Shelton House - History, Heritage and Crafts/ the Museum of NC Handicrafts is a non profit historic house and museum located in Waynesville, NC. It is a beautiful piece of history showcasing the agrarian lifestyle of a middle class family in Appalachia during the late 19th and early 20th century. The museum is filled with beautiful antiques and Shelton Family heirlooms as well as over 1500 handmade crafts by North Carolina artisans. The Museum of NC Handicrafts opened inside the Shelton House in 1980 and developed from the love of handmade crafts by Mary Cornwell and the NC Craft Guild known as the Village of Yesteryear. Many of the earliest museum crafts were donated by Village of Yesteryear members. Mary Cornwell had a dream of creating a museum that would honor the heritage crafts and artists of NC, past and present so that as the "old ways" of creating essential, yet beautiful handiwork would always be remembered. Mary Cornwell used her own money to create and open the museum in 1980. (the $50K needed to purchase the home in 1977 was raised by Haywood County women's organizations through fundraising bake sales, raffles, luncheons, cookbooks, dances, etc. . since Mary Cornwell passes away in 2005, the museum has existed on an endowment left by Mary Cornwell. That money is rapidly declining as the preservation/restoration of an 1875 historic home and its many artifacts is a costly venture. The museum struggles to keep the dream of Mary Cornwell and the many women of Haywood County alive. If you are able,please consider keeping this wonderful example of Haywood County, NC's History and Heritage as well as 100's of NC Heritage Crafts, alive with a donation to the Museum of NC Handicrafts. If you are unable to monetarily contribute, and live in Haywood County or nearby, please consider volunteering your time, energy or skills to help keep Shelton House and the Museum of NC Handicrafts alive. Thank you!