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Interested in literature or the performing arts? Flat Rock packs a terrific one-two punch. During the day, you can explore Connemara, the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author Carl Sandburg; at night, venture across the street and take in a performance at the Flat Rock Playhouse, the official State Theatre of North Carolina.
Distance
From Charlotte, Flat Rock is about 110 miles, about two hours, one way.
Getting there
Take Interstate 85 South to the Kings Mountain area; take U.S. 74 Bypass West to I-26, then I-26 West to Exit 53. Turn left on Upward Road. Continue 2.5 miles and turn left on Greenville Highway. Turn right on Little River Road. Parking for the Sandburg historic site is on the left; parking for the playhouse is on the right.
To see and do
The Sandburg home is a national historic site operated by the National Park Service. The main house was built in 1839 as a summer home for Christopher Memminger of Charleston. After passing through several owners, the property was on the market in 1945 when Lilian Sandburg, wife of the famed poet and biographer, happened upon it. Living in Michigan at the time, she was anxious to find a place in a warmer climate suitable for raising her prized diary goats. The Sandburgs agreed that the estate, named Connemara by a previous owner, would fit their needs, and they bought the property in 1945. Over the next 21/2 years, the Sandburgs made extensive changes to the Greek Revival house, modernizing the heating, plumbing, and electrical systems, installing new chimneys, bathrooms and an indoor kitchen, and converting the old kitchen into a three-car garage.
Connemara was home to Carl Sandburg for the last 22 years of his life, and the so-called "poet of the people" published more than a third of his work while living here. He died of natural causes in 1967. Lillian then sold the property to the federal government so the house could be preserved as a memorial to her husband. Connemara opened to the public as a historic site in 1974, and visitors to the home today see it almost exactly as it looked when the poet lived there.
Guided tours, given throughout the day, last about 30 minutes. The site includes the dairy goat farm, where Lilian Sandburg's famed champion Chikaming goats are still raised. There are also five miles of walking trails over moderate to steep terrain.
In an unassuming, red-frame building across the road from the Sandburg historic site is the Flat Rock Playhouse. The weather vane atop the building is the figure of a vagabond, an appropriate symbol when you consider the origins of the playhouse. In 1937, a group of New York City performers organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. In 1940, they arrived in Western North Carolina, where they found a warm welcome. Converting an old grist mill at Highland Lake into a makeshift playhouse, the group had a successful summer season, prompting their return the following year. At the end of World War II, the Vagabond Players reorganized and returned to the region, this time performing in a playhouse in Lake Summit. Success led to the need for a larger, permanent home. The group acquired an 8-acre tract in Flat Rock in 1952 and put on its shows under a rented "big top" until the current playhouse was constructed. In 1961, the N.C. General Assembly officially designated Flat Rock Playhouse as The State Theatre of North Carolina.
Over the years, the playhouse has staged a variety of shows, from well-known Broadway musicals, comedies and dramas to lesser-known productions and an occasional world premiere. In 1962, FRP staged the first performance of "The World of Carl Sandburg." "Look Homeward, Angel," based on the famous novel by Thomas Wolfe, was performed in 1970. In 1994, "Forever Plaid" became FRP's first fall production, and in 2000, the FRP's season expanded to a full eight months with productions held in November and December. (The theater will be closed Dec. 21-March 30.)
