Mayna Treanor Avent Studio

The Mayna Treanor Avent Studio is a wooden structure made from half-notched poplar logs with mud and concrete between the joints, set on stone foundations. The cabin has a rectangular shape and remains in its original location, surrounded by the forested slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The cabin was built around 1850 by the Ownby family and later purchased in 1918 by Frank Avent. He then converted it into an art studio about a decade later.

Artist Mayna Treanor Avent used this mountain retreat as a place to create paintings and sketches that reflected the Appalachian landscape around her. Some of these works eventually found their way into major museum collections.

The cabin sits about 200 yards from Jake's Creek Trail at an elevation where the mountain setting is clearly felt, making it accessible by hiking. You should expect to find a simple structure with no electricity or plumbing, so bring water and plan for basic conditions.

This is the last surviving authentic Appalachian settler cabin on Jake's Creek and features two unusually large windows designed specifically to bring in natural light for painting and drawing. The windows tell the story of how the artist adapted the old dwelling for her creative needs.