WEBVTT

00:00.266 --> 00:02.067
[gentle orchestral fanfare]

00:02.167 --> 00:06.066
♪

00:07.334 --> 00:09.867
[resonant strings
lead building orchestration]

00:09.967 --> 00:17.401
♪

00:17.501 --> 00:19.867
(male narrator)
Welcome to "Our State,"

00:19.967 --> 00:22.468
a production of UNC-TV

00:22.568 --> 00:25.567
in association
with "Our State" magazine--

00:25.667 --> 00:27.334
for over 70 years,

00:27.434 --> 00:29.867
bringing the wonders
of North Carolina

00:29.967 --> 00:32.433
to readers across the state.

00:32.533 --> 00:34.101
On this edition,

00:34.201 --> 00:35.800
an Outer Banks treasure

00:35.900 --> 00:37.767
is restored
to its former glory

00:37.867 --> 00:40.201
at the Whalehead Club,

00:40.301 --> 00:41.700
a mountain of stone

00:41.800 --> 00:43.201
is being whittled down

00:43.301 --> 00:45.401
in Mt. Airy,

00:45.501 --> 00:47.167
and a geologic curiosity

00:47.267 --> 00:48.667
at the heart

00:48.767 --> 00:50.633
of a popular state park.

00:50.734 --> 00:55.001
♪

00:56.267 --> 00:58.034
[gentle piano melody]

00:58.134 --> 00:59.868
(male announcer)
From Manteo to Murphy

00:59.968 --> 01:03.468
and all the small towns
and big cities in-between,

01:03.568 --> 01:08.735
BB&T believes opportunity lives
everywhere in North Carolina.

01:08.835 --> 01:12.301
It's a belief we've held
for more than 130 years

01:12.401 --> 01:14.800
and guides us
as we support our communities

01:14.900 --> 01:17.867
from the mountains
to the coast.

01:17.967 --> 01:20.935
We love calling
North Carolina home,

01:21.035 --> 01:24.500
and we're proud to provide
major funding for "Our State."

01:25.935 --> 01:27.835
Quality public television
is made possible

01:27.935 --> 01:29.334
through the financial
contributions

01:29.434 --> 01:30.968
of viewers like you,

01:31.068 --> 01:34.034
who invite you to join them
in supporting UNC-TV.

01:34.134 --> 01:36.166
♪

01:39.800 --> 01:42.200
[gentle piano introduction]

01:42.300 --> 01:48.834
♪

01:48.934 --> 01:50.834
[strings rise]

01:50.934 --> 01:55.301
♪

01:55.401 --> 01:57.234
(male narrator)
For eons untold,

01:57.334 --> 02:00.301
man has searched the sky...

02:00.401 --> 02:03.134
for something to hunt...

02:03.234 --> 02:05.667
♪

02:05.767 --> 02:07.001
taking to the waters

02:07.101 --> 02:09.368
around Carolina
coastal marshlands

02:09.468 --> 02:11.900
in search
of two things, really...

02:12.001 --> 02:13.900
♪

02:14.001 --> 02:15.835
the birds themselves,
of course,

02:15.935 --> 02:19.401
plus the company of others
who enjoy both the sport

02:19.501 --> 02:23.567
and the satisfaction
of bagging that perfect duck

02:23.667 --> 02:25.401
on that perfect day.

02:25.501 --> 02:27.400
[meandering clarinet leads]

02:27.500 --> 02:30.734
♪

02:30.834 --> 02:32.634
[piano plays ragtime theme]

02:32.735 --> 02:34.967
In the early part
of the 20th century,

02:35.067 --> 02:36.501
it was common practice

02:36.601 --> 02:38.501
for wealthy
Northeastern businessmen,

02:38.601 --> 02:40.934
accompanied occasionally
by their ladies,

02:41.034 --> 02:42.701
to put aside their work

02:42.801 --> 02:45.035
and travel
to an exotic locale,

02:45.135 --> 02:48.301
like our state's Outer Banks,
where they could relax

02:48.401 --> 02:50.034
and commiserate
with one another

02:50.134 --> 02:53.368
while embracing the bounty
of their success.

02:53.468 --> 02:56.734
The destination they found
was well worth the journey--

02:56.834 --> 02:58.234
the distant splendor

02:58.334 --> 03:00.201
of the waterfowl
hunting grounds

03:00.301 --> 03:02.300
around Currituck Sound.

03:02.400 --> 03:04.935
♪

03:05.035 --> 03:07.568
The Outer Banks was
so wealthy with birds

03:07.668 --> 03:10.101
that they were shot
and transported back north

03:10.201 --> 03:11.935
by the boatload.

03:12.035 --> 03:14.433
Occasionally, one of these
Northeastern businessmen

03:14.533 --> 03:16.134
became so smitten

03:16.234 --> 03:18.267
with the rich,
natural beauty of the Banks

03:18.368 --> 03:21.601
that he decided to stay on.

03:21.701 --> 03:24.867
One such man was
Edward Collings Knight Jr.,

03:24.967 --> 03:26.867
lately of Newport,
Rhode Island,

03:26.967 --> 03:29.267
by way of Philadelphia.

