2005-2011

Produced the Cold Mountain Heritage Tour in Bethel, Canton, Clyde, and Waynesville for seven years

• In 2008 the tour was affliated with the celebration of Haywood County's Bicentennial.
• In 2009 the tour was conntected with the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• In 2010 the tour was associated with the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary.

2005-2010

Evelyn Coltman wrote/edited six volumes of Bethel/Haywood County history to accompany the Cold Mountain Heritage tours: Legends, Tales, and History of Cold Mountain.

2006

Collaborated with Preservation NC to evaluate preservation of twenty-two historic sites in Bethel

2007

NCDOT/BRCO initiated community meetings over a several year span to discuss the future of Truss Bridge #79, North Carolina’s oldest metal truss bridge.

2008

• Created Walking in the Footsteps of Those Who Came Before Us DVD
• Preprinted Cheryl Inman Haney's 1992 eighth grade class book, Pigeon Valley, with a new Table of Contents - Proceeds went to Bethel Middle School Library.

2009

• Nominated in 2009/received in 2010 - Tanna Timbes and Francis Mill Preservation Society for Preservation NC’s Gertrude S. Carraway Award for historic restoration
• Supervised Girl Scout Gold Award project by Allison Cathey to document all gravesites in the 1854 Bethel Cemetery
• Participated in Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Heritage Plan for the western region of NC
• Preservation NC had previously (2006) conducted a twenty-two site survey of historic sites in Bethel - The 2009 analysis focused on four sites worthy of historic restoration.
• Awarded grants to Francis Mill Preservation Society for its fourth grade history project - awarded Inman Chapel funds for its handicapped ramp - awarded Cathey House funds for a history library

2010

• Collaborated with WNC Cultural Resources Department to evaluate four potential National Register of Historic Places nominees
• Collaborated with WNC Cultural Resources Department and another preservation specialist from Colonial Williamsburg concerning the architecture/furnishings of the Civil War era Kinsland House
• Evelyn Coltman, BRCO’s Historic Preservation Committee chair, received the Barringer Award of Excellence for Legends, Tales & History of Cold Mountain, Books 1 – 6 from the N C Society of Historians.
• Spearheaded community-wide effort to save the historic Osborne Boundary Oak tree

2011

• Produced the Cold Mountain Heritage Driving Tour CD
• Blue Ridge National Heritage Area awarded BRCO a grant to oversee nomination of Francis Mill for the National Register of Historic Places.
• Developed a local historic marker program that features significant historic sites in Bethel that do not meet state marker criteria - BRCO placed its first marker at Osborne Boundary Oak.
• Supplied supporting documentation to Cheryl Inman Haney’s submittal for a state historic marker at Inman Chapel - The marker was dedicated during the Cold Mountain Heritage Tour with author of Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier, as a featured speaker.
• Downtown Waynesville Association/Blue Ridge Books/Appalachian Lifestyles Festival recognized, with a “Meet the Author” booth, Legends, Tales & History of Cold Mountain, Books 1 – 6 and the Walking in the Footsteps DVD.

2012

• The NC Society of Historians awarded Walking in the Footsteps of Those who Came Before Us DVD, Historic Preservation Committee members, and the videographer with the Paul Green Multi-Media Award.
• Selected three artists to render paintings of historic sites in Bethel: Bethel Presbyterian Church exterior by Nick De Paolo, Bethel Presbyterian Church interior by Gary Woollard, and Lenoir’s Creek Farm by Janice Swanger
• Installed the second local historic marker at the 1885 Bethel Presbyterian Church, the mother Presbyterian Church in Haywood County that was formed in 1834

2013

• Collected seven paintings/drawings/photographs of historic sites/data of Bethel (Burton Cathey House, Colonel Joseph Cathey House, Colonel Joseph Cathey Mill, Calvin Filmore Christopher patent drawings, Inman Chapel, J.B. Rigdon General Store, and Osborne Boundary Oak). Photographer, John Rolland, produced high-resolution saleable prints of the ten art pieces.
• The Keeper awarded Francis Mill the National Register of Historic Places designation as a result of a BRCO grant and BRCO oversight.
• NCDOT restored Truss Bridge #79, NC’s oldest metal truss bridge, after a series of BRCO/NCDOT/community residents’ meetings that encouraged salvation and restoration of the historic structure.
• Supplied supporting documentation to Cheryl Inman Haney’s submittal for a state historic marker for Sunburst Village. The state historic marker program installed the signage near Lake Logan.
• Interfaced with individuals, arborists, and Haywood Community College to conduct an evaluation/aerial inspection/pruning of the historic Osborne Boundary Oak tree
• Installed the third local historic marker at Lenoir’s Creek Farm (1807), Haywood County’s oldest continuing farm with the county’s longest continuing herd of cattle (mid-1850s)
• Conducted an educational project on Bethel history for Bethel Middle School’s eighth graders
• Presented a program about BRCO’s historic and rural preservation projects at a meeting of the Haywood County Historical & Genealogical Society
• Designed/hung/dedicated the Pigeon Valley Quilt Block based on historic names associated with Bethel. BRCO’s block is #40 on the Haywood County Quilt Trail

