Jack and Travis Owen

Jack and Travis Owen, a father and son team, have left an indelible imprint on the Southern Highlands Reserve. From the many large native boulders used for steps and walls all over the Reserve, the unique Jacks’s Barn, the chestnut boards inside the office building and the large soapstone rock used for the patio fireplace on the roof garden, Jack and Travis have left a lasting impression. Native born residents of the Silversteen Community here in Transylvania County, Jack and Travis began work at the Southern Highlands Reserve on Vaseyi Pond, the first project begun here over six years ago.

Jack passed away in the fall of 2007 but Travis carries on the work he learned from his father. Jack is sorely missed by all at the Southern Highlands Reserve but we are reminded of his talent and personality daily by the many lasting monuments he and his son left behind. Our friend Jack was a kind, gentle, one-of-a-kind master rock man, who had a way with words, rock and people. He had a special talent for making large, heavy objects behave as he desired. He dreamed big dreams and made more of them come true than most people do.