This story starts in 1833. Don’t panic, I won’t detail every part of those nearly 200 years here. You can read more of the story of the history behind North Carolina’s oldest continuously operating inn on The NuWray Hotel website.

For this article, we’ll just concentrate on the past couple of years and how a local North Carolina couple, Amanda and James Keith, came to Yancey County from Greensboro. They bought the NuWray Hotel and wound up taking on the stewardship of the historic property with heart and vision, honoring its past while guiding it into the future.

This is a story of resilience, faith and new beginnings. It’s the story of the NuWray Hotel in Burnsville NC, the community that surrounds it, and why you should plan a summer or fall getaway to enjoy it all – pronto!

Still She Stands. It’s the Little Things at The NuWray Hotel

Many of you may remember that I was a guest of the NuWray, the city of Burnsville and the Blue Ridge Craft trail nearly a year ago. My dear friend Pat Walker and I took a 3-4 day “girls trip” up to visit the area so I could write all about it.

Before we continue, let’s take a quick look back

Truth is I’m no stranger to Burnsville and Yancey County. Our extended family has property and a mountain home in the nearby Celo community and we have been to visit many times since Tom and I married 19 years ago.

While we stay in Celo, trips to Burnsville are frequent. To visit the shops, go to the hardware store, support the Saturday morning Yancey County Farmers Market ( you know me – all about the local love), and check out the lastest restaurants. Once, during a summer festival at the Square in Burnsville, I decided to peep my head into the lobby area of what was then called, The NuWray Inn. It was musty and dark and in need of some love.

Over the past 5 years, as we came in and out of town on visits, we could tell that there was work being done on the hotel, but didn’t really know any details. Once, I recall, maybe a dozen commodes lined up on the front porch and on other visits, it was evident that construction or, shoulds I say, reconstruction was taking place, but we had no idea. I remember a bartender at The Homeplace Beer Company telling us, “The folks that bought the hotel are good people, doing a good job. They are the real deal.”

So when the opportunity came to write about the Blue Ridge Craft Trail and have Burnsville as my home base, I hopped on the opportunity. My one request in writing the article was “only if we could stay at the NuWray.” I just had to see it all for myself.

As the main hotel wasn’t completed yet, we stayed in the lovely carriage house and ate more than one meal in the Carriage House restaurant, bar and market. The place was packed each time we went for a meal; and a night the outdoor bar, Rolands, was also hopping.

Beyond the Boards and Beams

At that point in time, the renovations at in the main building were still not complete; but well on their way. Amanda and James didn’t really know all they were getting into, but that didn’t stop them. And they have indeed done it right. Renovating and repairing right down to the studs of this majestic structure.

The hotel was build over the course of three different eras. The original building in 1833 with side wings added to the structure at two different points in time, each about 25-50 years apart. Each section was completed with a different type of construction. To honor the craftsmanship and workmanship that went into all, the Keiths have left studs, beams and even sections of old wallpaper exposed and now preserved.

They also found old original studs signed by the artisans who originally helped to build the structure and have now preserved those sections so that everyone can take a peep back in time and enjoy the history of the NuWray Hotel.

Someone’s In the Kitchen

When we visited in July 2024, the hotel was just weeks away from opening. We weren’t in the main building and instead, throughly enjoyed our stay in one of the rooms in the Carriage House. You can read more here. The Keith’s had planned a friends and family weekend test run of sorts for August. That was to be followed by a rather soft opening for Fall 2024. It would still be a month or so before the main kitchen was completed.

I took photos in what would be the center of the kitchen; and of course, met Chef Peter Crockett, pictured below.

Peter came to Burnsville from Asheville and is now at the helm for all three dining concepts at The NuWray Hotel. I love that he brings a lot of local flavor and his take on regional Appalachian cusine to each of the menus. (Note the tub of North Carolina’s Tidewater Grain Carolina Gold Rice with him in the photo.)

Eating and drinking at the NuWray Hotel

Guests and local patrons may enjoy lunch or dinner at the restaurant and bar at Carriage House Sundries, Wednesdays – Sundays. In addition to the restaurant and bar the space also includes a wine shop, a cigar room and a small market. And on occasional evenings there is live music to accompany dinner and drinks.

At lunch, enjoy sandwiches, burgers ( like the triple patty pictured below) soups and salads, while the dinner menu features entrees, small plates and sides. Wines, by the bottle and the glass, cocktails and mocktails are all available.

