The rugged outdoorsman who has been dubbed the 'Last American Man' is facing a government shutdown of his camp in the Appalachian Mountains for not adhering to building codes



A man who has dedicated nearly 30 years to building and living off of his 500-acre farm is facing having his entire way of life shut down by the state government.

Eustace Conway, 51, who has been called ‘The Last Great American Man’ for his rustic way of living, could lose his camp in the Appalachian Mountains, his home for the past three decades.

The Watauga County Planning Department in North Carolina has found several health and sanitary violations in his encampment and has threatened to condemn the buildings.

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Closed: Eustace Conway, pictured, and described by Elizabeth Gilbert as 'the last great American man,' could lose his outdoor way of living because he violated North Carolina building and sanitation codes

Naturalist: Conway has built and lived in his Turtle Island encampment for more than 30 years



Conway, who was given the title of the ‘last great American man’ by ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ author Elizabeth Gilbert in her 2002 biography, is fighting the department over their violations.

Literary: Conway was profiled in Elizabeth Gilbert's 2002 biography

According to the Wall Street Journal , several officials showed up to his Turtle Islan d Preserve home and found that his outhouses, kitchens, and even the wood he’s used to build several structures across the properties aren’t up to snuff.

Their findings were summarized in a 78-page report.



Now the planning department is demanding that Conway either tear down his structures or rebuild them in-line with public housing codes.

The naturalist is outraged.

‘The whole foundation of the American experience is based on the experience of small farms,’ he told WSOC TV. ‘This is a small farm.’

While he said he doesn’t have ‘a perfect record,’ he added that America’s Founding Fathers did not have to live up to scrupulous building codes.



He also said that the annual summer camps he runs – which teach outdoor skills to children each year – are at risk of ending.

One of the department’s issues was that none of Conway’s lumber was properly marked. But all of his wood is made at his personal sawmill.

‘Codes don’t apply to what we’re doing,’ he told the Wall Street Journal.



Following the publication of the piece in last week’s Journal, the Building Code Council of North Carolina announced they were thinking of amending the codes for primitive camps.

However, the ruling could take several weeks, putting Conway’s summer camp business in jeopardy.

Live of the land: Conway earns much of his income from teaching summer camps and outdoor programs, which could be cancelled because of his violations