What exactly is longtime Fayetteville site Mount Sequoyah?
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This former missionary dorm is now home to art studios. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Mount Sequoyah knows it has a mystery problem.
State of play: Driving through the property feels like intruding on a summer camp. Thank the style of lodging, the dining hall and the swimming pool. And because it actually hosts summer camps.
- Or maybe it feels like crashing a private gathering. In fact, weddings and corporate events are held there frequently.
- The cross on the mountain overlooking Fayetteville would have a reasonable person thinking Mount Sequoyah is home to a religious organization. There's an old chapel on site, too, although that's part of a gym now.
The intrigue: Whatever it is appears remote and closed off. Except, it's not.
What they're saying: "Mount Sequoyah is for everybody, not just an exclusive group," president and CEO Emily Gentry told Axios.
Reality check: Once a religious retreat, the 30ish-acre site — it's actually a five-minute drive to Dickson Street despite the hidden feel — now wears many hats.
- It's home to two art galleries and a building that was once a dorm for Christian missionaries that now houses studios for 60 artists ranging from painters to an actor doing voice work.
- The lodging options are eclectic. Duplex-like buildings offer standard accommodations for two or so guests. There's a lodge and even a former dormitory that can hold up to 52 people.
- There's a private gym, a pool where anyone with a pass can swim and a tennis court. Overnight guests also get access to the gym and pool.
Between the lines: It still has a serene-retreat vibe. You won't find any bars, breweries or even a single restaurant or shop.
The bottom line: Folks can come enjoy the grounds — the overlook, the trails, the gazebos — for free anytime, Gentry said. And watch for community events.
How a church retreat turned into a gathering space
The Methodist Episcopal Church founded Mount Sequoyah as its retreat center in 1922.
Background: The property also has ties to the Chautauqua cultural and educational movement of the early 20th century that encouraged traveling speakers and performers.
- The site hosted playwright retreats, for example, Gentry said.
What happened: In 2016, the church gave the property to what is now a board that owns and operates it. Mount Sequoyah is a nonprofit and no longer has a religious affiliation.
- It's funded by donations and fees from rentals and events. If it sells any property through 2031, the money must go to the church, per the original contract — an incentive for it to be a community space instead of being sold to businesses.
- The city owns and operates the trails.
The intrigue: Mount Sequoyah for decades served an eight-state region of Methodists and had no-trespassing signs — and, often, closed gates.
- For less than a decade that included a pandemic, it's been a community gathering space that seeks to primarily serve Northwest Arkansas residents and tourists, keeping the same buildings as when it was a private Methodist retreat.
- So, it has earned the confusion.
Cultivating an inviting future
Mount Sequoyah's board is finalizing long-term plans for each building and working to make the property less intimidating.
The big picture: They plan to do that by offering more events to get people to visit, Gentry said.
- Mount Sequoyah has hosted pop-up food events, working with local chefs and organizations like BITE NWA. Recent activities included a Father's Day dinner.
- The Music on the Mountain concert series funded by an Arkansas Heritage grant featured five free, spring concerts; three more are coming this fall.
- Artists with studio space also offer classes like pottery and painting.
Zoom in: The nonprofit plans to start work soon on an observation deck, benches and signage at the overlook area. An $80,000 Project for Public Spaces grant will fund that work.
- The group recently wrapped up a landscaping plan that included garden work and tree planting, and more public art on site promises to make the place more Instagram-friendly.
What's next: A coffee shop with grab-and-go options is in the works, pending building permits from the city. It would go inside an existing building.
- "Somewhere where you can do dinner at would be really lovely and needed here because people don't always want to go downtown," Gentry said. But that's down the road.
Go deeper: Fenix Arts finds home at Mount Sequoyah