Facilities

Overview

The Rivers' home was built in 1929 by Robert Campbell Rivers, Jr., the first publisher of Boone's Watauga Democrat Newspaper as well as publisher of the Blowing Rock Rocket and Avery Journal in Newland. Eventually, his daughter, author Rachel Rivers-Coffey, and her husband, photographer, and reporter Paul Armfield Coffey, took over ownership and publication of the newspaper. Rachel and Paul published the newspaper until they sold the company in 1994. It was Rachel Rivers-Coffey's wish to donate her family's property and house to the Town of Boone. The Town accepted the property as a piece of local history and to preserve the natural beauty of the property for the citizens of and visitors to Boone.