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Carlos Galarza

Rudy Nothdurft of the Save Our History Now! project presented copies of a video of the soon to disappear Biemann-Hughs home in Walhalla to the Oconee County Library and Oconee Heritage Center.

Photo

Click on photo to enlarge

Carlos Galarza

The Biemann-Hughs home on College Street in Walhalla has been sold to a Cashiers, N.C. company that plans to use sections and materials of the home to build historic log homes.

WALHALLA — Since moving to Oconee County 10 years ago from Maryland, Rudy Nothdurft’s passion for history is becoming very well known in the community.

For the past six years he has collaborated on numerous projects that have preserved a rich past for future generations.

This week, Nothdurft’s reputation as a history geek went up another notch when he donated his latest project — a video that painstakingly described every corner inside and out of the Biemann-Hugh home that soon will disappear after sitting on College Street for 120 years.

Nothdurft said a Cashiers, N.C. company soon will dismantle the home and use its parts and materials in building historic log homes.

Preserving the historic record of the house is important to Nothdurft because it was the last house built by Dietrich Biemann, who also built one of the earliest hotels in Walhalla.

Catherine Hughs, who was related to the Biemann family, was born in the house and lived in it until her death in 2006.

Nothdurft narrates the tour of the house with a violin concerto playing in the background. Sterling Johnson with Sterling Video recorded the final tour of the old house.

Throughout the almost hour-long tour Nothdurft visits every room on the two floors. He points to the stone and brick used to build the fireplace, the light fixtures probably installed shortly after electricity came to Walhalla in 1914 and the room where Hughs gave piano lessons.

Nothdurft concludes the tour with his signature plea of “Save Our History Now!”

The work represents the seventh project for Nothdurft. Previously he videotaped an interview with Catherine Hughs at her home some six months before her death. He also produced a video featuring South Carolina Rep. Bill Whitmire, R-Walhalla.

The Whitmire video includes rare photos and prints of early businesses in Walhalla that have disappeared. Whitmire taught history in public schools in Walhalla for about 30 years and is a former mayor of Walhalla.

Nothdurft also produced a video commemorating the 150th anniversary of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Walhalla. His association with the church led him to also feature the Rev. George Shealy in one of his videos. Shealy has written several books about Walhalla history.

Nothdurft has donated a copy of each of his videos to the library and the Heritage Center.

Nothdurft said the Save Our History Now project has focused on the Walhalla area, but he would like to expand it to other parts of Oconee County.

Retired after almost 40 years working for the U.S. Department of Defense in intelligence, Nothdurft entertains himself through his homegrown RJN Family History Co. that he founded six years ago.

As a person of German descent, Nothdurft is easily drawn to Walhalla, which was founded largely by Germans.

Nothdurft said his next project just might be based on the handful of hotels that flourished in Walhalla just before the turn of the 20th century.

“Walhalla was a resort,” Nothdurft said, pointing to another little known tidbit of history.