Map of the Newfound Community from a 1966 Newfound Community Club Scrapbook, MS306.001 pp 02. Throughout the year as I’ve continued to work on this series and it has gained traction and popularity, hints and suggestions as to what I should write about have come in from various sources. It has been a tremendous undertaking, … Continue reading Hall’s 7 Acres in Newfound: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Nestled in a cove in the eastern end of Buncombe County lies the tiny town of Montreat. The town has only been officially incorporated since 1967, but the community has been around much longer. Montreat began in the late 19th century as an annual Presbyterian camp meeting, and by 1905, congregants had established the Montreat … Continue reading Greetings From Montreat: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Map of a Subdivision within the Montford Neighborhood. MAP402. Montford is one of Buncombe County’s most iconic historic neighborhoods. In this installment of 52 Weeks, 52 Communities, we could take almost any angle on Montford; there is just so much to talk about. So instead of trying to pick just one thesis, I decided that … Continue reading A Montford Bibliography: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Portion of an advertisement for Malvern Hills, Asheville Citizen, 1925. Pleasant Alexander Calhoun lived most of his adult life in a place Horace Kephart described as the “back of beyond.” Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was so remote that few outsiders had ever ventured into the isolated community nestled deep in the Great Smoky Mountains. It's not probable that … Continue reading Becoming a “Townie” in Malvern Hills: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
"Running up and down Cane Creek . . . is a wide belt of lime rock from which, for more than a century, quicklime has been manufactured in large quantities on Cane Creek by burning. . . . From this belt of lime rock Limestone Creek, once known by an objectionable designation, takes its name … Continue reading An Objectionable Designation, Limestone: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Disclaimer: This installment of 52 Weeks, 52 Communities has no ill intent. Indeed, I mean to shame no one in my assertions, only educate. However, be warned, I may air some grievances. Portion of MAP501 showing Leicester Township and surrounding area. Ca. 1903. Dear readers, there are a few things that send unpleasant chills down … Continue reading His Name Was Leicester: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
A Residential Street Scene, Kimberly Heights. Postcard. AC615. We’re over halfway there, folks! Here we are on community #34/52. And a few times throughout this series, we’ve taken the opportunity to teach you a little bit about how to most effectively use your time in the archives or navigate our public database, Presto, to do … Continue reading Historical House Hunting in Kimberly: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
"View of the Mountains from a Villa in Kenilworth, Asheville, NC" Postcard Of all the communities on our list, one of the most photographed besides Downtown Asheville, may be Kenilworth. This Asheville Suburb in the southeast part of the city sprung onto the scene in the late 1910's and rose in popularity into the 1920's … Continue reading A Kenilworth Research Album: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
“[Jupiter] received its name in about 1885 or 1888, by Old North McCLean (sic), he being the first post master. His theory for naming the settlement Jupiter was that it is of a very high altitude and from the post office you could gain a very plain view of the Jupiter star that rose in the north east. There was about three or four men present at the time… they agreed and it was called ‘Jupiter Post Office.’”
