Thursday, June 09, 2022 / Published in News

HeardTell Blog Now Open to Community Submissions  

Buncombe County Special Collections is now accepting community member submissions to our HeardTell Blog!   Since 2013 our blog, HeardTell, has engaged lovers of Buncombe County history by sharing stories about and found in our archive. Over the years, HeardTell has become a tremendous resource and outreach tool, reaching more than half a million views. The
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 / Published in Uncategorized

Buncombe County Libraries Celebrates 60 Years of Integration

On September 29, 2021 the Buncombe County Library system celebrates the 60th anniversary of integration. The 828 Digital Archives for Historical Equity Project has been working closely with Buncombe County Special Collections to digitize documents from the Asheville-Buncombe Library Collection and research the history of segregation and integration in the libraries in order to commemorate
Saturday, January 04, 2020 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, African Americans, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Houses, Local History

Confronting the Legacy of N.W. Woodfin: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

The Woodfin community, like many other Buncombe County communities is named for a man who enslaved human beings. If you’ve followed along in this series, you’ve probably recognized that to be a common theme among communities; they’re named for people of extravagant wealth. Wealth earned on the backs of enslaved black people. Indeed, our county
Monday, December 02, 2019 / Published in African Americans, Asheville History, Buncombe County History, Education, Forgotten People, Local Heroes and Heroines, Local History, Photograph Collection

ASHEVILLE’S FIRST CITY SCHOOLS FOR BLACK STUDENTS, Part Three: Builders of Black Schools

The Creation of a Public School System for the City of Asheville, 1887-1888 Setting Up the System and Hiring the Teachers Asheville Times, July 29, 1887: “Graded School Carried: Asheville Keeps to the Front By a Very Close Squeeze” “We need not multiply words to express pleasure at the result of the election yesterday on
Thursday, April 26, 2018 / Published in Asheville History, Photograph Collection

“A Dollar in the Bank is Worth Two in the Pocket” (so they say……)

Uncommon and unusual objects sing an irresistible siren’s song to me (much to my bank account’s dismay). I just can’t stop myself when I find a listing for an Asheville object such as the item pictured below. This diminutive metal bank measures 3.25 x 2 x 1.5 inches. It rests neatly in the palm of
Thursday, February 01, 2018 / Published in Events, Local History, Photograph Collection

  JUST A LITTLE FRIENDLY REMINDER:  Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces Date: Saturday February 3rd Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Where: Pack Memorial Library, Lord Auditorium, lower level. This event is free
Sunday, January 21, 2018 / Published in African Americans, Local History, Photograph Collection

How Black and White is Asheville?

Do you prefer to live in a segregated city? What could you do to change that? Would you seek out some people of the opposite race to go to dinner with–an idea, I believe, from Date My City? If enough of us did that, would it change what is happening in our city? If we
Tuesday, January 09, 2018 / Published in African Americans, Events, Local History, Photograph Collection

Event. Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces

Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces Date: Saturday February 3rd Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Where: Pack Memorial Library, Lord Auditorium, lower level. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the North Carolina Room Like any local history room,
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