03:29.368 --> 03:30.868
Knight was a widower

03:30.968 --> 03:33.534
and had recently taken up
with a younger spitfire

03:33.634 --> 03:35.368
of a French Canadian
widow woman,

03:35.468 --> 03:37.368
Marie Louise LeBel Bonat,

03:37.468 --> 03:40.201
who proved to be
his perfect match.

03:40.301 --> 03:42.800
And together,
they proved a perfect match

03:42.900 --> 03:44.734
for a spit of land
within sight

03:44.834 --> 03:47.768
of the famed
Currituck Light.

03:47.868 --> 03:51.267
In 1922, the Knights
began construction

03:51.368 --> 03:55.501
on a 21,000-square-foot,
electrified, 15-bedroom,

03:55.601 --> 03:57.401
art-nouveau-inspired
residence

03:57.501 --> 03:59.601
they simply called
"Corolla Island"

03:59.701 --> 04:02.001
after the nearby village
that had arisen

04:02.101 --> 04:04.068
to serve the hunt trade.

04:04.168 --> 04:06.868
(woman)
They named it Corolla Island
for a couple of reasons.

04:06.968 --> 04:09.167
One, they didn't want
people to think they were

04:09.267 --> 04:12.001
building a hunt club;
this was not a club.

04:12.101 --> 04:14.301
And the other reason
was they...

04:14.401 --> 04:18.201
literally created an island
around the building.

04:18.301 --> 04:20.201
They brought the spoil up

04:20.301 --> 04:22.434
and built the land
up a little bit

04:22.534 --> 04:26.067
so that the house wouldn't
be right at sea level.

04:26.167 --> 04:27.501
They dredged the sound

04:27.601 --> 04:29.567
and, uh, put in
a couple of canals;

04:29.667 --> 04:31.301
they put in a boat basin

04:31.401 --> 04:33.167
so they could build
the boat house.

04:33.267 --> 04:35.234
And believe it or not,
they put in

04:35.334 --> 04:36.967
a 6,000-square-foot basement,

04:37.067 --> 04:39.468
which was very unusual--
and still is today--

04:39.568 --> 04:41.801
to have a basement
on the Outer Banks.

04:41.901 --> 04:43.801
(narrator)
While digging around
in the sand,

04:43.901 --> 04:46.900
workers discovered
two near-fossilized halves

04:47.001 --> 04:48.501
of a huge whale head,

04:48.601 --> 04:50.434
evidence of the many
such creatures

04:50.534 --> 04:53.167
taken from the region during
the 19th century--

04:53.267 --> 04:56.768
thus the name
"Whalehead Club."

04:56.868 --> 04:59.668
In some ways,
the Knights' substantial home

04:59.768 --> 05:02.967
and hunting retreat
was indeed an extravaganza--

05:03.067 --> 05:07.034
said to have cost
$385,000 back then.

05:07.134 --> 05:08.900
[harp leads
flowing score]

05:09.001 --> 05:11.468
It was steel-framed
and constructed

05:11.568 --> 05:13.801
on pilings pounded
deep in the earth,

05:13.901 --> 05:16.201
and the walls were
18 inches thick.

05:16.301 --> 05:18.368
Certainly no hurricane
or nor'easter

05:18.468 --> 05:20.134
was about
to huff and puff

05:20.234 --> 05:22.033
and blow this house down.

05:23.634 --> 05:27.067
There are 18 dormers,
each with a striking view

05:27.167 --> 05:28.800
of the Atlantic
or the sound,

05:28.900 --> 05:30.900
and five chimneys.

05:31.001 --> 05:32.501
(Baden)
The Knights also had

05:32.601 --> 05:34.501
the first elevator
on the Outer Banks.

05:34.601 --> 05:36.468
It was used
as a dumbwaiter.

05:36.568 --> 05:38.368
(narrator)
Guests of the Knights

05:38.468 --> 05:40.234
could place their baggage
on the elevator

05:40.334 --> 05:42.368
and have it whisked up
to their floor,

05:42.468 --> 05:45.201
where a servant would
deliver it to their bedrooms.

05:45.301 --> 05:47.267
(Baden)
There were four
guest bedrooms,

05:47.368 --> 05:48.700
known for their colors:

05:48.800 --> 05:51.034
the lilac, green,

05:51.134 --> 05:54.101
blue, and pink rooms--

05:54.201 --> 05:57.767
all separate rooms,
all with their own bathrooms,

05:57.867 --> 05:59.434
which was very unusual

05:59.534 --> 06:02.300
for this part
of Currituck County.

06:03.568 --> 06:06.368
The Knights had, uh,
separate rooms, which, uh,

06:06.468 --> 06:09.867
was not all that uncommon
among the elite of that time.

06:09.967 --> 06:12.567
They had them
because they could.

06:13.834 --> 06:15.201
Mrs. Knight believed

06:15.301 --> 06:17.301
in the medicinal powers
of salt water,

06:17.401 --> 06:19.468
and so her bathroom did have

06:19.568 --> 06:22.333
hot and cold
salt and fresh water.

06:22.433 --> 06:24.334
♪

06:24.434 --> 06:26.067
(narrator)
All of the third floor

06:26.167 --> 06:29.701
and half of the second
was servants' quarters.

