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The Hütte: A Melting Pot Of Swiss, Appalachian Culture

Deep within the mountains of central West Virginia, is a tiny village called Helvetia. It was originally founded by Swiss settlers in the mid-1800s, as they felt the steep mountains, thick forests, winding river, all resembled their homeland.

Today the town of about 50 people is a melting pot of Appalachian, Swiss culture. There is even a swiss restaurant called — the Hütte. It celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago and is featured in an upcoming documentary.

The Restaurant

Clara Lehman, director of Born In A Ballroom, stands outside the Hütte in Helvetia. She is the granddaughter of Eleanor Mailloux, the co-founder of the Swiss restaurant.

The Hütte is located at the one intersection in Helvetia inside a golden Swiss-Alpine chalet house. Red and white Swiss flags adorn the outside.

A tinkling bell on the worn wooden front door, announces a new customer’s presence.

Inside it is a little darker and a little warmer. It feels like a cozy cottage. It is structured like a house — but each room is a unique eating area. Clara Lehman and husband Jonathan Lacocque live in Helvetia and have recently completed a documentary about the town.

“A lot of people say coming to the Hütte is like eating at grandma’s house,” Jonathan said. “And I think this is part of that reason, it’s very homey. You’ve got pictures on the wall of grandkids and staff.”

“It’s grandma’s house but different too,” Clara said.

It is different because there are 100-year-old Swiss artifacts on the walls and shelves — old family photos of the original Swiss immigrants, an old crank phone hangs on the wall, literally hundreds of books in both English and Swiss-German and a long wooden alpenhorn. It looks like a 10-foot long trumpet; historically the instrument was used by Swiss shepherds in the Alps.

One of the dining rooms at the Hütte. Each room is decorated with antiques and memorabilia from the community.

There is a feeling that you are no longer in West Virginia, until a roaring logging truck drives by — a reminder it is still West Virginia.

The Kitchen

The heart of the restaurant, and arguably the town, is the kitchen. A lot of the staff have been working there for decades.

Clara said each day they prep a slew of foods — a blend of Appalachian and Swiss dishes, and a few recipes that are unique to this restaurant. Things like sausage bratwurst, sauerbraten, curry chicken, potatoes and green beans.

Meat being prepared in the kitchen. Most of the recipes originated from Swiss immigrants that Eleanor Mailloux adapted for the Hütte.

On this day, Anita Stitt, one of the cooks, was prepping food and waiting for a meat delivery. The nearest grocery store is about an hour drive away.

“Well right now I’m going to have a little bite to eat. I’m going to have some sausage with salad dressing. Doesn’t that sound good? Then I’m waiting for the meat to come in,” she said.

The sausage sandwich is a Hütte special inspired by Helvetia’s original Swiss families. It is ground pork shoulder that is handmade weekly — seasoned with 12 spices and baked in tomato and red wine sauce.

Almost all the meals at the Hütte are served with warm homemade applesauce. It is spiced and sweetened perfectly, leaving a lasting impression. Clara said one of the secrets is very finely sliced lemon rind.

Many of the people working here were born in West Virginia, Clara said, but their ancestors, much like her own, were Swiss immigrants.

The menu at the Hütte. On busier days or for events there is typically a buffet or sample platter offered.

“I actually think that the restaurants even better because of the Appalachian aspect. It’s not kitschy European, it’s truthful to this region,” she said.

Iron Lady Of Helvetia

The reason the town of Helvetia and the Hütte are the way they are today is largely due to Eleanor Mailloux, Clara’s grandmother. Eleanor was born in Virginia but grew up in Helvetia. She had a love for both Appalachian and Swiss cultures. She is remembered as a quirky, hardworking woman who was also elegant and loved dresses and jewelry.

Eleanor channeled her passion through the Hutte, which she co-founded over 50 years ago.

Eleanor Mailloux in the ‘Born In A Ballroom’ documentary. She passed away in 2011, but is still an influence in Helvetia today.

She passed away in 2011 at 93. Jonathan and Clara are releasing a documentary this year that they produced on Eleanor’s impact on Helvetia.

“The Hütte is the heart of the town,” Eleanor said in the documentary. “We have people who come in, they don’t feel good, they want to tell us their sad story or they tell us their dreams. It’s much more than a place to eat.”

The award given to Eleanor hangs in the Hütte. Most everyone in the town regards her as the “Matriarch of Helvetia.”

