thank you to our invaluable volunteers with a s’mores party on November 10. Pictured here are board members Fred Wildman, Anne Hayes Pearce, Beth Myers, Andy Jones, and Elizabeth Hamilton. 

Additional December Open House Dates

A great deal of care goes into decoration by the House Committee of the Bachman McCoy house each year for the holidays. In order for extra guests to be able to experience these festive holiday decorations, the Docent team will be hosting additional open houses throughout the month of December. Come out and visit on the weekends of December 7 & 8 and 14 & 15, from 2-4 pm.

You can finish your holiday shopping then, too. You'll find McCoy honey, Emma Bell Miles prints, and more for sale during these hours.

What's Coming Up

Christmas Tree Lighting

Thursday, December 5, 5 pm

Bachman McCoy Open House

Saturday and Sunday, December 7 & 8 and 14 & 15, 2-4 pm

Contact McCoy Farm & Gardens

at katie@mccoywalden.org

to learn more about renting space at McCoy for your next event.

Or mail your check to McCoy Farm & Gardens, P.O. Box 443, Signal Mountain, TN 37377

McCoy Farm & Gardens covers 38 acres and features the Bachman-McCoy home, gardens, and several outbuildings including the Pavilion, Carriage House, Barn, and Blacksmith Workshop. The perimeter walking trail extends 1.1 miles.