6
LESS THAN 20 MINUTES
AND A WORLD AWAY.
Provided by Lake Logan
Less than 20 minutes and a world away. That’s Lake Logan.
And the 20-minute drive from either downtown Canton
or Waynesville is one of the prettiest drives you can make.
When I started as executive director just over two years
ago, I got the sense that local folks really did think of Lake
Logan as another world – one that most people weren’t
allowed to visit. And so, our staff and board set about to
change that image.
If you’re from around here, you’ll know Lake Logan’s
interesting history, but for newcomers here’s the short of
it. Once the logging village of Sunburst sat where the lake is
now. When the area was cleared, the loggers packed up and
moved on. The President of the Champion, Reuben Robertson,
led the charge to dam up the West Fork of the Pigeon
River, thus assuring a reserve water source for paper operations
at Champion’s paper mill in Canton downstream. The
lake was named for Mr. Robertson’s son, Logan Thomson.
Mr. Robertson created a family compound called Sit ‘n
Whittle Village, consisting of a main lodge and six log mountain
cabins moved from the Great Smokey Mountains National
Park. Sit ‘n Whittle became the nucleus of Champion
Paper Company’s Executive Retreat, which eventually grew
to accommodate 80+ guests. In the late 1990s, Champion
sold out to its employees; and in 2000 the Executive Retreat
was divested to the Episcopal Diocese of Western North
Carolina for its present use as a retreat center and summer
camp, while the surrounding timberland was acquired by the
North Carolina Land Conservancy and transferred to State
and Federal ownership.
Today, Lake Logan Conference Center, home of Camp Henry,
sits on 260+ acres that surround the 85-acre lake and is
host to retreats, reunions, educational programs, and more
year-round.
In the past two+ years, we have worked to change the perception
of Lake Logan in Haywood County. During Champion
days, the property was closed to the public. Most people
with memories of Lake Logan in those years were affiliated
with Champion, worked for Lake Logan, or snuck onto the
property for recreation. I’ve heard more than once from
folks who used to skinny dip in the cold waters of the
beautiful lake.
Lake Logan is still private property – but that doesn’t mean
you don’t have opportunities to use it. Lake Logan’s mission
is to serve Christ by welcoming all generations to experience
restoration and reconciliation with God, one another, and all
creation. This mission dovetails with that of the Diocese – to
widen the walls, walk in the way, and wake up the world
– and the missional priorities of the wider Episcopal church –
evangelism, reconciliation, and creation care.
To live more fully into those missions, we have developed
new opportunities for Haywood County residents and
visitors to enjoy all that Lake Logan has to offer. We believe
that this little slice of heaven is a “thin place” where people
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haywoodchamber.com • (828) 456-3021
28 Walnut Street, Waynesville, North Carolina 28786
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