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
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
Remembering the Kenhurst lodge North Carolina Room Friend Cliff Lively is the current resident of the stately home on Elk Mountain Highway that was known for 30 years as Kenhurst Lodge. We thank Mr. Lively for lending the Library his collection of material relating to the Lodge, including guests' letters, brochures, guest book, guest registers, and a … Continue reading Remembering the Kenhurst Lodge on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway
Fetching its name from Hezekiah Barnard, who owned stock stand and inn near the Forks of Ivy in the 19th century, Barnardsville is one of Buncombe County’s most rural communities. Things get a little fuzzy on where exactly Barnardsville ends and Democrat and Dillingham begin, but we'll get into that when we look at those … Continue reading 52 Weeks, 52 Communities: Barnardsville,What’s in the North Carolina Collection?
One of the more unusual aspects of public library service in Buncombe County is the existence of two library/ recreation center/fire station facilities in the City of Asheville. I know of no other locality in North Carolina with similar buildings. There are a few library and recreation center combinations and at least one library emergency … Continue reading Building Combination Library/Recreation Center/Fire Department
After last week's post about Douglas Ellington's drawing for a city auditorium, Asheville architect Jim Samsel, with an interest in buildings that didn't get built, brought our attention to this 16-story building also designed by Douglas Ellington, and also never built. The site location is at Pack Square next to the Langren Hotel, the current location of the Akzona-Biltmore … Continue reading Rendering, Unbuilt project, N Pack Square-Asheville
The North Carolina Room and the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County are partnering together to offer the "Scan the Plan" project. Anyone with eligible architectural drawings can come to the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial library and get your plans digitized. The service only takes a few minutes, and participants will be able to … Continue reading “Scan the Plan” Digitize Your Old Home Blueprints for Free!
Most people are familiar with, and bemoan, the decision our county forefathers made to not go with Douglas Ellington's proposed twin designs for the Asheville City Hall and the Buncombe County Courthouse. But did you know about Ellington's plan for a civic auditorium? Douglas Ellington introduced Art Deco architecture to Asheville in the 1920s, starting with … Continue reading Douglas Ellington’s Asheville Auditorium
"Skyline Dairy was clean, modern, and cool. We would have cones of lemon sherbet after a Sunday afternoon drive. Most often we ate in the car, probably because it kept my brother and I quiet and contained for a few minutes. Always loved that facade -- another example of short-lived good modern architecture, now … Continue reading A Postcard Memory