06:29.801 --> 06:32.701
It's easy to picture them
climbing this narrow stairs

06:32.801 --> 06:34.934
to their room
after a hard workday,

06:35.034 --> 06:37.234
meeting the needs
of their sportsmen guests

06:37.334 --> 06:40.201
and taking care
of the house and property.

06:40.301 --> 06:42.101
[seagulls squawking]

06:42.201 --> 06:43.968
♪

06:44.068 --> 06:46.468
(Baden)
The boathouse, uh,
served, of course,

06:46.568 --> 06:48.901
a very important role.

06:49.002 --> 06:51.568
Some of the local people
that the Knights hired

06:51.668 --> 06:54.568
were hired as marsh guards
or as guides.

06:54.668 --> 06:57.967
And so the guides would
go to the boathouse

06:58.067 --> 07:00.735
early in the morning...

07:00.835 --> 07:04.067
perhaps, uh, take the boat
out and scope out

07:04.167 --> 07:08.034
where the birds are--
are congregating,

07:08.134 --> 07:09.601
deposit the decoys,

07:09.701 --> 07:13.034
and then come back...
and be prepared

07:13.134 --> 07:15.700
to take the Knights
and their guests

07:15.800 --> 07:17.968
to the many
different blinds

07:18.068 --> 07:20.934
on the Corolla Island
property in the sound.

07:21.034 --> 07:28.101
♪

07:28.201 --> 07:29.668
(narrator)
Knight had an eye

07:29.768 --> 07:33.067
and a passion for
residential architecture.

07:33.167 --> 07:35.167
He chose an elegant
Edwardian style

07:35.267 --> 07:37.334
for their new
North Carolina residence,

07:37.434 --> 07:39.601
with hints
of the French-Canadian homes

07:39.701 --> 07:42.401
that Marie Louise
had admired as a child.

07:42.501 --> 07:46.167
The combination proved
to be simple and graceful.

07:46.267 --> 07:48.735
The home's long,
straight lines were softened

07:48.835 --> 07:51.368
by lovely art nouveau curves
here and there

07:51.468 --> 07:54.501
and enlivened
by splashes of color.

07:54.601 --> 07:56.101
(Baden)
During the restoration

07:56.201 --> 07:58.934
we were told
that the exterior

07:59.034 --> 08:01.134
originally
was painted yellow.

08:01.234 --> 08:03.201
We were all shocked by that.

08:03.301 --> 08:07.301
We forget that art nouveau
loved color.

08:07.401 --> 08:09.501
(narrator)
Marie Louise
loved art nouveau

08:09.601 --> 08:11.867
and couldn't imagine
creating a home

08:11.967 --> 08:13.800
in any other style.

08:15.068 --> 08:17.534
(Baden)
Her home in Middletown,
Rhode Island,

08:17.634 --> 08:20.101
was filled with
art nouveau architecture

08:20.201 --> 08:21.534
that she had purchased,

08:21.634 --> 08:24.601
and so they brought the
art nouveau elements down here

08:24.701 --> 08:28.101
and literally built the house
around the art nouveau.

08:28.201 --> 08:31.201
♪

08:31.301 --> 08:33.267
(narrator)
The dining room shows the care

08:33.368 --> 08:36.501
that went into designing
and decorating the home.

08:36.601 --> 08:38.067
(Baden)
In the early 1900s,

08:38.167 --> 08:39.634
we know Mrs. Knight attended

08:39.735 --> 08:41.734
an art nouveau expo in Paris,

08:41.834 --> 08:43.367
and Tiffany,
Louis Comfort Tiffany,

08:43.467 --> 08:44.633
was there.

08:44.734 --> 08:46.067
So we think perhaps

08:46.167 --> 08:48.401
she literally
purchased the room--

08:48.501 --> 08:50.901
the walls,
the lighting, uh--

08:51.002 --> 08:54.266
everything but the furniture
that exists here now.

08:55.534 --> 08:58.434
(narrator)
Dancing organic forms
sweep across a doorway

08:58.534 --> 09:01.468
set off by Tiffany
sconces on the wall.

09:01.568 --> 09:03.767
It's almost as if
the decor itself

09:03.867 --> 09:06.001
seems to take flight.

09:07.267 --> 09:09.534
A view of the sound
through the dining room's

09:09.634 --> 09:11.701
slender,
Tiffany-inspired windows

09:11.801 --> 09:15.233
almost makes you believe
that you're sailing on a ship.

09:17.002 --> 09:20.167
The striking art nouveau
Steinway & Sons grand piano

09:20.267 --> 09:22.968
in the library is
definitely a one-of-a-kind.

09:23.068 --> 09:26.701
(Baden)
The piano was purchased
by Mrs. Knight.

09:26.801 --> 09:29.001
She actually
called Steinway and said,

09:29.101 --> 09:31.101
"I want a piano built,

09:31.201 --> 09:33.634
"but I want
to create the design.

09:33.735 --> 09:37.134
I want it to have
art nouveau elements."

09:37.234 --> 09:41.367
You can see, uh,
beautiful carved blinds,

09:41.467 --> 09:43.568
and it has,

09:43.668 --> 09:45.800
untraditionally, six legs.

09:47.067 --> 09:48.634
(narrator)
The library, of course,

09:48.735 --> 09:52.568
was the center of conviviality
at Corolla Island.

