Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University

Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University The Ramsey Center preserves and explores Southern Appalachian culture, heritage, and natural history through programs, events, and archives.

The Ramsey Center, named after four-time speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Liston B. Ramsey, is located on the main floor of Renfro Library on the Mars Hill University campus. It houses archival resources for teaching and scholarship in its Southern Appalachian Archives and Appalachian Reading Room. Our extensive holdings—photographs, manuscripts, sound recordings, and artifa

cts—document aspects of mountain life and culture of interest to scholars here and abroad, holdings that have been called some of the finest in the southeastern region of the United States. These materials have been and continue to be collected by mountain people dedicated to the preservation of local culture. The Ramsey Center is central to the university’s regional studies emphasis, and it offers a venue in which the surrounding community and faculty and students come together for a variety of regional programs. At the Ramsey Center, Southern Appalachia’s rich history and culture come alive through events, festivals, and exhibitions, as well as the ongoing work of dedicated scholars, teachers, students, and community members. Ramsey Center Mission Statement: The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University connects the campus with the wider community to explore the history, culture, and environment of the Southern Appalachian region. The Ramsey Center preserves and provides access to resources for this study through its Southern Appalachian Archives. The Center shares Mars Hill University’s commitment to local and global engagement, to service, and to experiential learning. An endowment in support of the Ramsey Center's Southern Appalachian Archives has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities : Exploring the human endeavor.

11/13/2025

Just a reminder that the event that had been planned for today, Thursday November 13, was cancelled. Apologies for any inconvenience!

We are so excited to announce that we'll be welcoming Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves to Mars Hill University this...
11/05/2025

We are so excited to announce that we'll be welcoming Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves to Mars Hill University this coming spring! Tickets will go on sale this Friday! 🎻🪕

A big thank-you to Madison County, NC Tourism for helping to make this concert possible.

The Ramsey Center is a proud site on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

WE’RE RECORDING A LIVE ALBUM! Each show will be recorded and we’ll compile our favorite moments. Come be a part of it 😊

March 18
March 19
March 20
March 21 Owen Theatre

We love performing live together and receiving and interacting with what each audience and environment brings. It is where we thrive most as a duo, and we’re excited to share those moments with all of you! Tickets on sale soon!

Fun stuff happening on campus this summer!!! 🎻🪕🎻
11/05/2025

Fun stuff happening on campus this summer!!! 🎻🪕🎻

Check out the great things App Studies graduate Darian Smathers is getting up to!
10/29/2025

Check out the great things App Studies graduate Darian Smathers is getting up to!

A really neat series of events talking about Asheville's role in the birth of country music is coming up next week in As...
10/27/2025

A really neat series of events talking about Asheville's role in the birth of country music is coming up next week in Asheville. It sounds great!

More info here:
"Asheville’s role in the birth of country music is a story few know — until now. The Asheville Sessions of 1925 captured the roots of country music in the mountains, a sound shaped by African, Native American, Scots-Irish, and Appalachian traditions."

Step Into 100 Years of Asheville’s SoundOne hundred years ago, Asheville changed the course of American music. Now, the mountains that shaped those sounds are calling you back.Downtown Asheville | Photo taken 5-3-25Where America First Heard AppalachiaThe Historic 1925 Asheville SessionsIn August 1...

The Ramsey Center had so much fun putting this festival on! How special to have so much talent here in Madison County!Th...
10/08/2025

The Ramsey Center had so much fun putting this festival on! How special to have so much talent here in Madison County!

The Ramsey Center is a proud site on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

Address

P. O. Box 6706
Mars Hill, NC
28754

Telephone

828.689.1115

Website

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