2014

• Western Carolina University awarded BRCO’s Rural Preservation and Historic Preservation Committees the prestigious Mountain Heritage Award for the group’s dedication to preserving and interpreting Southern Appalachian culture and history.
• Initiated the Pigeon Valley Award for Historic Preservation as a yearly recognition of individuals in Bethel who have contributed to the safeguarding of local history - BRCO granted Charles Cathey with the first award.
• Supervised an Eagle Scout project by Joey Rolland to clear the area and build a bridge to the Pigeon Gap Watering Hole atop Waynesville Mountain
• BRCO’s ten art prints were featured at Haywood County Arts Council’s Studio 86 during the studio’s Appalachian Heritage Month. This display featured our prints at the Art after Dark event, Appalachian Lifestyles Festival, and the month-long Mountain-Made series. In addition, the Arts Council featured our slide-show featuring historic sites and people.
• Catch the Spirit of Appalachia conducted two interviews with the Historic Preservation Committee chair about BRCO’s historic and rural preservation programs. The interviews are in Western Carolina University’s archival collection.

2015

• BRCO submitted research about the agricultural, Cherokee, and natural heritage of Bethel to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) for heritage evaluation.
• Collected/reproduced three art prints of historic sites in Bethel from the Henson, Sorrells, and Lackey families (Pingree Plott House, Bethel School in the 1920s, and the Blaylock House)
• Collaborated with the Haywood County Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Committee to conduct a cemetery tour of graves of Civil War veterans during the “Last Shot Commemoration"
• Produced a Cold Mountain Scenic Tour brochure for distribution
• Awarded Norman Long the Pigeon Valley Award for his restoration of the historic Chinquapin Grove School
• Filmed segments for the Sunburst DVD

2016

• BRNHA awarded BRCO site status on the BRNHA Heritage Trail. BRCO’s historic marker is one of three in Haywood County and one of seventy in the western region of the state.
• Interfaced with individuals, arborists, and DAR to conduct an aerial inspection/pruning of the historic Osborne Boundary Oak tree. Lake Logan Fire Department agreed to water the tree during drought conditions.
• Collaborated with Steve Sorrells and Cold Mountain Nursery to collect and distribute seedlings of the Osborne Boundary Oak to individuals and organizations that have been important to the tree’s preservation
• Installed the fourth local historic marker at Pigeon Gap Watering Hole, a location dating to the early 1800s that was used by local residents and their animals as they crossed into Waynesville
• The NC Society of Historians awarded BRCO’s Historic Preservation Committee, individual members, the videographer, and Dick Alexander the Multi-Media Award for From New College to Springdale DVD.
• Nick De Paolo made a water-color painting of the three historic school buildings of Bethel School.
• The Ledbetter family donated a copy of Mack Ledbetter’s colored map of Sunburst for BRCO’s art print collection.
• Established a library file of BRCO’s historic data
• Awarded Dick Alexander the Pigeon Valley Award for his New College to Springdale interview that netted a state history award for him and BRCO
• Filmed segments for the Sunburst DVD

2017

• Selected Gary Woolard to create an acrylic painting of Truss Bridge #79. NC's oldest metal truss bridge
• Submitted an application for National Register of Historic Places status for Truss Bridge #79
• Filmed segments for the Sunburst Logging Community DVD
• Filmed Possum on a Whale music group to provide background music for the Sunburst DVD
• Filmed and created a CD titled “Sunburst Sessions” of 13 traditional old-time music songs by Possum on a Whale
• Raised funds for/installed our fifth local historic marker, designed by the Historic Preservation Committee, that commemorates local inventor, Calvin Filmore Christopher
• Collected a 1930s photograph of Osborne Farm (donated by Robert Cathey and Bill Holbrook)
• Collected a painting of the 1867 Pingree Priestly and Charity Haseltine Plott House and family (donated by Bill and Carolyn Nettles)
• Selected by the overseers of the Plott estate as the organization that directs disposition of some of the James Henry and Flora Kinsland Plott documents, papers, memorabilia, and artifacts
• Gave the Pigeon Valley Award (posthumously) to Ted Darrell Inman