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.
Tempie Avery was a young girl purchased in Charleston in 1840 by Nicholas Woodfin. During her time on his plantation she became a midwife delivering both black and white babies in Asheville. After the Civil War, Mr. Woodfin deeded property to Tempie at 26 Pearson Drive, the current site of the Montford Community Center. On
The North Carolina Room received a call from someone–with both musical and local history interests–asking if there really was a collapse of the Swannanoa Tunnel, as the song, “Swannanoa Tunnel” relates? I said I would send him an article about it, thinking in a free moment I would just slap the article on the scanner and have it off to him.
The Western North Carolina Railroad was chartered in 1852 by the North Carolina General Assembly. A railway was to be constructed from Salisbury to some point on the French Broad River beyond the Blue Ridge. By 1859 the road had reached Morganton, a distance of 84 miles. [Asheville News July 14, 1859.] The Western North
Title: Anne Penland, Asheville Native, W.W. I Nurse Anesthetist Speakers: Symposium with Keynote Speaker, Sandra Oullette, Past President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetist. Also, the American Red Cross and Penland Family Members. Guest appearances by Actress Callan White and the Asheville High Brass Quintet. Date: Saturday September 16, 2017 Time: 1: PM to 3:00 PM followed by
North Carolina Room staff and volunteers are coming to North Branch Library Saturday, September 9th from 11 am to 4 pm to scan your photographs. Your photographs will be digitally archived and added to the North Carolina Room’s Photograph Collection, AND become a permanent part of Asheville’s history. The North Asheville History Project 2017 presently contains over
As the Asheville community looks at how to best remedy its lack of recognition of the African American community and their contributions and sacrifices that made Asheville what it is today, it is more important than ever to know MORE history. What did slavery look like in Asheville and Buncombe County? These are a few notes taken
Title: Legends, Secrets and Mysteries of Asheville. Speaker: Marla Milling Date: Wednesday, August 30th Time: 12:00 to 1:00 Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, Lower Level Local historian and author Marla Milling will talk about her new book, Legends, Secrets and Mysteries of Asheville. Come hear about the stories behind the stories and where she finds her stories.
Eclipsomania is in full force for the eclipsical event in western North Carolina in August this year. As the total eclipse makes its way across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina, a band in western North Carolina and 13 other states qualifies for being in the zone of totality! A total solar