09:52.668 --> 09:54.234
(Baden)
After being outside

09:54.334 --> 09:57.334
in the frigid
Outer Banks wind,

09:57.434 --> 10:00.401
they would enjoy, perhaps,
a glass of brandy

10:00.501 --> 10:04.233
and a roaring fire
and a nice game of cards.

10:04.333 --> 10:06.734
♪

10:06.834 --> 10:10.067
In 1934,
the Knights arrived

10:10.167 --> 10:13.433
in the fall
but left abruptly.

10:14.701 --> 10:17.835
We believe that Mr. Knight
had taken ill.

10:17.935 --> 10:20.835
So they went back
to their residence

10:20.935 --> 10:24.166
in, uh, Rhode Island
and never returned.

10:24.266 --> 10:26.934
♪

10:27.034 --> 10:28.368
(narrator)
After a succession

10:28.468 --> 10:30.234
of diverse owners and uses,

10:30.334 --> 10:32.567
the home that would
forever be known locally

10:32.667 --> 10:34.101
as the Whalehead Club,

10:34.201 --> 10:37.567
with its 2,000 acres
of sea oats and sand dunes,

10:37.667 --> 10:39.534
was left to the elements

10:39.634 --> 10:42.400
and began a long period
of neglect.

10:42.500 --> 10:44.900
♪

10:45.001 --> 10:47.567
And finally,
some 60 years later,

10:47.667 --> 10:50.001
somebody began to care.

10:51.267 --> 10:53.434
(Baden)
It was just in terrible shape,

10:53.534 --> 10:56.601
and Currituck County
officials,

10:56.701 --> 10:59.434
in 1992,
had the foresight

10:59.534 --> 11:03.267
and the vision to purchase
39 acres of land

11:03.368 --> 11:05.967
and the very badly
deteriorated

11:06.067 --> 11:07.468
Whalehead Club itself

11:07.568 --> 11:10.033
for the sake of preservation.

11:11.368 --> 11:12.901
(narrator)
A group of volunteers

11:13.002 --> 11:16.267
formed the Whalehead
Preservation Trust in 1989

11:16.368 --> 11:19.134
to oversee a multimillion
dollar renovation

11:19.234 --> 11:21.333
of the house and property.

11:21.433 --> 11:28.701
♪

11:28.801 --> 11:31.167
(Baden)
Right now we are
in the furnishing stage

11:31.267 --> 11:32.534
of restoration

11:32.634 --> 11:35.201
so that we can
refurnish the house

11:35.301 --> 11:38.001
the way it was
during the Knight era.

11:38.101 --> 11:42.002
♪

11:42.102 --> 11:44.334
(narrator)
When the light
slants a certain way,

11:44.434 --> 11:46.334
perhaps glowing
through the clouds

11:46.434 --> 11:49.101
of an evening storm
building over the Banks,

11:49.201 --> 11:51.334
it's not difficult
to imagine Edward

11:51.434 --> 11:54.201
or Marie Louise watching
the gathering darkness

11:54.301 --> 11:56.101
from their
dining room window,

11:56.201 --> 11:57.835
not knowing that
their future together

11:57.935 --> 12:00.234
in their dream home
would soon be cut short

12:00.334 --> 12:02.868
by his advancing age--

12:02.968 --> 12:06.501
not knowing that
their house would live on.

12:06.601 --> 12:09.301
It would be good
to be able to tell them

12:09.401 --> 12:11.468
that their beloved
Corolla Island will continue

12:11.568 --> 12:15.468
to stand foursquare
against the elements...

12:15.568 --> 12:17.867
as long as someone cares...

12:17.967 --> 12:20.533
even half as much
as they did.

12:20.633 --> 12:24.500
♪

12:27.767 --> 12:29.767
[birds chirping]

12:33.634 --> 12:35.934
[hammered dulcimer
playing gently]

12:36.034 --> 12:44.668
♪

12:44.768 --> 12:46.267
(male narrator)
In Gaston County,

12:46.368 --> 12:49.601
just south of Charlotte,
sits a geological oddity

12:49.701 --> 12:51.967
known as Crowders Mountain...

12:53.267 --> 12:55.401
now centerpiece
to the state park

12:55.501 --> 12:57.367
that bears its name.

12:57.467 --> 12:59.935
♪

13:00.035 --> 13:03.267
Once an area mostly valued
for its mineral deposits

13:03.368 --> 13:05.768
and once
almost mined to death,

13:05.868 --> 13:08.967
the 5,000-acre park is now
much more highly valued

13:09.067 --> 13:10.935
by thousands of visitors

13:11.035 --> 13:14.201
for its wide variety
of hiking, rock climbing,

13:14.301 --> 13:16.967
fishing, camping,
or picnicking.

13:17.067 --> 13:19.267
♪

13:19.368 --> 13:21.501
(woman)
We have a wide variety

13:21.601 --> 13:23.634
of activities that people
can do out here.

13:23.735 --> 13:26.601
We have over 12 miles
of hiking trail right now.

13:26.701 --> 13:28.201
Currently we have the lake,

13:28.301 --> 13:29.935
and people can come down here

13:30.035 --> 13:33.968
and rent canoes from the park,
and they can also fish.

