Saturday, June 15, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Buncombe County History, Local History, North Carolina Room Staff

Farming Family connections in Fairview: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

One of my earliest childhood memories is in a big, old house full of people gathered for Christmas dinner. In a dining room with a large table and wood floors, the chandelier lit with candles dripped down onto the table. At just five years old or so, it was a method of lighting I had
Saturday, June 08, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Local History, New Donations, Postcard Collection, Women

Welkom Bij Het Dorp Enka! 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

In the late 1920’s a group of Asheville investors, boosters, and executives (including Fred Seely, son in law of the late E.W Grove) hatched a plan to lure one of the world’s most progressive burgeoning industries to western North Carolina. Established in the early 1920s after the discovery of the scientific process for creating “artificial
Thursday, June 06, 2019 / Published in African Americans, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Local History

“A Tribute to the Stephens-Lee High School” is Now on Video

“A Tribute to the Stephens-Lee High School” as presented by the North Carolina Room on April 9, 2019 at the Stephens-Lee Center is now on video! Here’s a call out to black Asheville. here’s the goal: LET’S DOCUMENT EVERY FACULTY MEMBER WHO EVER TAUGHT AT STEPHENS-LEE! What better way to honor these people who gave
Saturday, June 01, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Architecture, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Forgotten People, Historic Montford, Houses, Local Heroes and Heroines, Local History

Cousin Caney the Corrupt Commissioner and the Brand New Emma-Leicester Road: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

Emma is a small community in western Buncombe County that sits nestled between Dryman Mountain and the French Broad River. If you wanted to put a pushpin on a map, you’d place it on the crossroads at North Louisiana and Emma Road (SR 1338). Today, the intersection maintains some character of the old and the
Tuesday, May 28, 2019 / Published in Events

Upcoming Program: Secrets from a Mountain Cove with Bob Brunk

Please join the North Carolina Room for our free monthly program tomorrow evening in Lord Auditorium from 6-7 pm. “SECRETS OF A MOUNTAIN COVE; A FAMILY’S LIFE WITH ARCHAEOLOGY” An Illustrated Essay by Bob Brunk Light Refreshments will be served. Bob, his wife Jan, and their two small children moved to a steep mountain farm
Saturday, May 25, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, African Americans, Architecture, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Forgotten People

A Garage, A Block, A Door…The East End: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

Today’s blog is slightly different than other 52 Weeks, 52 Communities posts. This week, the author chose to write an essay about her personal connection to the East End Community. When I was very small, my Uncle Boozer was the biggest man I had ever known. When we gathered for family suppers, Thanksgiving, Christmas, funerals,
Saturday, May 18, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, African Americans, Buncombe County History, Forgotten People, Photograph Collection

“Keep My Name in Remembrance,” Dillingham: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

“Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: …and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.” 2 Samuel 18:18 Though he died in 1838, by 1887 Absalom Dillingham managed, in his own way,
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Architecture, Buildings, Houses, Local History, Manuscript Collection, Treasures: Very Special Items

A Trip to the Store in Democrat, 1876: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

If you were taking a trip to Burnsville from Asheville between 1847 and 1890 there was, for the most part, only one way to get there. Along the road, there would be a few choice places to stop, but the most famous was Carter’s. It was, like most other Stock Stands along the various turnpike
Saturday, May 04, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Local History, Manuscript Collection

Deaver’s View//Deaverview, A Peek into the Process: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

Many of our 52 Weeks 52 Communities posts have been about rediscovering the origins of the names of our communities in Buncombe County. This week is no different. Deaverview, a community in West Asheville seemed straightforward in this regard: figure out who Deaver is, and call it a day. But, sometimes it’s not that easy.