1894 Valdese town overview

The Waldensians in North Carolina

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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The largest Waldensian colony in the world outside of Italy–Valdese, NC–was officially incorporated as a town on February 17, 1920.

The Waldenses, or Waldensians, are a Christian sect founded in the 12th century by Peter Valdo (hence Valdese = Waldensian), a merchant of Lyons, France who lived only a short time before St. Francis. For many years the group was confined to a rugged area in the Cottian Alps along the boundary between Italy and France. King Louis XIV was determined not to let Protestant beliefs seep into Catholic-driven France and persecuted the Waldensians mercilessly.

Waldensian schoolchildren and teacher (standing beside steps) at Valdese, ca. 1905.
Waldensian schoolchildren and teacher (standing beside steps) at Valdese, ca. 1905. 

Not until the Edict of 1848 did the sect finally receive freedom to worship as they wished. Toward the later part of the 19th century many Waldenses emigrated to North and South America to form missionary colonies—no longer because of religious persecution but because their small strip of land in the Alps had become overcrowded.

They migrated to New York City, Chicago, Missouri, Texas and Utah, as well as Valdese, NC, in Burke County between the towns of Morganton and Hickory. The Valdese colony became the largest Waldensian colony in the world located outside of Italy. After crossing the Atlantic on the Dutch ship Zaandam, the original Valdese settlers arrived via train on the Salisbury-Asheville line of the Southern Railway on May 29, 1893. Eleven families formed the first group, led by Reverend Charles Albert Tron, a pastor and philanthropist. Rev. Tron did not come to settle, however, but to lead the immigrants and help launch their enterprise.

Initially the settlers tried to make their living off the land as they had in Italy, but the poor soil would not produce.

Waldensian Presbyterian Church in 1915.
Waldensian Presbyterian Church in 1915.

They turned instead to manufacturing. In June, organizers led by Rev. Tron formed the Valdese Corporation, including Waldenses and American investors, and purchased 10,000 acres of land. Due to the undesirable layout of the land and the independent nature of the Waldenses, the corporation was an unpopular arrangement. It was dissolved the following year when the Rev. Barthelemy Soulier arrived in Valdese to replace the leadership lost when Tron returned to Italy to recruit more colonists.

In 1895 the Waldensian Church in Valdese united with the Presbyterian Church, which shared similar structure and theology. The Waldensian Hosiery Mill was established in 1901 and the yarn factory, Valdese Manufacturing Company, in 1913. Valdese became a hub of the American textile industry. The town’s first mayor, John Long, was also the groom in the first Waldensian wedding in Valdese.

Since 1967 an outdoor drama, From this Day Forward, has been performed each summer by Valdese’s Old Colony Players. The saga features authentic costumes and folk dances that highlight the heritage of North Carolina’s Waldensian settlers.

sources: http://divinityarchive.com/bitstream/handle/11258/11669/waldensiancolony00sylv.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/05/29/waldenses-settle-in-burke-county
Phifer Jr., Edward W. , Burke: The History of a North Carolina County (1982)

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12 comments

  1. i loved studying the history of the waldenses. initially, i had been told that the waldenses had been hunted and murdered down to the last man, woman and child and consequently, the group did not exist anymore. i was very upset and cried bitter tears, but this was many years ago. i was estatic when i found out that the waldensians has actually survived the persecutions in the alps some had fled to north america. i had hoped to study you more, however, i was very sorry to read you had merged with the presbyterians because their religious beliefs were similar. for me, that was a sad momemt. originally, you guys were so very pure! as you know, today there are many groups that worship on the 7th Sabbath. i worship with Sabbatarians and am anxious to visit the cogic sabbatarians (church of God in Christ).

    be safe in your quest to teach the world His message – we must be faithful in our responsibilities to God through the Son Jesus.

  2. Spent two days in this city, i will be back. Protestants owe everything to this great people!Keep the faith.

  3. We are planning to visit the Waldensian Museum there.
    Their trials in their native Italy are very stirring. Makes you hate French King Louie XIV.

  4. My uncle wants to know who started the Mill and who owned it in the 1940s. “I would like to add to the account the relation that Papa had with the owner of the Waldesian Hosiery Mill and the Valdesian yarn mill. What was his name?”

  5. The Waldensians are very much alive and well in northern Italy, Rome where the theological college is; plus their churches in Naples, Calabria and Sicily.

    After the 2,000 Wadensian massacre in Merindol, France, the remaining ones were exiled and allowed to settle in the Vaud area of Switzerland. There they regrouped under the leadership of Henri Arnaud, and though outnumbered and untrained as soldiers they fought back, forcing the French troops eventually to withdraw, after which they were allowed back to their homelands in Piedmont.

    They were awarded more liberty and treatment, and in 1848 were granted religious freedom. Thereafter we find Waldensians also settling in Uruquay, Brazil, and Argentina in the early 1900’s because of a need for a better life.

    Some settled in South Africa as well, along with the French Huguenots. You will find many Facebook groups where one can join up and learn more. The Jalla family are also well known for their missionary work in Lesotho and Zambia, including Giacomo Weitzecker and his wife Luisa Malan. Information including photos are available via Google – search on ‘University of Southern California Digital Library’. You can insert into the open enquiry slot Jules Joseph Adolophe and Louis Jalla.

    Giacomo Weitzecker and Adolphe Jalla were both knighted for their work in Africa. The story of Solomon Cesar Malan, whose family immigrated to England from Geneva, Switzerland, is also a very interesting one. He became a clergyman with the Church of England, and was well travelled, speaking eventually 27 languages. Among his many talents, he was an architect and artist as well.

    His one son Charles Hamilton Malan, who was head of the British Army contingent in Singapore, resigned and became a missionary in South Africa, traveling as well in the 1860’s to Lesotho and the South African province of Kwa Zulu/Natal. Was very much involved with the Scottish missionaries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, where he set up ‘Malan’s Store’ near Butterworth, later taken over by the Scots and retaining the original name.

  6. Amazing story. I had never heard of the Waldensians, and now I add them to my list of things to research! David T., I appreciate your work and your website!

  7. ”The Waldensians are to found to-day in most parts of Italy, and the Theological College is in Rome. There are German Waldenser also to be found in Baden-Wuerttemburg and Hessen, Germany as well. Others are to be found in Argentina, Uruquay and Brazil.” They are very far from being being extinct. They have forgted ahead and expanded, whereas the French Huguenot are only to be found in here and there with a few chueches on display, and no active community worldwide.”

  8. The Edict of Emancipation in 1848 was granted by King C. Alberto granted Waldenses their civil and political rights such as the being able to purchase land outside their valleys, their children could attend colleges/universities outside the valleys and the ability to hold elective office. Their freedom of worship came later.

  9. Waldenese, Waldenesians, Walden’s , etc.. the keys are the faith and devotion among the risk.

  10. This is one of the best reads regarding the Waldensian heritage and the commitment to God through faith. They had tremendous faith in our Lord and savior. My dad studied the Waldensian heritage all his life and shared it with visitors to the museum.

  11. My great grandpa was Albert Tron the Tron house on display at the trail of faith was my great grandparents house

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