If you grew up in Buncombe County any time after 1960, chances are you took a trip either with your school or your parents to the Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site located in the Reems Creek community near Weaverville. The reconstruction of a late 18th, early 19th century mountain plantation has hosted thousands … Continue reading On a Staircase in Reems Creek: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Oakley School, abt. 1952, image scanned from the Oakley Oak school annual. M055-DS. Oakley, like all of the communities we’ve featured this year, has seen significant changes over time with the ebb and flow of Asheville and Buncombe County’s real estate, industrial, and tourism economy. Throughout the years, the section has developed from rolling farmland … Continue reading The Name Game, Oakley : 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Presentation This Thursday, October 24 from 6:00-7:00 Pack Memorial Library, Lord Auditorium, lower level. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Where is the Ravenscroft Reserve? The Ravenscroft Reserve is located at 11 Collier Avenue north of Banks Avenue, at the southern end of Ravenscroft Drive. The … Continue reading The Ravenscroft Reserve: Its History and Importance
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
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
