Buncombe County Special Collections
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • About The Collection
    • Plan A Visit
  • HeardTell Blog
  • Search Our Collections
  • Resources for Researchers
  • Community-Based Archives
    • View Archives
    • Oral History Resources
    • Black AVL History Project
  • Become a Friend
    • Become a Friend
    • Board of Directors
  • Events
  • Contact
© 2021 Buncombe County Special Collections. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 / Published in Architecture, Buildings, Events, Local History, New Donations

Brown Bag Lunch “Hungry for History” Attendees Learn about Rafael Guastavino’s Life & Family

Local Asheville residents are hungry for history. Eighty-three people gathered in the Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library to hear new research about the life and family of Rafael Guastavino (1842-1908), the renowned Spanish architect known for his vaults and domes. Guastavino came to Asheville in 1894 for the construction of the Biltmore Estate. He purchased 1,000 acres near Black Mountain for his home, which he named Rhododendron, the current site of Christmount Christian Assembly.

IMG_0550

Wednesday, May 27, 2015, Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library.

Guastavino is most known in Asheville for his domes and vaults at Biltmore Estate as well as his “masterpiece,” the Basilica of St. Lawrence. He is also known for his domes and vaults at the Cathedral of St. John The Divine in NYC, the Boston Public Library and Grand Central Station, to name only a few.

John Toms, in photo below, seated facing the camera, set the background and introduced the speakers. John researched and wrote the National Register documentation for the Basilica’s National Significance designation. Albert Czarnecki at the podium, contacted many of the newly found family members, and was given, with stipulations, valuable Guastavino business and personal letters, as well as Spanish clothing worn by Guastavino’s second wife, Francisca, who lived on at Rhododendron after he died in 1908, until her death in 1946.

IMG_0554

Lori Doerr, a retired chemist and past docent at the Basilica, talked about the genealogical work she had done on both Rafael and Francisca (who took some 14 years off her actual age, making Lori’s research a bit difficult.) Diane Wright, tour coordinator for the Basilica, talked about the chance to meet and talk several times with Francisca’s friend and driver, Nancy Hyatt Frady, revelling more about Francisca and her 38 year period of being a recluse, mourning her husband’s death. Diane also invited everyone to come tour the Guastavino masterpiece.

IMG_0555

Some of these items of correspondence and clothing and the result of the speaker’s research are currently on display through May 31 in the North Carolina Room at Pack Library, and have been donated as part of the permanent collection in the North Carolina Room. The event was sponsored by the Friends of the North Carolina Room.

MS264_001B PHOTO G

Ending the program, an AmeriCorps volunteer at Hall Fletcher Elementary School, and a parent of two students there, talked about plans for Hall Fletcher’s Outdoor Learning Center that plans to construct two Guastavino domes on the site.

Their project can be found at this link,

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1340887407/outdoor-learning-center-hall-fletcher-elementary

IMG_0562

Thanks from the North Carolina Room staff to John, Lori, Albert and Diane for their passionate interest, detailed research, and for taking the time to share it with us.

Photographs taken by North Carolina Room staff, Lyme Kedic.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tagged under: Albert Czarnecki, Asheville, Basilica of St. Lawrence, Diane Wright, John Toms, Lori Doerr, Rafael Guastavino

What you can read next

ASHEVILLE’S FIRST CITY SCHOOLS FOR BLACK STUDENTS, Part Three: Builders of Black Schools
Tourist Court Expedition Taken by Library Staff
EVENT–THE PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF HERBERT PELTON: ASHEVILLE 1905-1930 BY BENJAMIN PORTER

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Search Our Site

Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,490 other subscribers
TOP
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: