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Mayna Treanor Avent
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Mayna Treanor Avent Cabin, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Elkmont, Tennessee, is an early Appalachian mountain cabin that was used as a summer studio and retreat by noted artist Mayna Treanor Avent (1865–1959). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
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Avent Cabin
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one mile south of Elkmont and
west of Jake's Creek Trail
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Located on a quiet mountainside above a mountain stream, Avent Cabin is isolated from all but the most careful hiker and known to only a few, this wonderful example of early Appalachian mountain cabin building is truly a treasure for the ages. It is unique and unusual, yet it is at once a place where one can feel completely comfortable and safe.
Mayna Treanor Avent (1865 - 1959), the nationally known Tennessee artist whose work is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery, used Avent Cabin as her summer studio retreat in the early 20th century. She is one of Tennessee’s most esteemed artists.
The following history of ownership of Avent Cabin was provided by Julie Brown:
The cabin was built in 1845 or earlier by Humphrey Ownby. As a wedding present, Sam Cook (who lived nearby) bought the cabin for his daughter, Eva, when she married Steve Ownby. Sam paid $500 for the cabin and 50 acres. In 1918 Frank and Mayna Avent bought the cabin and 18.5 acres for $200. Mayna Treanor Avent (1868 – 1959) began using the cabin as an art studio in 1919 and continued to do so for over 20 years."In 1926, Frank and Mayna Avent gave the cabin to their son Jim Avent (who was on the original board of the Appalachian Club). In an effort to improve the cabin for his mother’s use, Jim made several alterations to the building. Windows were cut to see the apple orchard. There was no electricity, although they had permission.Ownership of the cabin and its 18.5 acres was transferred to the National Park Service in 1932. A lifetime lease was given to James Avent and his wife Jeannette. He subsequently transferred the lease to his children, Jacqueline and James Avent, Jr.In 1993 the National Park Service approved the request of the Tennessee Historical Commission that the Avent Cabin be placed in the National Register of Historic Places for two reasons. It was the summer studio of a noted regional artist, and also because it is a rare surviving mid-nineteenth century log structure representative of the pioneering architecture once prevalent in this mountain region. The Avent Cabin was owned by the family from 1916 to 1932 and leased from 1932 to 1992.
Avent Cabin is more than just a log structure in a mountainside clearing. It
is the surviving and tangible evidence of the deep appreciation for the forest,
the stream, the solitude and solace found in quiet places and unique settings.
Today it has even more value for its history and the need to preserve our past.
An excellent artifact of our past, it is also a present element of our heritage.
The door is unlocked (a single stone propped up against the door bottom keeps it
shut). The one room is open and refreshing with large windows on two sides, a
door on the back wall and a fireplace on the remaining wall. The kitchen built
on in the mid 20th century is small but adequate and holds a book of laminated
pages containing the history of Avent Cabin.
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Avent Cabin - Rear and Front View
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Rear of Avent Cabin
Tattered Red Curtains
(...) High above Jakes Creek near the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park sits a beautiful, long forgotten cabin with surprising cultural significance. The Avent Cabin was built around 1845 by Humphrey Ownby, making it one of the oldest remaining structures in the Smokies. The remarkable detail that makes this cabin unique is that it was once owned by Mayna Treanor Avent, one of the South’s highly acclaimed artist. Born into a wealthy family in 1868, Mayna’s childhood home was Tulip Mansion located within view of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage Estate. Mayna was a talented artist from a very young age; when she was 20 she left for Paris where she studied Art at prestigious Academie Julian. After her time in Paris, Mayna returned to Tennessee and married Frank Avent. The two eventually built a home on Belmont Boulevard in the bustling city of Nashville. Mayna’s art garnered praise from far and wide; commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to paint reproductions of two famous portraits, and also by Vanderbuilt University to portray a chairman at the School of Medicine, Avent also has paintings on display in several distinguished museums including Tennessee State Museum.
The Avent family spent much time in their summer home in the Elkmont community of the Smokies. In 1918 the Avent’s bought the small cabin on Jakes Creek from Steve and Eva Ownby who had been given the cabin as a wedding present by Eva’s father Sam Cook. From that point on Mayna spent much of her time at the cabin, making it her official summer studio. The huge southeastern facing window was installed by Mayna’s son Jimmy to let in the beautiful natural light of the Smokies. (...)
I peered inside the window and felt like I had stepped back in time. Spread before me was a table filled with hand woven baskets, an old oil lamp and books stacked high. Single beds were made up with vintage checkered blankets and fluffy down pillows. In the far corner beside the fireplace stood a corner cupboard handcrafted to fit precisely into this space. I was surprised to see a large spinning wheel sitting near a red ladder that led to a loft. A colorful woven blanket hung behind the spinning wheel. There were intricate oil paintings on blocks of wood; they depicted the view from the cabin porch.
A book in the small kitchen contained notes from visitors that had found this beautiful gem before me. People that had been invited to stay by the Avent family and others like me that had stumbled across this magical place and enjoyed the serenity from the front porch. Stories and memories were recorded in the book including a thanks from a couple of hikers that had found the cabin when a snowstorm caught them by surprise; taking refuge in the cabin, the hikers had left 3 dollars to replace a screen that had been cut so they could get into the cabin. Sitting on the porch that day I didn’t know who Mayna Avent was, but I did know this was a very special place.
