Asheville’s real estate boom in the 1920’s fostered the growth of many neighborhoods: Lakeview Park, Malvern Hills, Horney Heights, and Kenilworth, just to name a few. Biltmore Avenue borders Kenilworth on the east and across the avenue, on a knoll overlooking Biltmore Village, is the pocket neighborhood of St. Dunstan’s Circle. A Mr. Roebling first … Continue reading St. Dunstan's Circle: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
When I went searching our database for sources to write this edition of 52 Weeks, 52 Communities I had one thought when the results came back: “This cannot be it.” Alas, this seems to be the only historical image of the Shiloh Community in the North Carolina Collection here at Pack Memorial Library. "Shiloh Baptist … Continue reading The only historical image of Shiloh? 52 Weeks, 52 Communities.
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
Thursday October 17- Sunday October 20: OUT! A Pop Up Exhibit featuring material from our LGBT+ Archives Thursday, October 24, 6-7 pm: The Ravenscroft Reserve October 30: The Panoramic Photos of Herbert W. Pelton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday October 17- Sunday October 20: OUT! A Pop Up Exhibit featuring material from our LGBT+ Archives OUT! A Pop … Continue reading Join the Friends of the NC Room for THREE events in October!
"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
Emma is a small community in western Buncombe County that sits nestled between Dryman Mountain and the French Broad River. If you wanted to put a pushpin on a map, you’d place it on the crossroads at North Louisiana and Emma Road (SR 1338). Today, the intersection maintains some character of the old and the … Continue reading Cousin Caney the Corrupt Commissioner and the Brand New Emma-Leicester Road: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Today's blog is slightly different than other 52 Weeks, 52 Communities posts. This week, the author chose to write an essay about her personal connection to the East End Community. When I was very small, my Uncle Boozer was the biggest man I had ever known. When we gathered for family suppers, Thanksgiving, Christmas, funerals, … Continue reading A Garage, A Block, A Door…The East End: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Sometimes things just make you wonder, like the name "Chicken Hill." As a Buncombe County native, I remember asking my dad as we would cut through West Haywood to avoid (what we called then) the Westgate Bridge, "Why is that place called Chicken Hill?" and his response, always trying to teach me better observe my … Continue reading Where are All the Chickens on Chicken Hill? : 52 Weeks 52 Communities
The voices of our community members are one way we learn about our past. Eleanor Newcomb Rice knew this, and made it her work to collect the voices of "Old Candlertown" for many years. Rice was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1924, but when she was young, her parents moved her and her three older … Continue reading Voices from Old Candlertown: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
