Beech Grove School

Beech Grove School is a preserved two-room schoolhouse in Big Cataloochee, built in 1901 for valley families before this became a national park. It is a short heritage stop for anyone interested in how people lived here; the school and its setting are the attraction.

The short school approach begins at Pretty Hollow Gap near Cataloochee Horse Camp: cross Palmer Creek on the wooden footbridge, then take the walkway on the right. The valley entrance road is winding, narrow and gravel, with steep unguarded drops; expect to yield or back up for oncoming vehicles and horse trailers. Access and parking notices have changed during storm repairs, so check current conditions before setting out.

By the early 1900s, Cataloochee had more than 1,000 residents, and the earlier school was too small. A long-told local account says three school committee members rode to Waynesville to ask for replacement funds; after the request was refused, they burned the old school, prompting the board to pay for a new one. The 1901 replacement measured 24 by 48 feet and had two rooms. Its last students attended in the 1950s. The fire story is attributed oral history, not an event established by the park.