Eleanor pronounced the name, “Hut-ee,” which is a hold off from the Swiss-German language that was regularly spoken in Helvetia. These days, Clara said local accents have morphed the common pronunciation into “Hut-tay.”

To this day the Hütte’s wooden floor has a deep sheen from being waxed daily.

On the tables are freshly cut flowers arranged just right, a daily ritual Eleanor started.

The Hütte has continued on without Eleanor physically there, but she is certainly present in spirit. Clara reads an award hanging on the wall of the Hütte. It was presented to Eleanor in 2006.

“The Iron Lady of Helvetia. The lady through years of sacrifice and struggle never lost faith in her beloved Helvetia,” it states. “Those of us who have been a part of her dream are forever grateful for what she has built. May her dream continue to be enriched and nourished for all the years to come.”

The Hütte and all its material culture, as well as Eleanor Mailloux’s legacy, will be on display in the upcoming documentary ‘Born In A Ballroom.’ It is slated for screenings across West Virginia throughout the year.

The turn off from the main road that leads not only to the Hütte, but to the town of Helvetia. The Hütte sits at the entrance to the town.

This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts, and culture.

A Conversation About W.Va.'s Dance Company; One of the Oldest in America

The Charleston Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in America.

In a new documentary directed by company member and three time Emmy Award winner, Deborah Novak, dancers, both seasoned and new, share the story of the ballet and its founder, Andre Van Damme.

Gillian Brooks sat down with Kim Pauley, Artistic Director and CEO of the Charleston Ballet to talk about the history of the company and remember its founder.

Highlights from the Q&A:

Andre Van Damme’s past, struggles and ambitions
How the documentary has affected the studio
The future of the company

“Andre Van Damme and The Story of the Charleston Ballet” will premiere on West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and again on Saturday June 16 at 9 p.m.

Documentary 'Hillbilly' Seeks To Elevate Perspectives of Appalachians, Challenging Stereotypes

RICHMOND, Ky. — Los Angeles-based filmmaker Ashley York visited her family in Jonesville, Kentucky, on Nov. 8, 2016, the day of the election that ushered Donald Trump into the Office of the President of the United States. She was accompanied by documentary cameras, capturing footage for her latest project.

For years co-directors York and Sally Rubin cultivated an idea for a film that would confront Appalachian stereotypes. “hillbilly” will premiere May 19 at the Nashville Film Festival. The documentary explores decades of media representation of Appalachia and its people while showcasing diverse communities throughout the region.

More recent media portrayals of people of the region got the ball rolling on the story for the two documentarians. For York, MTV’s reality show “Buckwild” was the final straw. Rubin said for her, it was character Pennsatucky on “Orange is the New Black.”

“The film seeks to elevate the stories and perspectives of a wide range of people living and working in Appalachia,” York said.

Image courtesy of “hillbilly” filmmakers.

“I’ve thought about media representation for a long time, and I would say this has not been an easy story to tell at all. We are definitely trying to use the film to abolish stereotypes about the region and to show alternative voices,” Rubin said. “At the same time, we are committed to complex, multi-dimensional portraits of this region. Those aren’t one-sided, and they’re not easy to paint.”

York, who received a bachelor’s in journalism at the University of Kentucky and master’s at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, said her time in school made her more progressive. With media’s renewed interest in Appalachia due to the high number of Trump voter turnout, York, a Hillary Clinton supporter in the 2016 election, said she wanted to learn why many, including some of her family members, voted for Trump.

“I really wanted to go and listen,” she said. “I had no ability to think or comprehend or even consider (Trump) was going to win.”

While trying to better understand why individuals voted for Trump, York said she eventually came to a “big reveal.”

“It wasn’t just mountain people (who voted for Trump),” she said. “Rural, urban and suburban people all over this country voted for him. He had more than 60 million votes. And women — women lost so tragically in the election because, you know, people who didn’t necessarily want to vote for him did for a wide range of complicated reasons.”

Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County, USA” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1976. It is among many films that influenced the filmmakers. Others include Elizabeth Barret’s “Stranger with a Camera” (2000) and Anne Lewis’s “Fast Food Women” (1991).

Helping propel the narrative of the film are individuals Rubin and York met throughout research and filming. They work to profile LGBTQ Appalachians, people of color in the region, young artists, mountain people, scholars and more.

One of the subjects in the film is famed Appalachian writer Silas House. House, also a Kentucky native who has long studied and written about the region, teaches English and Appalachian studies courses at Berea College.

