Cruso Community Center & Friendship Club

The Cruso Community Center is home to the Cruso Friendship Club, Cruso Craft Co-Op, Thrift Shop, Library, and many events each year! We are open from Memorial Weekend in May through mid-October each year. The Cruso Community Center is located in the old stone, Cruso School built in 1928. It served as a school until 1967 when the Haywood County Schools System consolidated and merged many of the rural schools including Cruso with others. The building was purchased shortly after closing by the A.I. Freelander and his foundation and was turned over to the community. It has been a community center ever since.

In the last 10-12 years, we have replaced the roof, windows and exterior doors throughout. We have also put in a drop ceiling in the hallway and put ceiling fans in every room! We put down flooring in the auditorium, repainted much of the interior, added a walking track around the perimeter of the facility, landscaped out front, and replaced all of our signs outside. We have also had a mural of Cold Mountain painted on the stage wall in the auditorium. 95% of our light fixtures are now more energy efficient, using the new CFL light bulbs! We continue to work toward restoring the 80-year old building and keeping it functioning for many years to come.

Each year, the Friendship Club hosts many events including our yearly Thrift Shop Fashion Show & Luncheon, Old Crab Day, Quilt Show, Suppers, and more. We have a Halloween Festival for the community each October. The Craft & Thrift Shops as well as our library are open each Tuesday through Saturday from 10a-4p, from Memorial Weekend through mid-October.

Our facility is completely volunteer run. From the president/janitor of the Cruso Community Development Corporation to the cashiers each business day, every person that works to keep the Community Center thriving is a volunteer. We are constantly looking for more volunteers, like you, to help us with this wonderful organization! For more information on how to volunteer, please contact us through the FB page or at the number above.

We look forward to seeing you soon at the Cruso Community Center!