Just let go - and fall like a little waterfall. 

Happy Little Accidents: The Wit and Wisdom of Bob Ross

Waterfalls have lured artists, poets, musicians, and writers throughout recorded history. I’ve no doubt that somewhere there are prehistoric cave drawings depicting waterfalls. A worthy effort, I believe, would be a book about how waterfalls throughout the world have inspired creative minds, but I can offer only this meager beginning of a few examples that apply to North Carolina waterfalls. Although a comprehensive worldwide treatment of this subject is not available, I should mention Brian J. Hudson’s 

, which includes a nice chapter on the subject.

 I highly recommend the book to anyone who loves waterfalls. Also, be sure to read the Literature, Music, Poetry, and Photographers 1800s & 1900s pages of this website.

How many paintings and drawings of North Carolina waterfalls do you suppose there are? Of course, any attempt to catalog them would be like trying to conquer the Borg: Futile. For this page, I’ve decided to exclude all contemporary artists unless their work was created for free public viewing. Perhaps some future custodian of this website (or whatever medium the site may morph into) will include some of today’s artists for their historical relevance.

I’ve no doubt that there are many more works that should be featured on this page. Will you help me find them?

Artworks are listed in chronological order, as best as I can determine.

Included here are works created for the purpose of displaying on an interior wall. I obtained some of the Information about these artists and paintings from North Carolina Museum of Art, The Johnson Collection, The Charleston Renaissance Gallery, and Blowing Rock Art & History Museum.

The Falls of Tamahaka, Cherokee County, North Carolina (1)

Artist: William Charles Anthony Frerichs (1829 – 1905)
Subject: Waterfall in Cherokee County
Date: circa 1860 – 1865

Dutch artist William Frerichs immigrated to the United States in 1850 and taught art at Greensborough Female College. While there, he explored the western part of the state and created several works inspired by the landscapes he discovered. Tragically, a fire at the college destroyed all his paintings.

After the fire, Frerichs moved to the eastern part of the state for a short period before moving to New York. While there, he continued painting, creating many works based on his memories of the North Carolina landscape.

All the western North Carolina paintings by Frerichs that I’ve seen follow the same style and appear to be a composite of scenes from different locations, as well as incorporating a certain amount of creative embellishment. To be sure, one does not view Frerich’s work to see how the North Carolina landscape appeared during his time.

I’m not qualified to talk in any detail about art technique, but a casual observation tells me that Frerichs multitasked his titles and paintings, with various elements used in multiple works, as well as using the same title for different paintings. The paintings on this page seem to support this conclusion.

I’m guessing that Frerich’s inspiration for 

, pictured here, is a scene along Hiwassee River, but I have little evidence beyond the title saying Cherokee County. As far as I know, there is no scene like this in the county, nor was there before the Hiwassee was dammed. I suspect the unrealism is just a case of Frerich’s embellishment. An article in NCpedia says that the falls of Tamahaka is “now flooded by Fontana Lake,” even though the lake is not in Cherokee County. And for an extra layer on the Frerichs confusion cake, “Tamahaka” is only an “idealized mountainous location” according to The Johnson Collection in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

This painting is held by North Carolina Museum of Art.

The Falls of Tamahaka, Cherokee County, North Carolina (2)

The Falls of Tamahaka, Cherokee County, North Carolina

 (1) for a discussion about Frerichs. As stated in that discussion, Frerich sometimes used the same title to multiple paintings.

This painting is held by The Johnson Collection in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Artist: William Charles Anthony Frerichs (1829 – 1905)
Subject: Waterfall in North Carolina
Date: circa 1860 – 1865

 (1) for a discussion about Frerichs. I would love to know the waterfall that inspired Frerichs to make this painting. I suspect he combined the elements from two or more scenes.

 (1) for a discussion about Frerichs. As with all of Frerichs’ waterfall paintings, I would love to know the waterfall that inspired this one.

Artist: William Charles Anthony Frerichs (1829 – 1905)
Subject: Linville Falls
Date: Unknown

I don’t know much about this painting. Did Frerich’s paint this while he lived in North Carolina or New York? Obviously, it looks nothing like Linville Falls, but that’s in keeping with Frerich’s style. And if you view the painting after midnight on New Year’s Eve, you could be excused for thinking it’s a rendition of the upper falls of Linville Falls. Perhaps Freireich’s never hiked to the base of the falls. 

Artist: William Charles Anthony Frerichs (1829 – 1905)
Subject: North Carolina waterfall scene
Date: Unknown

I can find virtually no information about this Frerichs' painting. Did he paint it while he lived in North Carolina or New York? Is the title accurate as Frerich’s wrote it?

Artist: William Charles Anthony Frerichs (1829 – 1905)
Subject: North Carolina waterfall scene?
Date: Unknown

I can find virtually no information about this Frerichs' painting. Did he paint it while he lived in North Carolina or New York? Is the title accurate as Frerich’s wrote it? Is this even a North Carolina scene?