Pro tip here. You will find both delicious Brussels Spouts and a terrific mac and cheese on the Carriage House menu. Several of the waitstaff suggested that I order them together as one dish. Mac and cheese topped with the Brussels. Yes please, the combo is a keeper and pictured above. If you know, you know!

Drinks and Bites at Roland’s Bar

In the evenings, enjoy Rolands Bar. This outdoor bar is located in the hotel’s old smokehouse. It sits in the center garden courtyard between the carriage house and the hotel proper. This outdoor bar and adjacent smoker is named for Will Roland. Roland was the chef at the hotel for 40+ years in the first half of the 20th century.

On the menu here – lots of smoked meats, as you might imagine. Hard to go wrong with a smoked, grilled hot dog and a glass of prosecco.

More on the Menu

The new NuWray Hotel restaurant, located on the first floor of the hotel opens on May 31, 2025. I can’t wait to go back. Look for more of what Chef Pete has been doing at the Carriage House, and then some.

On the menu a nod to the area’s Appalachian roots with Smothered Lettuce. Think “Kilt Salad” here. Or to the unititiated, greens topped with a hot or warm, pork-based dressing. And, an ode to the roots of the hotel with what chef is calling, The SouthernBoard. This is an inclusive meal that includes a main, a side, the Smothered Lettuce and a yeast roll. Look for fried chicken with cream gravy, chicken fried steak, pork schnitzel and cornmeal flounder. There are other a la carte entrees and sides on the menu as well.

In the 1930s-50s the food at the NuWray had a national reputation for the food. Chef Pete and the Keith’s are looking to bring that back and make the NuWray a destination. Back in the day, people came specifically to enjoy the Southernboard spread. It was served family-style featuring local produce from the Wray’s farm and other area producers. You got to love a Farm-to-Fork concept, before Farm-to-Fork was cool and it was just the way chefs worked and sourced product. I can’t wait to try it all!

Restoration, Reimagined

One of the things I love about this massive restoration of the NuWray Hotel is the nod to area artists and craftsmen and women. The Keith’s have an eye for detail, that is for sure.

When the hotel was originally build, there was a pride in ones work, which is why beams and studs have been found signed and dated. That pride in the restoration and the attention to all the little things, continues. Purchasing new modern light fixtures, which would have been a fast fix. But instead, Amanda and James turned to local glass blowers at Hearth Glass and Gallery. These local artisans recreated the glass bulb fixtures in the downstairs hallways. Hearth Glass is where I took a glass blowing class during my visit last July. Put a visit to this gallery and studio on your Burnsville to-do list for sure.

The work of Burnsville metal and wood craftsmen Mark Woodham is featured throughout the hotel as well. Check out the working interactive sculptural railing at the Carriage House, parts of it our pictured here. You just have to go in, wind the crank and see it work for yourself. It’s amazing.

Local Glass, Clay, Metal & Wood

Woodham worked with the team at Hearth Glass to help fine tune the metal molds needed to create the hotels light fixtures. And, he is the talent behind the creative garden fences crafted from the hotels’ old radiators and boiler plates. You can find more of his work at the Toe River Crafts Gallery , another must see stop in Burnsville. Also visit his studio and website here.

History Preserved

Joy Bennet, the last of the Wray family members to have lived at the hotel, was a potter in Burnsville. Sadly she recently passed away, but now her legacy remains at the hotel. Joy was known for using lace pressed into her clay pieces to create pattern and texture. She did all of the name plates for each room at the NuWray. Each room is named for a thing, place or person with a connection to the hotel. You can still see a few pieces of Joy’s work at Tulsi Rose Tea in Burnsville. I am lucky to have purchased a tea cup and a small ring dish of Joy’s work the last time I was in town. Now it means even more. This sweet little tea room sells loose teas, gifts and everything you need to brew at home.

Pro tip here: Don’t miss the most delicious homemade ice cream. It is crafted for the shop by Thrive Appalachia, a local organization that provides entrepreneurial experiences for area youth.

But Wait, There’s a Basement Bar, too!

Tom and I went back to Yancey County in September 2024. We stayed at our family’s house in Celo. But, of course, just had to visit all of the folks in Burnsville, that I featured in my August post.

The hotel was open for business but still without a grand reopening or much fanfare. They were still working on the restaurant and a fun cool speakeasy concept downstairs. Amanda was kind enough to show us all around. I loved seeing the finished rooms that had all been under construction during my last visit. Furnishing are all period peices that Amanda has found and redone. its beautiful. The 25+ rooms all have private baths. Some have incredible shower rooms, too. Some rooms have soaking tubes and one even has a sweet small balcony.

