Steven Carter Price, AIA, Architect 

Location: Blowing Rock

"The Shoe" was a dependency cottage constructed in 1933 as part of the Vardell Family compound located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.  The original family home, named Opicherhoka (named for the five species of wood used to construct the home - oak, pine, chestnut, rhododendreon, and kalmia) was constructed in 1899 and The Shoe was built in 1933 as a place of respite from the increasing number of grandchildren and their voices by the family patriach, Dr. Charles Vardell.  The Shoe was constructed of materials found on the property and was built primarily by Dr. Vardell himself, a college president and amateur architect/builder.  Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the Vardell Family Cottages survives as among the earliest homes remaining in Blowing Rock.  The Shoe remained in the family until 2017 and had fallen into disrepair.  The current owner purchased the cottage with the intention of restoring and renovating the original structure and constructing a compatible addition, all under the watchful eyes of Preservation North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.