Samuel Heighway founded Waynesville in 1797 and thought his town would become the capital of the Northwest Territory--a dream that never materialized. However, Waynesville did grow up to become the "Antiques Capital of the Midwest," snagging its own little piece of American heritage. Older than the state of Ohio, Waynesville has been home to its original settlers, the Quakers, and a long line of pioneers whose descendents still live in the area . . . even the ghosts have a hard time moving on! Waynesville successfully maintains its illusion of small-town America, to the delight of citizens and visitors alike.

Perched near the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Waynesville is an attractive destination with stunning vistas, cool mountain air, and small-town charm. For centuries, the Cherokee lived and hunted in what is now western North Carolina, and after the Revolutionary War, white settlers moved into the area from all directions to farm and build a new life on the frontier. By the end of the 18th century, families had established a small community known as Mount Prospect. In 1810, the town was renamed Waynesville after the Revolutionary War general "Mad" Anthony Wayne. With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, Waynesville blossomed as a summer retreat for guests who came to stay at numerous boarding houses and hotels. By the early 1900s, Waynesville's neighboring town, Hazelwood, became a hotbed of industrial growth with lumber mills and assorted factories producing furniture, leather goods, and rubber products, and the town would eventually merge with Waynesville in 1995.