In the basement , Amanda took us down to see a group of 4-5 rooms they were still cleaning out. But just look at what they found! It’s the old original wooden washing machine. And here’s the amazing thing, it still works! The NuWray won’t be using this space or this historic washer for sheets and towels. Instead, it is now the Washroom Bar, a speakeasy for hotel guests and visitors to enjoy. To officially open later this summer. And the washing machine is sure to be a most celebrated conversation piece!

While You Were Watching the Weather…

I was all set to start writing this very post when I got back home. But then, only a week or so later, Hurricane Helene hit. Mother Nature is a powerful force. But, the strength and stamina of people in Burnsville and in Western North Carolina is stronger. Never before has community meant so much to so many.

As I write this in May of 2025, many areas are still rebuilding. Had it not been for the time and attention to detail that the Keith’s put into the renovations of the NuWray, it might have been destroyed by the storm as well. But it was not destroyed. It not only weathered the storm, it became a beacon in the midst of the turmoil. A ray of hope in the aftermath that left so many without so much.

After the storm as losses became more than apparent, the doors of the NuWray stayed open, and the Keith’s offered shelter to people who needed a place to be safe. The hotel quickly became a haven for volunteers, federal workers and emergency crews who came into town to help. They served meals as they could and turned the space into a hub for donations and community support.

The sense and spirit of community and how the NuWray has played a part for all these years is strong. And now…

The NuWray is Back and She’s Better Than Ever

Now, After a meticulous three-year renovation (and the unexpected delay thanks to Hurricane Helene), the historic NuWray Hotel, the oldest continuously operating hotel in North Carolina, is officially celebrating on May 30, 2025 and you can be a part of it all.

Now, months later and with the final polish in place, the NuWray is ready to celebrate both its restoration and the resilience of the people who helped it shine through the storm. The restaurant opens the next day, May 31, so you can check in and sit down to enjoy a fabulous first bite.

Come and join in the celebration now or book a room for a three day getaway later this summer or fall. Stay in one of the beautifully restored rooms where modern comfort meets mountain charm, all right in the heart of Burnsville’s town square.

What to Do and See while you are in Burnsville

First, plan to eat your way through all the restaurants I have made note of here. Then, follow the Blue Ridge Craft Trail, take my lead here. Did you know that Yancey County and the surrounding area has more artists per capita than anywhere else in the county? Explore galleries, meet makers, and check out the Blue Ridge Craft Trail, with studios and shops woven all throughout town.

Burnsville is also home to some of the country’s most renow From BBQ-topped mac and cheese at Pig & Grits to the craft beer, burgers and pizza at Homeplace Beer Company, there’s no shortage of delicious detours. Want to hang with the locals? Don’t miss Birdfoot Bottle Shop.

Grab morning coffee at Appalachian Java along with fruit or breakfast sammie ( they have great homemade, fresh baked cookies here too!) ; and then wrap up the day with cocktails and bites at any one of the NuWray’s bars or restaurants. Summer never tasted so good.

Shoot for the Stars and the Planets

The Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium at Mayland Community College in the Mayland Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville has a 36 ft projection dome which hosts weekly shows of the stars and traditional astronomy. The Bare Dark Sky Observatory on site, is home to the “Sam Scope”, a 34” Newtonian telescope offering exceptional views of the cosmos. Community Viewing Nights are held monthly. Its one of the largest telescopes in the Southeastern United States that is available for public use; and is handicap and wheelchair accessible.

Saturdays are for the Market (and the Sourdough Sandwiches)
If you are in town on the weekend, don’t miss the Yancey County Farmers Market; held just next door to Hearth. It’s where you’ll find local produce, artisan goods, and an unforgettable breakfast or lunch from the Root Down Farm food truck.

One of the most unforgettable things to do in Burnsville? A glass-blowing class at Hearth Glass & Gallery. The gallery is just a short walk up from the NuWray. A class here is hot, hands-on, and completely doable. Even if you think you can’t you can. The artists here won’t let you fail; and you’ll walk away with a one-of-a-kind piece of art you are going to love!

So, go up and visit all of my friends in this little corner of Western North Carolina. You are going to love it and they all need your support and your business. Stay at the NuWray Hotel and be sure to #TellThemHeidiSentYou

Make Reservations Now

Visit The NuWray Hotel website here. Start making plans and give them a call or hop online to make reservations for your next 3 day getaway. Follow the hotel on social media at @nuwrayhotel on instagram and at Nuwray Hotel on Facebook to keep up with all the day-to-day happenings. #TellThemHeidiSentYou