| She stood for over 500 years in the strong sunlight and the swirling mists of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Long before Columbus reached the shores of the "New World", the mighty Linden Tree spread her branches over the surrounding forest. She stood over 75 feet tall and measured 13 feet in circumference before fire and disease ended her mountain top reign in 1965. Today, two sprouts from the original tree flourish on the spot where she once stood.
Her history was long and colorful. American revolutionaries camped under her boughs en route to defeating British forces at Kings Mountain. During their stay, they hanged British sympathizer, Nathaniel Riddle, from the giant tree. Known locally as the "Marrying Tree", the Big Lynn stood on the county line of Mitchell and McDowell counties. Local couples could escape the legal jurisdiction of one county for the other if the families did not approve of the match. Two stone pillars mark the start of Little Switzerland, the lonely remnants of a toll gate and a guard shack that sealed off the top of the mountain from all but local traffic until 1921 when the state purchased the road. With the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway beginning in the 1930's, Little Switzerland became a haven to all travelers who seek refreshment and tranquility in a world growing more complex and bewildering. |
| The story above is the Legend of the The Big Lynn Tree. You can find the legend on the front of the Lodge itself. The picture below is a picture postcard taken shortly before the Big Lynn Tree was cut down. You can see how the inside was hollowed out by disease. To give an idea about how large the tree was, a horse could be led into the tree and kept dry if it was raining. Today, the two sprouts shown in the picture flourish as the two tall trees in front of the main Lodge building. |
![[Picture of the Big Lynn]](tree.jpg)
|
Big Lynn Lodge Box 459 Hwy 226-A Little Switzerland North Carolina 28749 |
| ||||||||
| info@biglynnlodge.com | |||||||||