Artist: Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859 – 1937)
Subject: Likely Highlands Falls on Cullasaja River in Highlands
Date: circa 1889

Henry Tanner was the first African-American artist to receive international recognition. He rented a cabin in highlands during the summer of 1889 and spent his time photographing. It’s possible that he painted 

while there, or he could have painted it later using a photograph as reference. I can’t say with certainty, but I feel confident that this is a painting of 

As best as I can determine, the original print of 

Artist: Corydon Bell (1894 – 1980)
Subject: 

Corydon Bell, along with his wife, Thelma, moved to Sapphire in 1944. They wrote several children’s books together, with Corydon creating the illustrations for them. Corydon was among several artists who worked for Ford Motor Company, with their works exhibited around the world. Ford later donated the works to Smithsonian American Art Museum. Unfortunately, 

, which was part of that collection, is not currently on public display.

Wall Art

North Carolina is blessed with numerous murals and other outdoor paintings across the state, with several of them portraying waterfalls. Some of these murals depict specific North Carolina waterfalls, while others are generic. It doesn’t matter to me. If someone paints a waterfall on a wall in North Carolina for all to see, I’m including it here. I’ve included all the ones I know about, but I’m sure there are others.

Artist: Clive Haynes (1953 – 2021)
Subject: Italian Alps and the Village of Valdese
Date: Dedicated July 4, 2004
Location: 452 Main Street in Valdese

A plaque at Village Park describes Haynes’ 30’ x 90’ mural as “depicting the passage of the Waldenses from their beloved villages in the Alps of Italy to their new village in Valdese.” The Valdese portion of mural shows McGalliard Falls and Meytre Grist Mill, which stands beside the waterfall. The mural is painted on the side of a building at Village Park and is always open for public viewing.

See the waterfall listing for McGalliard Falls.

Artist: Art students at Rosman High School
Subject: Generic waterfall and landscape scene
Date: 2012?
Location: “Downtown” Rosman, near the gas station

Artist: Painted by Helen Sullivan; design created by Christian Hawiotte
Subject: Upper Catawba Falls
Date: 2015
Location: On the wall outside McDowell County Tourism Authority, 91 South Catawba Avenue

The Upper Catawba Falls painting is part of the Seven Wonders Trail in Old Fort, a series of paintings depicting Old Fort landmarks. Students at Old Fort Elementary School created drawings that were used as inspiration for the murals. Artists from the nonprofit Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League interpreted these drawings for their mural paintings.

See the waterfall listing for Upper Catawba Falls.

Artist: Karryn Shedlock and Asheley Jamison
Subject: Toms Creek Falls
Date: 2018?
Location: 84 South Main St., Marion

This outdoor painting is part of the Founder’s Art Walk in Marion, which features several other artworks. Shedlock and Jamison were art students at McDowell High School when they painted it. Unfortunately, when I last drove by in November 2024 the painting was not attached to the frame. I haven’t been able to get an answer from anyone with the town about what happened and if it will be replaced.

See the waterfall listing for Toms Creek Falls.

Artist: Eron Hare
Subject: Scenes in Jackson County
Date: 2018
Location: Ward Plumbing building in downtown Sylva

I asked Eron if the two cascading waterfalls represented specific waterfalls and he said he was having trouble remembering the exact details—artists, you know—but the most likely answer was that it was 

Artists: Students at Lees-McRae College
Subject: Various scenes related to elk park, including Elk Falls
Date: 2019
Location: On the concrete wall beside US 19E, across from the main drag in Elk Park

Artist: Ian Wilkinson
Subject: Catawba Falls
Date: 2019
Location: Staircase between Wall Street and Battery Park Avenue

Asheville Downtown Association, the group who funded this artwork, has provided us with a safe way to climb Catawba Falls. Nice!

See the waterfall listing for Catawba Falls.

Artist: Chris Parsons
Subject: Linville Falls
Date: 2022?
Location: 246 1st Ave NW, Hickory

See the waterfall listing for Linville Falls.

Artist: Eron Hare
Subject: Outdoor recreation, especially tubing in Deep Creek
Date: 2023
Location: Near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park on West Deep Creek Road, Bryson City

 is the waterfall depicted in this mural.

Artist: Multiple artists from Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League
Subject: Catawba Falls
Date: 2023
Location: On the wall inside Hillman Brewery in Old Fort

The Catawba Falls montage is made up of sixteen panels painted by different artists. Hillman is one of my favorite after-hike breweries and I enjoy seeing this artwork on my visits. I also enjoy the wings with lemon pepper dry rub, but that’s a different story.

Artist: Eva Crawford
Subject: Landscape scene with waterfalls
Date: 2024
Location: Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery

This is one of my favorite waterfall murals in North Carolina, blending beautifully and seamlessly with the surroundings. The mural depicts three distinct waterfalls. I asked Crawford if they represent any particular waterfalls and she replied that they “are a combination of falls created to create the best composition for the span of the dam. They are nowhere in particular.”

For detailed directions to Klondike Lake Dam Mural, see the listing for 

Artist: Scott Allred
Subject: Waterfall, mountains, and liquor distilling
Date: 2024
Location: On the side of Moxy hotel at 61 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville

At 85 feet tall, the Moxy mural is promoted as North Carolina’s tallest mural. It really is quite a sight!

Artist: Raman Bhardwaj
Subject: Scenes in the Elkin region
Date: 2024
Location: In the entrance section of Walmart in Elkin

Who would've thought you could see a waterfall mural inside a Walmart store? I mean, seriously? All bashing aside, it's a nice mural, featuring, I assume, Carter Falls. And it’s right inside the door, so you can pop in and grab a look, then dash back out into the waterfall wilds.

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