The Lost Settlement of Conestee
- SCGHS Communications
- Mar 15
- 2 min read
Conestee (or Kanasta) is a legendary "lost" Cherokee settlement located near present-day Brevard, NC, believed to have been abandoned around the 1750s. Conestee was considered a vital, unique settlement positioned between the Cherokee villages in the South Carolina foothills and the North Carolina mountains.
British troops first found the ancient Indian village of Conestee (Kanasta) in 1725. But explorers returning in 1777 found nothing. The people and place had simply vanished.
According to legend, residents vanished into the mountain under Tsuwatelda (Pilot Mountain) to escape coming conflict, following an invitation from the Nunnehi. These people were invited to a secret, flourishing village located within the mountains and they alone of all the Cherokee nation escaped the long wars and suffering that followed the settlers' invasion of the mountains.
Who were the Nunnehi? The Nunnehi have long played the role of spirit warriors and protectors of the Cherokee people. In times of war or danger, they are said to emerge from their hidden dwellings to fight alongside the Cherokee, often appearing invincible. In other accounts, they warn families of impending danger or guide lost travelers to safety. With the forced removal of the Cherokee during the Trail of Tears many say the Nunnehi withdrew even deeper into the land. Some elders believe the spirit folk still linger, watching from the forests of North Carolina and Tennessee, yearning for the return of harmony between land and people.
Conestee Lost Settlement Marker
The above pictures are of the Conestee Lost Settlement Marker, which was dedicated July 1, 1958 and is located on the 3600 block of Greenville Highway (Hwy. 276) at the intersection with Island Ford Road about three miles south of Brevard, NC. The boulder is from Hickory Nut Gorge and the plaque is bronze. The monument was put on the site of the settlement by the Cherokee Historical Society, Transylvania Historical Society, and a Chapter of Daughters of American Colonists.
Legend says there was an entrance to another realm near or behind the Conestee waterfalls and the people moved there, and they now live in an out of the world village. At the present time there is no access behind or near the falls.
Although most of the land around the 85-foot waterfall is part of a gated community you can view the falls from a public park and a platform built by Transylvania County in 2011.
Conestee Falls
article courtesy of Elise Bryson, President, SCGHS