13:34.068 --> 13:36.835
(narrator)
On a sunny afternoon,
a group of visitors

13:36.935 --> 13:40.001
gets a taste of the wildflower
diversity of the park

13:40.101 --> 13:42.233
with a guided stroll
around the lake.

13:44.068 --> 13:45.934
(Anderson)
So this one's
called "sourgrass,"

13:46.034 --> 13:48.701
and it's a real common
early spring wildflower.

13:48.801 --> 13:51.533
As you can probably guess,
the way it got its name,

13:51.633 --> 13:52.800
sourgrass,

13:52.900 --> 13:54.668
is that if you pick
the leaves,

13:54.768 --> 13:58.134
and you were to taste
of 'em, it's very sour.

13:58.234 --> 14:01.867
♪

14:01.967 --> 14:03.601
There are two things
right here,

14:03.701 --> 14:05.468
and both of these
are almost past

14:05.568 --> 14:07.834
their real prime
of blooming.

14:07.934 --> 14:09.434
There's a little
purple violet,

14:09.534 --> 14:12.333
and that's just your
common blue violet.

14:12.433 --> 14:17.101
♪

14:17.201 --> 14:20.201
This is a vetch;
it's called specifically

14:20.301 --> 14:21.534
"Carolina vetch,"

14:21.634 --> 14:23.634
and it's a member
of the pea family,

14:23.735 --> 14:26.201
and you can know that
by looking at the shape

14:26.301 --> 14:28.166
of the flowers.

14:28.266 --> 14:30.035
♪

14:30.135 --> 14:31.901
(narrator)
The twin peaks
of Crowders Mountain

14:32.002 --> 14:34.735
and King's peak are
described by geologists

14:34.835 --> 14:37.234
as erosional remnants
left behind

14:37.334 --> 14:39.234
when their tough,
quartzite cores

14:39.334 --> 14:42.201
kept them from being
weathered away.

14:42.301 --> 14:45.134
They are all that's left
of an ancient mountain range

14:45.234 --> 14:47.667
called
the Kings Mountain Belt.

14:49.234 --> 14:50.735
(Anderson)
Basically, the two peaks

14:50.835 --> 14:53.601
that we have here in our park
are known as "monadnocks,"

14:53.701 --> 14:56.800
and those are mountains
which are formed by erosion.

14:56.900 --> 15:03.034
♪

15:03.134 --> 15:04.800
Well, really,
wildflowers can be found

15:04.900 --> 15:06.468
at any elevation, um.

15:06.568 --> 15:08.735
The lake supports a variety

15:08.835 --> 15:10.900
of those that need
a real moist habitat,

15:11.001 --> 15:13.301
and then, as you go
on up the mountain

15:13.401 --> 15:16.567
and as it starts to get drier,
you'll find different species.

15:17.868 --> 15:21.101
There's a few of these
little, yellow flowers here

15:21.201 --> 15:22.634
right in this area

15:22.735 --> 15:24.701
and they look
like strawberries.

15:24.801 --> 15:26.768
You probably have those
growing in your yard,

15:26.868 --> 15:28.368
but they're actually
not strawberries.

15:28.468 --> 15:29.967
These are called
"five-fingers,"

15:30.067 --> 15:32.301
and the way you know that
and the way

15:32.401 --> 15:34.701
you differentiate between
this little, yellow flower

15:34.801 --> 15:38.233
and the strawberry plant
is that it has five leaves.

15:38.333 --> 15:40.234
♪

15:40.334 --> 15:42.101
You may have heard
the old saying,

15:42.201 --> 15:45.067
"Leaves of three,
let it be."

15:45.167 --> 15:47.301
It's poison ivy--
some people

15:47.401 --> 15:49.167
are allergic to it;
some people aren't.

15:49.267 --> 15:51.166
If you are,
you'll know it.

15:52.434 --> 15:55.334
If you are familiar
with your parts of a plant,

15:55.434 --> 15:57.034
most plants have
real small sepals

15:57.134 --> 15:58.467
and real large petals.

15:58.567 --> 15:59.900
But on a dogwood,

16:00.001 --> 16:01.968
your flowers are inside,
and your white--

16:02.068 --> 16:04.700
things that look like petals
are actually sepals.

16:04.800 --> 16:07.633
♪

16:07.734 --> 16:09.467
Does anybody
know this one?

16:09.567 --> 16:11.533
♪

16:11.633 --> 16:13.567
Would you like
to smell?

16:15.001 --> 16:16.834
I thought
it smelled minty.

16:16.934 --> 16:18.267
Yeah, slightly.

16:18.368 --> 16:20.101
(Anderson)
That's called "Lyreleaf sage,"

16:20.201 --> 16:22.301
and it's a member
of the mint family.

16:22.401 --> 16:24.034
It has a square stem

16:24.134 --> 16:27.134
with the four sides
and the purple flowers.

16:27.234 --> 16:28.735
(woman)
What's this
green foliage?

16:28.835 --> 16:31.700
(Anderson)
Those are all leaves
from those white violets.

16:31.800 --> 16:34.201
♪

16:34.301 --> 16:36.101
(narrator)
Ambitious plans are underway

16:36.201 --> 16:39.301
to complete a trail system
that will link this park

16:39.401 --> 16:42.034
with King's Mountain Park
to the south.

