HISTORY

The landmark structure that today is The Villas at Hawks Peak was originally a wood and steel warehouse that was dissembled almost fifty years ago and transported by truck from High Point, North Carolina to the mountain top of Seven Devils. It was refurbished as a camp commissary selling food and supplies and providing information for vacationers camping in the area. The Lakes Community, located adjacent to the Villas was originally a campground, and the current site of the Seven Devils Town Hall, located directly across from the Villas, was once a farm field where children at the campground played.

Since its use as a commissary, the landmark has undergone various changes. After serving many campers visiting the High Country, the structure was utilized as a dance hall. The hall was a very popular destination for those who loved traditional Appalachian music. The first floor of the facility was a restaurant known for its excellent food along with spectacular views of Grandfather Mountain. The second floor with its shiny wooden floors served as an 8,000 sq. ft. dance hall. Many patrons and guests learned how to square dance and “doosey do” to the music of native musicians, some of whom are now legendary. Guests in the restaurant below would quite often hear and feel the loud and fancy footwork of champion cloggers demonstrating their style of dance.

Once a year, the restaurant owners hosted the prestigious Tartan Ball of the Southern Highlands Gathering of the Clans. Visitors came from everywhere in their ceremonial Scottish kilts and formal attire to celebrate the music, dance, foods and heritage of their ancestral lands. The haunting tones of bagpipes could be heard for miles.

The popularity of campgrounds followed by the restaurant and dance hall made a lasting impression in the High Country. These establishments helped commemorate this structure as one of the ultimate High Country landmarks.

After the restaurant and dance hall closed, the building transformed into a long line of various businesses, one of which was a country inn for honeymooners, skiers, vacationers and families. Just prior to the renovation of the current Villas at Hawks Peak, the landmark was individually owned condominiums and suites.

Today, the Seven Devils’ landmark has been transformed into eight beautifully designed condominiums utilizing as much of the original structure as possible including the original dance floor, steel trusses, the massive hand-hewn wooden structural beams and the famous stone columns surrounding the building.


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