“I had been in a film that Sally Rubin had made, called ‘Deep Down,’” House said in a December 2017 interview. “I got to know Sally, and I was just so impressed by how she was not from here, but she cared about the place much more deeply than some people that I know from here.”

Youth filmmakers from the Appalachian Media Institute pose for a group portrait before their final screening at the Appalshop Theater.

House saw how Rubin immersed herself in the learning more about the history and culture of the region, and he was impressed with her as a storyteller.

Rubin, who graduated from Stanford University’s master’s program and currently teaches documentary studies at Chapman University, said time she spent in Appalachia during childhood and while filming other projects ignited her desire to work on “hillbilly.”

Beyond Rubin’s previous work, House said York’s film “Tig” also caught his eye. When the team approached him to consult on the film, House said he immediately knew he wanted to be involved. House’s involvement in the film also awarded him the title of executive producer and like the filmmakers has hopes for what viewers get from the documentary.

Silas House talks with young artists at Berea College.

“The main thing is I think that the film shows that we really are a place where our representatives have failed us, but that there are a whole lot of people in the region that are working for change,” House said.

Another adviser of the film is Chad Berry, who also works at Berea College as the academic vice president and dean of faculty. Berry is also an Appalachian and history professor who understands the nuances of the region.

“I’ve always said that Appalachia is the most misunderstood region in the country … Just as no child is born racist, neither is any child born with stereotypical views of people from the Appalachian Mountains. Each kind of thinking must be learned,” Berry said. “So I think the film will be a good piece that updates the long history of stereotypes towards people of the mountains.”

Directors Ashley York (left) and Sally Rubin (right) in Los Angeles, California.

Berry said Appalachia serves a function to this country.

“Every country I’ve ever been to has an Appalachia in it,” he said. “And in those countries, people are taught to think about the people in a part of that country in ways often similar to the ways Americans think of mountaineers here. And these stereotypes can either be positive manifestations or nefarious ones, and sometimes both.”

He added, “I always suggest that if Appalachia, which is a social construct, … hadn’t been invented, we would have invented another one.”

Berry said that media — from film to television shows to journalistic pieces — teach individuals how to view this “most misunderstood” region in America. He said Rubin and York’s documentary can help people “unlearn” the hillbilly stereotype.

Beyond support from advisers, York and Rubin have also seen financial support and fiscal sponsorship as they work to turn their idea into a reality.

Frank X Walker, founder of The Affrilachian Poets. Walker coined the term “Affrilachia” in reference to the region of Appalachia, a mountain range stretching over thirteen states along the East Coast of the U.S. from Mississippi to New York.

Financial support comes from humanities councils in West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts and private donations. Fiscal sponsors include the International Documentary Association, Southern Documentary Fund and Media Working Group.

Naomi Walker, executive director of the Southern Documentary Fund, said SDF became a fiscal sponsor in January 2015.

“We hold this experienced, talented team of Sally Rubin and Ashley York in high regard. Their direct connection to the story they are telling is crucial to our mission,” Walker said in an email. “It is important to push back on people’s preconceived notions of our region, and that includes fighting stereotypes of Appalachian life and culture that are promulgated by the mainstream media.”

She added, “Appalachia ain’t what you think … The South is actually multi-racial, gender-diverse, of many faiths, economically broad and politically not just red or blue. There is a spectrum of beliefs and opinions, complexity and nuance to every part of this region. It became clear throughout the election cycle that the mainstream media tend to express a reductive view of the region.”

York and Rubin recognize the impact their film could have on conversations about the region as well as the influence it could have in the nation’s narrative.

“I really hope this movie can have an impact on inspiring people to vote in the next election,” York said, noting she hoped it would be screened in universities across the nation. “I think this movie shows the uniquely diverse populations of Appalachia. It’s a film about literacy and education one that has the potential to encourage progress.”

To learn more about the film, visit hillbillymovie.com.

Charleston Resident's First Full-Length Film Being Shown

Charleston resident Madison McGhee’s first full-length film premieres this weekend in her hometown.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that in the documentary, McGhee documents her travels, exploring places like Dublin, Paris and Lisbon, Portugal. She interviews young people living in Europe and explores what it means to find happiness and success.

The documentary is called “The Lost + Found Project.” It will be shown at the Capitol Theater at 5 p.m. Saturday. A block party will be held on Summers Street outside the theater starting at 4 p.m.

McGhee says she doesn’t have formal film experience but plans to submit the project to several film festivals this year. She says she hopes the film inspires others to step back and ask themselves what they want to do.

