History

The Old Chicken House on Mountain Page Road, just one mile from downtown Saluda, NC, has become a haven for artists and craftspeople.  Purchased by Ruth Anderson in 1993, the building was originally constructed as a poultry house in the 1960s.

An original watercolor left in the Chicken House by artist Leslie Benson

It was used as a working chicken house for only a few years before Leslie Benson, a renowned photographer for Life magazine, purchased the property.

The Bensons turned one end of the building into a large studio including installing a huge picture window to capture the north light, known to be very beneficial for artists.  They also created a massive fireplace.  One original partially completed watercolor is on permanent exhibit in the studio in honor of the first artist in the Chicken House.