Hunting, History, and High Point: Fields & Feathers at High Point Museum
Today, most people know High Point as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World – whether that’s from our long history in textile mills or furniture design or our international market. Others may know us as home to the premier life skills university, High Point University. But before our claim to fame came from international trade shows or our prestigious panthers, High Point was known for its beautiful farmlands – perfect for a little leisure from the nation’s rich and famous.
In fact, the Deep River Hunting Lodge, located right on the edge of High Point, was one such location that drew folks like the Vanderbilts and more to our humble home in the 20th century. And that’s the story that you can discover at the High Point Museum through its exhibit, Fields and Feathers, now on display!
In the early 20th century, High Point’s farmland was favored by wealthy, northern businessmen as prime real estate for a beloved, turn of the century pastime: bird hunting. Between the area’s warmer weather, grassy fields, and green forests, the Triad was ideal for quail hunting. Affluent hunters would rent land from local farmers or establish permanent estates to hunt the game birds. The Deep River Lodge was established by Clarence Mackay, a New York silver fortune heir, and was situated on the edge of High Point.
“The Deep River Hunting Lodge – as with many of the Piedmont’s hunting lodges – is a long-forgotten, but fascinating part of our history,” says Tamara Vaughan, the High Point Museum’s Communications Coordinator. Tamara, alongside Museum Director Edith Brady, and Curator of Collections Marian Inabinett, worked to craft the Fields & Feathers exhibit.
Though the lodge was sold by Mackay’s family in 1938, the museum has come into possession of a treasure trove of artifacts from the Lodge’s heyday. Collected and organized by Jamestown resident and High Point Historical Society member, Shanna Moore, the exhibit features luggage, hunting supplies, clothes, and letters, all from owners, employees, and guests of Deep River Lodge.
As the lodge was owned and frequented by some of the most affluent men of its time, it left behind a wealth of photographs, many of which were commissioned by Mackay himself. They capture scenes from Deep River Lodge’s hunting season. Men in caps, suits, and hunting boots carry rifles through fields of tall grass, while employees lead dogs to and from kennels. The photographs are enough to transport one back in time, documenting the leisure and labor of the lodge’s attendants and employees.
“Many of the most powerful men in the country came to High Point and Jamestown,” explains Tamara, “and they brought with them a variety of economic benefits to the local community.”
While the Lodge was intended to cater to the comfort and tastes of the wealthy, it is an important part of the story of the economic development of our community. Due to Deep River Lodge’s extensive hunting parties, the estate required a large staff to keep its operations up and running, offering employment opportunities for those living in High Point and Jamestown. Additionally, the lodge was a profit to the surrounding businesses as well, drawing in wealthy customers for the hunting season to stay and spend their money.
“I think there are a lot of people that would be surprised to learn that their home sits on what was once a playground for some of the most notable names in early Twentieth-century America,” says Tamara.
Running until January 31st, the exhibit is an enchanting look into early 20th century life and luxury. Not only a look at the people of the past, High Point Museum’s preservation of Deep River Lodge’s memory is an appreciation of the natural landscape High Pointers work and live on. It’s surprising to think that land once so prized by the wealthy for its beauty and hunting is what we get to call home today.
Discover our High Points,
The HPD Team