Stecoah Valley Center Conceptual Site Master Plan

The Stecoah Valley Center is located in Stecoah, NC within Graham County. The Center was built in 1926 and served the community as the Stecoah Union School until it was closed in 1994 and converted into a cultural center. The Center now serves the community as a place for after school arts programs, a performance space, an art gallery, a museum for Cherokee history, and an event space to celebrate local arts and agriculture. The Center sits on 10 acres of land currently comprised of a fitness trail that surrounds the extent of the property, a playground, an azalea garden, a pavilion, a separate gymnasium building, and a creek. The majority of the grounds consists of open space to provide ample room for the many cultural events the Center hosts in the summer and fall seasons.

The Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) was tasked with developing a conceptual master plan to enhance the cultural and environmental quality of the grounds. The proposed master plan includes a half-basketball court that also serves as an outdoor performance space, outdoor restrooms, a wind garden, a story circle, a creek-side reading area, an interpretive walking trail with a variety of stations, and stormwater management all of which are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible. In addition, open space was preserved to support the many events that the Center hosts every year.

The Stecoah Valley Center also wanted CDAC to enhance the fitness trail and convert it to an interpretive walking trail, so 5 interpretive stations were proposed. These stations reflect the history, culture, art, and geology of the region.