I remember “worst” Asheville. It’s the neighborhood where my Grandfather was born in a house with dirt floors, where I went to preschool (back when Crossroads Assembly was "West Asheville Assembly" located on Haywood Rd.), attended my first dance lessons (in the building where Asheville Greenworks is today), and went along with my mother to … Continue reading A “Worst” Asheville Album: 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
Many of our 52 Weeks 52 Communities posts have been about rediscovering the origins of the names of our communities in Buncombe County. This week is no different. Deaverview, a community in West Asheville seemed straightforward in this regard: figure out who Deaver is, and call it a day. But, sometimes it’s not that easy. … Continue reading Deaver’s View//Deaverview, A Peek into the Process: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
“On the west side of Asheville between Patton and Haywood/A community holds on, tries to create a sustainable model, /Relationship-building between people/What can I say: Burton Street?” -DeWayne Barton “Burton Street Working Together” from 27 Views of Asheville, Eno Publishers, ed. We have discussed the Burton Street Community a few times this year, especially highlighting … Continue reading Working Together on Burton Street: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Robert Henry, Forgotten Pioneer and the Sulphur Springs Hotel (Malvern Hills, West Asheville) Bring a brown bag lunch and go back in time with local historian Richard Russell. Wednesday, February 24, 12 noon--1 pm Pack Memorial Library, Lord Auditorium (lower level) 67 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC The event is free and open to the public. … Continue reading
Before there were bridges across the French Broad River, there were ferries. And then there were no bridges across the river, according to F.S. Sondley in A History of Buncombe County North Carolina, when in "1865 the Yankee invasion up the French Broad River burned the bridges at Alexanders and at what is now Craggy. … Continue reading Horses Crossing the French Broad River on a Ferry
Edward W. Pearson, Sr. was one of the most energetic and creative forces for positive change that Asheville has ever known. From Pearson’s arrival in Asheville in 1906, until his death in 1946, he worked tirelessly to improve the fortunes and the quality of life of his family and his community. Facing many barriers to … Continue reading A Valentine for E. W. Pearson, Sr.
The growth of our collection depends on the generosity of donors like Gary Logan, who recently shared his extensive collection of family photographs. His great grandparents William Erwin Logan (1860-1916) and Rose Addie Deaver Logan (1865-1943), lived at 124 Logan Avenue in West Asheville, fondly called "The Big House" by the family. In the photograph above, … Continue reading Gary Logan Family Collection
