Friday, October 12, 2018 / Published in Asheville History, Events, Friends of the NC Room, Houses, Manuscript Collection

What’s the Coolest Organization to Belong to in Asheville?

  Answer: The Friends of the North Carolina Room! We are a fun and varied group of Asheville residents who love local Asheville history. We love to get together and . . . yes . . . talk about local history. We love to socialize, i.e., eat, drink and talk together.   This years Friends
Friday, September 28, 2018 / Published in Asheville History, Buildings, Forgotten People, Local History, Photograph Collection

Found People of Asheville Part 4: Frenchman Shaped Asheville’s Horticulture Scene 100 Years Ago

Eudore Artus was born in the Bay of Biscay area of France in 1883. His father was a shoe maker but Eudore took up gardening at age 12. In 1910 he was working in Paris for a woman from Montreal, Canada, who was a friend of Mother Deplanch, founder of St. Genevieve. While Mother Deplanch
Thursday, July 26, 2018 / Published in Asheville History, Buildings, Buncombe County History, Photograph Collection, Post Card Collection

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Mystery

On a recent morning I was sorting postcards to sell from my collection. I came upon a card that mystified me. Truth be told, many a postcard makes me wonder why I chose to buy that particular card.  Was it for the winsome portraits of children or the phrase “Metropolitan Tabernacle” that made me purchase
Monday, April 02, 2018 / Published in African Americans, Asheville History, Buildings, Buncombe County History, Forgotten People, Post Card Collection

Professor J.H. Michael’s Early Work to Further the Education of Black Teachers–Asheville 1915-1921

John Henry Michael was born in Alabama in 1867. He was the son of Robert Lee and Martha Michael. J.H. Michael graduated from the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and from Branch Normal of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. (1) He married Lela B. in 1895. Michael was hired in 1901 to serve as principal of Asheville’s Catholic
Thursday, March 22, 2018 / Published in Asheville History, Buildings, Local History, Photograph Collection, Post Card Collection, Uncategorized

Jimmie’s Waffle Shop

Mention Paradise Chinese Restaurant, The Hot Shot, or The Silver Dollar and folks of a certain age (including yours truly) can wax eloquent on southern-fried chicken at the Paradise or after-the-bars-closed biscuits and gravy breakfasts at the Hot Shot. I think I might have enjoyed the menu in the paneled interior of Jimmie’s Waffle Shop
Thursday, December 21, 2017 / Published in Architecture, Buildings, Local History, Photograph Collection

The Most Beautiful Brick I’ve Ever Seen!

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
Thursday, December 07, 2017 / Published in Architecture, Asheville History, Buildings, Buncombe County History, Local History

Answers to Our Quiz: How Well Do You Know Asheville’s Buildings?

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
Wednesday, November 22, 2017 / Published in Architecture, Asheville History, Buildings, Local History

How Well Do You Know Asheville’s Buildings? A Quiz With Up To $30 worth of prizes!

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
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 / Published in Architecture, Buildings, Local History, Smith Estate Hotel

Standing on One Corner in Asheville, Part Two

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 &