16:42.134 --> 16:43.835
♪

16:43.935 --> 16:47.034
But you don't have to wait
for that to drop by...

16:47.134 --> 16:48.634
Just give us
a call,

16:48.735 --> 16:51.368
and we'll let you
know when the
next program is.

16:51.468 --> 16:53.301
(narrator)
...and enjoy
the scenic pleasures here

16:53.401 --> 16:54.934
for the taking today.

16:55.034 --> 17:05.500
♪

17:09.134 --> 17:11.533
[easy jazz guitar strumming]

17:11.633 --> 17:21.267
♪

17:21.368 --> 17:23.334
(narrator)
The little town of Mount Airy

17:23.434 --> 17:26.001
might be home to one
or two famous sons,

17:26.101 --> 17:27.834
such as Eng and Chang,

17:27.934 --> 17:29.934
the original
Siamese twins,

17:31.434 --> 17:33.834
and, of course,
Andy Griffith.

17:35.368 --> 17:37.767
But it is perhaps
more widely represented

17:37.867 --> 17:39.900
by another local celebrity--

17:40.001 --> 17:43.001
the world's premier
white granite.

17:44.267 --> 17:45.768
Mount Airy is the home

17:45.868 --> 17:48.834
of North Carolina
Granite Corporation.

17:50.401 --> 17:51.967
(man)
North Carolina Granite

17:52.067 --> 17:55.934
has been in continuous
operation since 1889.

17:56.034 --> 17:58.101
It was started by a company

17:58.201 --> 18:00.601
called "Thomas
Woodruff & Sons,"

18:00.701 --> 18:02.900
out of Greensboro,
North Carolina,

18:03.001 --> 18:05.734
who had a contract
to build something

18:05.834 --> 18:07.201
connected with the railroad

18:07.301 --> 18:09.267
from Greensboro
to Mount Airy.

18:09.368 --> 18:13.067
They needed a source
of raw rock product

18:13.167 --> 18:14.868
for projects
on the railroad.

18:14.968 --> 18:18.867
They heard about a 40-acre
exposed rock in this area,

18:18.967 --> 18:20.867
and came up,
visited, looked at it,

18:20.967 --> 18:23.267
and they actually
purchased the land

18:23.368 --> 18:25.434
and started
extracting stone

18:25.534 --> 18:27.767
to be used
on the railroad.

18:27.867 --> 18:29.734
♪

18:29.834 --> 18:32.167
It is, uh,
considered to be

18:32.267 --> 18:35.401
the world's largest
open-face granite quarry.

18:35.501 --> 18:37.067
There may be
larger quarries--

18:37.167 --> 18:38.735
gold mines,
coal mines--

18:38.835 --> 18:40.534
but as far
as granite quarries,

18:40.634 --> 18:42.734
this is considered to be
the world's largest,

18:42.834 --> 18:44.434
open-face granite quarry.

18:44.534 --> 18:46.568
[machinery hissing]

18:46.668 --> 18:48.434
(narrator)
The process
of extracting the stone

18:48.534 --> 18:50.701
is a testament
to the power of water--

18:50.801 --> 18:53.900
with a big boost from
the latest technology.

18:55.234 --> 18:58.201
(Goad)
We use a machine
called a water jet

18:58.301 --> 19:02.001
that actually cuts
a slot in the stone

19:02.101 --> 19:04.368
about 2 1/2 inches wide

19:04.468 --> 19:07.501
up to 21 feet deep.

19:07.601 --> 19:09.700
Once that process is done,

19:09.800 --> 19:11.801
we drop
a diamond wire

19:11.901 --> 19:14.301
down in those slots
that we have cut,

19:14.401 --> 19:17.167
attach that
to a diamond wire saw

19:17.267 --> 19:19.167
that rotates that wire

19:19.267 --> 19:22.901
plus slowly pulls it
along the bottom,

19:23.002 --> 19:26.600
which frees that mass
from the mother mass.

19:27.868 --> 19:29.667
(narrator)
The brute force of explosives

19:29.767 --> 19:31.301
is still used.

19:31.401 --> 19:33.568
But even that is much
more sophisticated

19:33.668 --> 19:36.233
than a few sticks
of dynamite.

19:37.634 --> 19:39.867
(Goad)
Once we've got
that loaf sitting there

19:39.967 --> 19:41.434
free from the quarry,

19:41.534 --> 19:43.035
we bring in our drills,

19:43.135 --> 19:46.568
we drill vertically
inch-and-a-quarter holes, uh,

19:46.668 --> 19:49.301
roughly in the size
of the blocks that we want,

19:49.401 --> 19:52.134
which are basically
ten foot by five foot.

19:52.234 --> 19:53.735
We use Primacord,

19:53.835 --> 19:55.800
which is an
explosive material;

19:55.900 --> 19:57.668
we hang it down
in those holes,

19:57.768 --> 19:59.735
fill the holes
full of water.

19:59.835 --> 20:03.233
The water helps magnify
the force of the explosive.

20:07.301 --> 20:08.468
[radio chatter]

20:08.568 --> 20:11.533
(man)
It's a nonelectric fire.

20:11.633 --> 20:12.934
Cuts it off.

