Historic Black Mountain College building receives international recognition
Black Mountain College Studies Building, Lake Eden Campus, 1940-41. Photograph copyright held by Western Regional Archives, States Archives of North Carolina, sleek-mag.com/article/a-monumental-experiment-black-mountain-college
The World Monuments Fund has named the Studies Building at historic Black Mountain College to its Irreplaceable America program.
According to its website, the World Monuments Fund works to preserve diverse cultural heritage sites across the world, with more than 700 sites in 113 countries.
Black Mountain College (1933–1957) was a highly influential liberal arts college on the shores of Lake Eden in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It was known for placing arts at the center of education and using progressive teaching methods. Founded by John A. Rice, it fostered interdisciplinary, democratic and experimental approaches, attracting avant-garde students and instructors.
Architects Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and A. Lawrence Kocher initially designed the building. Kocher then revised the original design as four-spoke building with a central radius near Lake Eden. Construction began in 1940 on the first spoke, but the remaining design was never built due to lack of funding.
What makes the history of the Studies Building particularly unique was that it built by Black Mountain College’s own faculty and students. Construction took place daily after morning classes.
Read more on our blog about the history of Black Mountain College >
Today, the site of Black Mountain College is owned and operated by Lake Eden Preserve LLC, which hosts Camp Rockmont in the summer and private events/retreats in the off-season. Additionally, the annual {Re}HAPPENING is a one-day arts festival that takes place at BMC. {Re}HAPPENING invites visitors to explore the historic campus and experience a variety of live visual and performing arts.
A newly-formed nonprofit, the Black Mountain College Studies Building Foundation, is working to restore the Studies Building and operate it as a center for creative arts. Black Mountain News reported that Foundation board chair Matt Crawford said the World Monuments Fund announcement marks the start of a capital campaign to support its restoration. If things go as planned, Crawford said, restoration work will begin in fall 2027 with completion by spring 2029. In support of this campaign, the Foundation has received a grant from the prestigious Mellon Foundation.
According to Black Mountain News, executive director Chuck Flournoy said the naming of the building to the Irreplaceable America project is fitting.
“Black Mountain College and the Studies Building are quintessentially American,” Flournoy said. “The themes you’ll hear today as people speak are stories of courage, creativity, collaboration, innovation, ingenuity, resilience.”
