Carter Family Fold facts for kids
The Carter Family Fold is a special place for music near Hiltons, Virginia. It's a concert hall that helps keep old-time country and bluegrass music alive. This place is named after the famous original Carter Family. This group included A.P., Sara, and Maybelle. They were some of the very first country music artists to record songs. Their first records came out in 1927. A.P. and Sara Carter's daughter, Janette Carter, started the Fold in 1979.
Janette Carter led the center for many years. She was the host and a performer at the Saturday night shows. Her brother Joe often played music with her. After Janette passed away in 2006, her daughter, Rita Forrester, took over this important role.
The Fold has concerts every week. To keep the music true to its roots, electric instruments are usually not allowed. (However, this rule was sometimes changed for Johnny Cash, who was part of the Carter family through marriage). Also, smoking and drinking are not allowed inside the building.
Most of the musicians who play at the Fold are not famous everywhere. But they are well-known in the bluegrass and old-time country music world. Johnny Cash played at the Fold many times. His very last concert was there on July 5, 2003, just a few months before he died. Johnny Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, was Maybelle Carter's daughter. June and her sisters, Helen and Anita, also performed at the Carter Fold often.
The Fold has a dance floor. Here, you can see Appalachian buckdancing and clogging. These are local folk dances that happen every week during the shows.
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What is the Carter Family Fold?
The concert hall, called the "Fold," is the main part of the Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Inc. This is a non-profit group. The center also includes a cabin from the 1880s. This cabin is where A. P. Carter was born. It was moved from its first spot to a place next to the Fold. The cabin was fixed up and opened again before Janette Carter passed away in 2006. Singer Marty Stuart, who used to play in Johnny Cash's band, helped raise money to move and restore the cabin.
The Carter Family Museum
The Carter Store was built by A. P. Carter and his friends in the late 1940s. A.P. ran his daily business there. Today, this building is the Carter Family Museum. It was renovated in September 2009. After the renovation, many items from the Carter Family's history were put back on display. A large crowd came to see the museum open again. Rita Forrester (Janette Carter's daughter) and Marty Stuart cut a special red ribbon. Marty Stuart later played a concert with his band, the Fabulous Superlatives.
Annual Festival and Future Plans
Every August, a special Carter Family Memorial Festival is held at the Fold. In 2019, this festival celebrated its 45th anniversary.
Also in 2009, the organization bought land across the road from the Fold. This land has a house with three bedrooms. It will be turned into office space for the center. The surrounding area will be used for more parking.
Where is the Carter Family Fold Located?
The Carter Family Fold and Museum is in a beautiful area called Poor Valley. This is in southern Virginia, at the base of Clinch Mountain. The settlement was once known as Maces Spring. Maces Spring was home to A.P. and Sara Carter's family, as well as Ezra and Maybelle Carter and their daughters. Maces Spring no longer has a post office, so it is now considered part of Hiltons.
The Fold has room for 842 people. Usually, there are enough seats for everyone who wants to come to a Saturday night show. However, for special shows, like gospel concerts, it's a good idea to get tickets ahead of time.
See also
- List of music museums
- House of Cash
