Pearson's Falls of the Tryon Garden Club
| A military man, farmer, and an engineer, Captain Pearson bought the Glen as part of a large tract of land that he wanted for his family. For years he and his heirs allowed generations of young people to picnic on the great stone table-rock that you will see at the foot of the Falls. Botanists and bird-fanciers from all over the country have come to discover and catalogue the wonders of this Glen area. In 1931, Captain Pearson’s son offered for sale a portion of his holdings and the Tryon Garden Club stepped forward to preserve this unique mountain property. Through the generosity of an honorary member and careful planning of the group, the club members purchased the several hundred acres of this wildlife preserve. Although open to the public, the property remains under the ownership and protection of the Tryon Garden Club. Over 15,000 people visit the Tryon Garden Club property each year. It is also a wildlife preserve, and outdoor laboratory for the botany departments of the surrounding colleges and universities, and the site of frequent field trips for local science classes. A book written by Dr. Donald C. Peattie called “Pearson’s Falls Glen” is for sale from the Gatekeeper and lists over 200 of the ferns, flowering plants, algae and mosses found in the Glen. Improvements to the buildings, the pathway and the picnic facilities are made possible through generous contributions of friends and visitors to the Glen and through memorials to club members and benefactors. Today the Tryon Garden Club members actively participate in maintaining the property so that they and you who are visiting may enjoy this unusual gift of nature. Please stay on the paths, and remember…. TO LINGER NOT TO LITTER TO REST BUT NOT MOLEST TO ENJOY BUT NOT DESTROY |
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| America, and the Blue Ridge was raised from the sea and the plains . . . and there are no fossils in the Blue Ridge again been under water . . ." (from Natural History of Pearson's Falls by Donald C. Peattie, 1933) Pearson’s Falls Glen is the remarkable botanical wonderland that lies hidden in these great Blue Ridge Mountains. It was named for the young engineer Charles William Pearson who the mountains for what was to be the Southern Railroad. |
| Pearson's Falls |
| Giles William, son of Charles William Pearson |
| House on land when purchased in 1876 by Charles W. Pearson |
| Pearson Falls' stream |
| Helen Martin, Anna Vangham, Eva Aisliw |