20:13.034 --> 20:14.301
Fits the primer.

20:14.401 --> 20:16.233
Goes in this.

20:17.834 --> 20:20.800
It hooks on that.

20:20.900 --> 20:22.968
This is what's called
a "lead line."

20:23.068 --> 20:26.633
Got little ol' connector
that ties 'em together.

20:26.734 --> 20:28.935
[high-pitched siren wailing]

20:29.035 --> 20:31.633
(Goad)
We set that explosive
charge off...

20:31.734 --> 20:32.900
boom!

20:33.001 --> 20:34.634
...and it frees those blocks

20:34.735 --> 20:38.368
or creates a small crack
which separates them

20:38.468 --> 20:40.501
from the loaf
that's sitting there.

20:40.601 --> 20:43.334
Then we'll
drill holes by hand,

20:43.434 --> 20:46.067
use steel wedges
to break those loose

20:46.167 --> 20:48.167
into the final blocks
that we need

20:48.267 --> 20:51.167
that are roughly
10 foot by 5 foot by 5 foot.

20:51.267 --> 20:53.734
[stones clattering]

20:55.002 --> 20:57.234
(narrator)
It's hard to imagine
this work being done

20:57.334 --> 20:59.734
in the days of mule
or horse power.

20:59.834 --> 21:02.735
♪

21:02.835 --> 21:05.301
Nowadays,
computers have taken over

21:05.401 --> 21:07.300
some of the backbreaking work.

21:07.400 --> 21:09.234
♪

21:09.334 --> 21:11.768
These giant,
electronically-controlled saws

21:11.868 --> 21:14.101
are programmed to do
their repetitive work

21:14.201 --> 21:17.067
largely unattended
for hours at a time.

21:17.167 --> 21:20.701
♪

21:20.801 --> 21:22.800
Despite all
the computerized machinery,

21:22.900 --> 21:24.834
there are still some things

21:24.934 --> 21:27.801
that are just better
done by hand.

21:27.901 --> 21:29.868
And it's the hand
of a skilled craftsman

21:29.968 --> 21:32.201
that is needed to give
final shape and finish

21:32.301 --> 21:34.134
to the
custom-designed pieces

21:34.234 --> 21:35.900
of whatever sculpture

21:36.001 --> 21:37.301
or fountain

21:37.401 --> 21:39.800
or monument
a customer has ordered.

21:39.900 --> 21:42.700
[tool buzzing]

21:43.967 --> 21:45.735
(Goad)
We call it "the big shed"

21:45.835 --> 21:48.634
just because
it's a big building.

21:48.735 --> 21:51.801
Uh, within that building
we use hand-held products

21:51.901 --> 21:55.067
to fabricate
mostly custom products

21:55.167 --> 21:58.002
to go on buildings.

21:58.102 --> 22:01.734
The people who work in here
are skilled individuals

22:01.834 --> 22:03.334
who've learned
their trade, uh,

22:03.434 --> 22:05.568
over the years
of working here,

22:05.668 --> 22:07.433
and they have
a lot of experience.

22:07.533 --> 22:09.034
sssss

22:09.134 --> 22:11.066
tnk, tnk

22:12.967 --> 22:14.501
Our curbing division

22:14.601 --> 22:18.001
fabricates roadway
and bridge curbing, uh,

22:18.101 --> 22:21.301
a lot of it goes
to the New England states,

22:21.401 --> 22:23.967
because they use
quite a bit of salt

22:24.067 --> 22:25.501
on the roads there.

22:25.601 --> 22:29.167
A concrete curb
is...deteriorated

22:29.267 --> 22:32.001
in about two to three years
due to the salt.

22:32.101 --> 22:34.800
But the granite is
impervious to the salt,

22:34.900 --> 22:36.668
so that's the reason
that they choose

22:36.768 --> 22:38.834
to use granite
on their projects

22:38.934 --> 22:40.433
in the New England states.

22:40.533 --> 22:42.133
[crashing]

22:44.201 --> 22:47.133
We have a small
crushing operation here.

22:49.735 --> 22:51.735
If we didn't
have this crusher,

22:51.835 --> 22:54.001
we basically
would eventually be

22:54.101 --> 22:55.634
under a mountain of waste

22:55.735 --> 22:58.467
and have no way
of getting rid of it.

22:58.567 --> 23:00.568
♪

23:00.668 --> 23:02.434
(narrator)
Wherever
you may have traveled,

23:02.534 --> 23:04.834
you are very likely
to have seen the products

23:04.934 --> 23:07.300
of this quarry
on public display...

23:07.400 --> 23:08.867
♪

23:08.967 --> 23:10.867
downtown Raleigh...

23:10.967 --> 23:13.001
♪

23:13.101 --> 23:16.233
the Memorial Bridge
in Washington, D.C...

23:16.333 --> 23:20.167
♪

23:20.267 --> 23:22.401
and one
of the most famous--

23:22.501 --> 23:25.867
the Wright Brothers Memorial
at Kill Devil Hills.

23:25.967 --> 23:34.400
♪

23:34.500 --> 23:44.201
♪

23:44.301 --> 23:46.201
(Goad)
The quarry deposit itself

23:46.301 --> 23:49.034
is approximately 59 acres,

23:49.134 --> 23:51.433
8,000 feet deep,

23:51.533 --> 23:53.134
7 miles long,

23:53.234 --> 23:55.800
and a mile wide.

