During the later part of the nineteenth century, the original Toxaway Company had vast holdings in both Transylvania and Jackson Counties. In 1896 the Toxaway Company built a beautiful Inn and lake between Chimneytop Mountain and Bald Rock Mountain. The Inn was built from the trees cut to clear the lake site. They called them Fairfield. Ironically, almost one hundred years later the resort that included the Fairfield Inn and Fairfield Lake was bought by a large resort developer out of Little Rock, Arkansas, named Fairfield Communities. Thus, Fairfield Sapphire Valley, now Sapphire Valley Resort.

The Fairfield Inn and Lake was the first resort built in this area. The Sapphire Lake and Inn were built shortly afterward. Followed by the grand Toxaway Inn. This was the splendid era of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone. In 1906 this threesome met at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville and drove to Jackson County through Hendersonville, Brevard, Toxaway, Cashiers and Sylva. They were in search of a new source of cobalt. Can you imagine the country people glimpsing their first horseless carriage?

For a Time Line with a personal touch

The beautiful Sapphire Country now supports another very popular country club community, Sapphire Lakes. Both communities are traversed by the Horsepasture River. Legend has it that this rippling river got its name during the Civil War when the Confederate troops hid their horses in this valley.

This entire area is known for its numerous waterfalls. The Granddaddy of them all is Whitewater Falls in the Sapphire area. A wonderful summer project could easily be to hike to as many waterfalls as possible. At the end of the summer there would still be waterfalls left undiscovered. As a native of this area and an avid snoop, I’m still amazed at all the glorious waterfalls I run across just out walking property.

From the tops of the mountains approaching 5,000 feet to the floor of the valley at 3,200 feet, there are numerous properties to fit our many lifestyles. The mountaintops offer sunrise and sunset views that would be hard to top with such names as Eagle Ridge, Falcon Ridge, Fox Run Ridge--get the picture? Developers of these mountains offer 2+ acre homesites with views of the lakes of upper South Carolina and the peaks of Chimneytop and Hogback.

Whether you come to the Valley to retire or to raise your family, there is a solace to the the mountains. Any way you turn you are surrounded by nature at its finest. Whether you want to think back to when the Indians roamed the area or to when the railroad and timber tycoons built up the resorts here, you will find yourself dreaming not of the times to come so much as the times past and, most importantly, the present. What a place to feel the present to the fullest, waking up all your senses and making you just glad that you are alive and have had the opportunity to see one more sunrise or one more sunset or one more waterfall.