Global Science and Business Leaders Featured In Inspiring West Virginians Radio Documentary

Inspiring West Virginians tells the stories of West Virginians who are exceptional leaders in science and business. We visit them where they are, learn about what they do, hear stories of their childhoods and the influence of a West Virginia upbringing. Added to that are the perspectives of friends, relatives and colleagues.

Coming from small towns or modest means, they’ve all overcome hardships and hurdles on their way to the top of their fields.

These individuals credit their Mountain State upbringing and the values they were taught here as factors in their achievements. In return, they’re giving back to their home state in various ways.

Producer/Host Jean Snedegar of Elkins has profiled more than 2 dozen of these innovators from West Virginia throughout the course of the series, beginning in 2010. She’s traveled from Washington State to Washington, D.C., down country roads in McDowell County to a farm in Berkeley County.

“West Virginia has produced an amazing array of world-class scientists, engineers and business people, and their stories are part of the rich tapestry of this state,” said Snedegar. “I hope their journeys inspire people from all walks of life, but especially students who may say to themselves, ‘If that person can do it, so can I!’”

Featured in the upcoming December 28 broadcast:

Keren Brown Wilson, 66, an entrepreneur and world pioneer of the assisted living movement. Wilson is a McDowell County native and coal miner’s daughter. After becoming a professor of gerontology at Portland State University, she opened the first assisted living facility in Portland, then developed assisted living facilities throughout the United States.

Keren Brown Wilson of McDowell County, founder of assisted living model of elder care.

Keren Brown Wilson now heads a foundation – named after her mother, Jessie F Richardson – aimed at providing better care for under-served elders in the United States and abroad.

Rod Van Meter, 49, from Mingo County, a computer engineer who works at the forefront of the next generation of computing worldwide. A quantum computer and network architect, Van Meter recently published the world’s first book on Quantum Networking, the basis for the future of the internet.

Rod Van Meter of Mingo County is a quantum computer network architect.

Rod Van Meter is also an associate professor at Keio University’s Shonan Fujisawa Campus in the city of Fujisawa, Japan.

Brian Anderson, 37, the Director of West Virginia University’s Energy Institute. The Roane County native is a world authority in geothermal energy and gas hydrates, a champion of sustainable energy, and a tireless advocate for making West Virginia’s fossil energy resources – coal, oil and gas – both productive and environmentally sustainable.

Brian Anderson of Roane County is a world authority on geothermal energy and gas hydrates.

In 2013 Brian Anderson was the winner of the President’s Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the only person from West Virginia to receive that honor.

Marilyn Johnson, 62, leads the International Women’s Forum in Washington, DC, an organization of more than 6000 top women leaders around the world. A native of Kanawha Valley, Marilyn spent 35 years as an executive for IBM – rising to Vice-President of Market Development – making her one of the top African-American female leaders in the IT industry.

Marilyn Johnson, a native of Kanawha County, also serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women in Washington, DC.

A graduate of Marshall University, Marilyn Johnson led a group responsible for developing IBM’s strategy for, and marketing to, businesses owned or operated by Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and women around the world.

Executive Producer Suzanne Higgins of West Virginia Public Broadcasting is Senior Producer for Inspiring West Virginians.

-The series is made possible by the generous support of the Myles Family Foundation – inspiring West Virginians to soar.

– In December 2014, we featured four incredibly inspiration leaders in the Season 5 one-hour radio documentary. Click the player below to listen to the program.

This West Virginia Public Radio series is produced and presented by Jean Snedegar, an independent producer based in Elkins, and Suzanne Higgins, Executive Producer for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The series is made possible by the generous support of the Myles Family Foundation – inspiring West Virginians to soar.

Watch 'In Pursuit of Justice' on Ken Hechler's 100th Birthday

Former Secretary of State and congressman Ken Hechler is 100 years old Saturday.

Hechler was an Army combat historian during World War II and served in the Truman White House, writing speeches among other duties.

He served in the U.S. House between 1959 and 1976 and was secretary of state from 1985 to 2001.

According to the Associated Press, Hechler and his wife Carole will celebrate the milestone with a private event on Sunday in Romney.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting filmmakers Chip Hitchcock and Russ Barbour produced a documentary on Hechler’s life and work. The 2008 film, Ken Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice, is a two-part documentary examining the role of political office throughout 20th century America.

You can begin watching The Pursuit of Justice by streaming the embedded video below. To continue with the remaining parts, visit our YouTube playlist.