23:55.900 --> 23:57.434
(narrator)
Despite the many millions

23:57.534 --> 24:01.568
of tons of granite that
have been extracted so far,

24:01.668 --> 24:03.701
the company can
take comfort in the fact

24:03.801 --> 24:07.034
that they won't be running
out of rock any time soon.

24:07.134 --> 24:12.433
♪

24:14.201 --> 24:17.267
[gentle piano interlude]

24:17.368 --> 24:19.367
[surf pounding]

24:20.900 --> 24:22.900
[seagulls calling]

24:25.934 --> 24:27.434
(Ray Matthews)
My favorite thing

24:27.534 --> 24:30.234
is just to go out
and see what I can find

24:30.334 --> 24:32.267
and just try to discover
a new image

24:32.368 --> 24:35.834
that I've never
quite done that way before.

24:35.934 --> 24:38.900
[waves crashing distantly]

24:40.267 --> 24:43.568
The whole idea of just jumping
in the 4-wheel drive

24:43.668 --> 24:47.367
and heading out to the beach
appeals to me a lot.

24:47.467 --> 24:48.868
I do that, uh,

24:48.968 --> 24:52.568
whenever the light's interesting
or the weather's changed.

24:52.668 --> 24:54.735
Something
different's happening.

24:54.835 --> 24:57.634
I don't do a lot fishing
with a rod and reel.

24:57.735 --> 24:59.867
I always say I'm fishing
with my camera

24:59.967 --> 25:01.601
'cause it's just like
a fisherman.

25:01.701 --> 25:05.168
You kinda know what might be
there to be caught,

25:05.268 --> 25:08.534
but then you don't really know
till you get there and try it.

25:08.634 --> 25:12.033
So I just kinda go out
and fish for what's there.

25:14.067 --> 25:16.767
Got a big change
in the weather last night,

25:16.867 --> 25:18.768
and, uh...
you know, we've got

25:18.868 --> 25:22.700
about a 25-30 mile an hour
northeast wind.

25:23.968 --> 25:26.001
This is when
the shooting's good, usually.

25:26.101 --> 25:27.735
You get interesting weather,

25:27.835 --> 25:30.800
and that's what makes
for interesting pictures.

25:51.935 --> 25:54.134
The early-morning light--
the late-afternoon light--

25:54.234 --> 25:56.967
it's usually the best
'cause it's not so contrasty,

25:57.067 --> 26:01.167
and it's a warmer,
mellower light.

26:01.267 --> 26:04.668
Lighthouses are always here
and always---heh--

26:04.768 --> 26:06.900
a subject
for every photographer

26:07.001 --> 26:08.534
that comes
to the Outer Banks,

26:08.634 --> 26:11.201
but I try to find it
in a different light

26:11.301 --> 26:12.967
or a different weather

26:13.067 --> 26:15.633
and do something new
with 'em.

26:16.901 --> 26:19.534
Living right at the ocean
all these years,

26:19.634 --> 26:22.568
[chuckling]
the mountains have a lot
of fascination for me.

26:22.668 --> 26:24.401
Uh, Boone
and Blowing Rock--

26:24.501 --> 26:27.034
all up in that area,

26:27.134 --> 26:29.434
so, yeah, I love
to shoot the landscape

26:29.534 --> 26:33.567
wherever I happen to be.

26:34.834 --> 26:37.233
[gentle piano introduction]

26:37.333 --> 26:43.567
♪

26:43.667 --> 26:45.467
[strings rise]

26:45.567 --> 26:57.433
♪

26:57.533 --> 27:04.834
♪

27:04.934 --> 27:07.266
[meandering
clarinet leads]

27:10.867 --> 27:12.767
[piano playing ragtime theme]

27:12.867 --> 27:25.534
♪

27:25.634 --> 27:27.634
Captioning editor
Lauren Gardner

27:27.735 --> 27:30.767
Caption Perfect, Inc.
CaptionPerfect.com

27:37.434 --> 27:40.067
(announcer)
To subscribe
to "Our State" magazine,

27:40.167 --> 27:43.567
visit the Web site
www.ourstate.com or call...

27:49.267 --> 27:52.034
[gentle piano melody]

27:52.134 --> 27:54.634
From small towns
to bustling cities,

27:54.735 --> 27:57.634
from the Outer Banks
to the Blue Ridge Mountains

27:57.735 --> 27:59.801
and all the places in-between,

27:59.901 --> 28:04.633
BB&T believes opportunity lives
everywhere in North Carolina.

28:04.734 --> 28:07.067
And for more than 130 years,

28:07.167 --> 28:10.267
we've helped people
discover it.

28:10.368 --> 28:12.568
We're proud
of our North Carolina roots,

28:12.668 --> 28:15.967
and we're proud to provide
major funding for "Our State."

28:16.067 --> 28:18.066
♪

28:19.334 --> 28:21.301
Quality public television
is made possible

28:21.401 --> 28:23.034
through the financial
contributions

28:23.134 --> 28:24.801
of viewers like you,

28:24.901 --> 28:28.901
who invite you to join them
in supporting UNC-TV.