Sutherland Valley history

Bridal Cove was once part of Sutherland, named for the Scottish family whose ancestors came from Wales to America and settled in Elk Creek, Virginia.

Thomas "Red Tom" Sutherland moved to Sutherland in 1807. His grandson Thomas Houston Sutherland was born there in 1846, and after fighting in the Civil War, he returned with his wife.

Mature forests covered the hills, valleys and ridges, and cold-running springs made clean water abundant. The Sutherlands prospered by raising cattle, sheep and horses on the rich soil, which supported wheat, flax, oats, barley, buckwheat and corn. Two brick chimneys still visible today mark the Sutherland homestead, a two-story home big enough to house 10 children.

Thomas was a leader in Ashe County and the first president of West Jefferson's First National Bank. He also helped organize the Sutherland Methodist Church, one of North Carolina's most photographed churches.

Established in 1854, the church was one of the first in Ashe County to promote camp meetings, a time set aside each autumn for worship, weddings and fellowship. Speculation has it that the Bridal Cove land was a popular marrying place during these weeklong events.

The Sutherland farm expanded to span hundreds of acres, and by 1900 a small town prospered in Sutherland valley. You can see the Church and town remnants—including the doctor's office, post office and tannery—as you drive through the valley on Highway 88.