Bricks and the Buildings They Made Exhibit at Pack Memorial Library on the main floor includes real bricks! This exhibit from the North Carolina Room will be on view through January. . . Downtown shopping or seeing the sights with family? Stop in and check it out. Kids will love it. Little is known about brick manufacturers
The North Carolina Room is currently exhibiting photographs from the Richard Hansley Photograph Collection. Mr. Hansley is the author of Asheville’s Historic Architecture, 2011. In 2014 Richard donated his entire photograph collection to the North Carolina Room. His love and enthusiasm of architecture shows in every photograph. We decided to use Mr. Hansley’s photos of details
The North Carolina Room is currently exhibiting photographs from the Richard Hansley Photograph Collection. Mr. Hansley is the author of Asheville’s Historic Architecture, 2011. In 2014 Richard donated his entire photograph collection to the North Carolina Room. His love and enthusiasm of architecture shows in every photograph. We decided to use Mr. Hansley’s photos of details
An eight-story, skeletal form of poured concrete reinforced with steel (upper right) stood on the corner of North Main and College Street for about 6 years as infighting among the Smith Estate’s heirs halted construction. An original drawing of the hotel (RSS0709) is dated January 1906. This was quite an embarrassment to the architectural firm of Smith &
Standing on one corner of Asheville is an excellent place to learn about the ever-changing face of our town. Do you recognize this corner and are you familiar with its curious history? James McConnell Smith was born in 1787. According to historical accounts he was the first white child born west of the Blue Ridge.
Several weeks ago I wrote about the Baraca & Philathea convention in Asheville in 1909. Many churches opened their doors to the conventioneers for various meetings. I recognized most of the church names, but was puzzled by one in particular: Ora Street Presbyterian. Do you know where Ora Street is located? I didn’t until I
“My parent’s favorite spot for dinner and dancing was Margaret’s Supper Club on the Weaverville Highway.” After a recent North Asheville History Project oral interview, Ed Sheary, who grew up at 37 Melrose Avenue, was talking about brown bagging prior to 1979 when Asheville enacted the liquor-by-the-drink law. People would take their liquor to a restaurant (which
Gaylord Oscar (G.O.) Shepherd Sr. settled in Asheville in 1919. At age 24, his arrival was well timed as the city began a decade of rapid growth, ripe for the energies of a young man with ambition. Through hard work he became, according to the Asheville Citizen, “one of the leading advertising agents in the state.” Yet advertising was
The photographer only had about 30 days to get the above interesting picture. This is what’s missing. The building above as it appeared in 1909 as the Asheville Library building at 4 Pack Square South. It was for many years before that known of as the First National Bank Building. In 1889 the bank purchased two small brick buildings that predated