(...) Mayna Avent died in 1959 at the age of 91. Her artwork remains to be admired by all; it is a beautiful testament to a talented artist who lived life to the fullest, enjoying the simple pleasures this beautiful place has to offer. In 1994 the Avent cabin was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It achieved this status because it was deemed to be architecturally important, having been built in the mid-1800′s and because it is culturally important, having once been the studio of a renowned artist.(...)
(http://www.chasingcarolina.com/2011/03/avent-cabin-hike/)
Avent Cabin - single room and fireplace
Corner Cupboard and ladder to loft
Lonely Bed
Old Beds and hat rack
Door to Kitchen
Exterior Wall
An anecdote of Avent's early life recounts how she was given an armful of magnolias and decided to paint them at once. Finding no unused canvas about, she removed a wooden door panel and painted on it, later explaining "Magnolias just won't wait!" Besides still lifes, her favorite subjects were landscapes, especially TN wheatfields, and negro studies..
from "The South on Paper: Line, Color and Light" By James C. Kelly, p. 22
 Portrait. Uncle Israel (Black man with hat sitting on a chair) |
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Mayna Treanor Avent Studio
Mayna Treanor Avent Studio
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La cabaña de Avent, cerca de Elkmont
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| Ubicación | Jake's Creek Trail, 1 milla (1.6 km) al sur de Elkmont |
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| la ciudad mas cercana | Elkmont, Tennessee |
| Coordenadas | 35 ° 38′16.68 ″ N 83 ° 35′9.86 ″ WCoordenadas: 35 ° 38′16.68 ″ N 83 ° 35′9.86 ″ W |
| Construido | 1850 |
| NRHP referencia # | 93001575 [1] |
| Añadido a NRHP | 7 de febrero de 1994 |
Avent Cabin , en el Parque Nacional de las Grandes Montañas Humeantes, cerca de Elkmont, Tennessee , Estados Unidos, es una cabaña de la montaña de los Apalaches que fue utilizada como estudio de verano y retiro por la reconocida artista Mayna Treanor Avent (1865–1959). Está incluido en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos .
Historia y descripción [ editar ]
Construido alrededor de 1850 por la familia Ownby, fue construido como una cabina de una habitación a partir de troncos de álamo. El edificio tiene un techo a dos aguas, una chimenea exterior de adoquines y hormigón y una base de piedra. La cabina principal es rectangular de 16 pies (4,9 m) por 23,5 pies (7,2 m). Los troncos son de media cola de milano con muescas de barro y hormigón. Originalmente, solo había una sola ventana y puerta en la cabina y no había chimenea de piedra. Dos de las puertas de entrada tienen un diseño de tablero vertical y datan de aproximadamente 1910. En la parte posterior o al este hay un ala del techo del cobertizo con revestimiento de tablero vertical que contiene una cocina y un porche cerrado.
Fue comprado en 1918 por Frank Avent, esposo de Mayna Avent, por $ 200 de la familia Ownby y remodelado en su aspecto actual en 1926. La propiedad de la cabaña y sus 18.5 acres (7.5 hectáreas) de tierra fue transferida al Servicio de Parques Nacionales en 1932. Se otorgó un contrato de arrendamiento al hijo de Frank y Mayna Avent, James Avent y su esposa Jeannette, y permaneció con la familia Avent hasta su vencimiento en 1992. Se hicieron cambios significativos en 1972, algunos de los cuales fueron eliminados en 1992-1993 cuando el contrato de arrendamiento de Avent expiró para restaurarlo para que estuviera más cerca de su apariencia cuando se usó como estudio.
Es la única cabaña auténtica de los colonos Apalaches que permanece a lo largo de Jake's Creek en su ubicación original. [2]
Usar como Avent Studio [ editar ]
Mayna Avent comenzó a usar la cabina como estudio en 1919 y continuó haciéndolo durante más de 20 años. Se hicieron varias modificaciones a la estructura para que sea más propicio para el uso en el estudio. Por ejemplo, para mejorar la iluminación, se crearon dos grandes aberturas: una ventana en la elevación suroeste, y en la pared sureste, una puerta acristalada que proporciona acceso al porche. Se construyeron una chimenea de piedra y una chimenea de piedra en el muro noreste. [2]
Ubicación [ editar ]
La cabaña se encuentra aproximadamente a 1 milla (1,6 km) al sur de Elkmont, Tennessee, en el lado oeste del valle de Jake's Creek. Se puede acceder por el sendero Jake's Creek Trail, que pasa aproximadamente 200 yardas (180 m) al este de la cabina. Un sendero serpentea hacia Jake's Creek cruzando los rastros de la antigua carretera de Elkmont, cruza el arroyo por un puente de troncos y sube por la cresta donde se encuentra la cabaña en un acantilado.
A una altitud de 2.700 pies (820 m), la cabina se encuentra en un lado empinado de una cresta con vistas al valle de Jake's Creek. Pequeñas áreas del bosque fueron taladas por la familia Ownby para huertos de manzanas, campos de papa y maíz y para la apicultura. Los muros de contención de piedra, algunos de los cuales aún se pueden ver, se construyeron para soportar la nivelación de la topología para uso agrícola. [2]
External links
http://smithdray1.net/angeltowns/gsmnp/ac.html
http://www.chasingcarolina.com/2011/03/avent-cabin-hike/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayna_Treanor_Avent_Studio
http://home.earthlink.net/~tnhiker/lifeafter50onemansperspective/id40.html
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