Sharing the love of Christ, in the glory of God's creation.
The unique Starwood Performing Arts Camp Program is one of the few that offers both formal classroom training and production experience for young people. At Starwood, career-minded individuals can prepare for the rigors of a professional career, yet students not aiming for a professional career benefit from the program with its emphasis on discipline, self-worth and the development of communication skills.
Founded in 1856 by Henry Johnson as a railroad station called "Johnson's Depot," Johnson City became a major rail hub for the southeast, as three railway lines crossed in the downtown area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Johnson City served as headquarters for the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad and the standard gauge Clinchfield Railroad. Both rail systems featured excursion trips through scenic portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains and were engineering marvels of railway construction. The Southern Railway also passes through the city. During the American Civil War, before it was formally incorporated in 1869, the name of the town was briefly changed to Haynesville in honor of Confederate Senator Landon Carter Haynes. Henry Johnson's name was quickly restored following the war, with Johnson elected as the city's first Mayor on January 3, 1870. The town grew rapidly from 1870 until 1890 as railroad and mining interests flourished. However, the national depression of 1893, which caused many railway failures and a resulting financial panic, halted Johnson City's boom town momentum in its tracks. In 1901, the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers , Mountain Home, Tennessee was created by an Act of the US Congress introduced by Walter P. Brownlow.