The Smyth County Historical Society and Museum was founded in 1961 by Mrs. Clara Hill Carner with the mission to preserve and protect the history of the region through the collection, protection, display and interpretation of artifacts and outreach programs. From an 1838 one-room school house to a building that housed Smyth County’s first public high school in 1908, the Holston River Heritage Center (formerly Smyth County Museum) is now in a renovated retail building at 123 East Main Street. The Holston River Heritage Center is a Virginia non-profit organization.