Tag Archives: Asheville

-North Carolina, Houses

The Sherwood Inn-Asheville, North Carolina

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The beautiful Craftsman home, built in 1918 and designed by noted architect Richard Sharp Smith, is in the Kenilworth neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina. Sharp was a key architect at the Biltmore and for the Biltmore Village. The Village was one of the areas decimated during Hurricane Helene.

The Whitlock Lipinsky family was the first to live here, and they continued to live here for several decades but under a different name. While researching the house’s history, I noted the mentions of the Lewinskys and the Lees. It wasn’t until I dove into census records that I realized that sometime between 1920 and 1930, the Lipinsky family changed their name to Lees. Using newspaper mentions, I narrowed it down between 1927 and 1930.

By 1948, the address is being advertised as the “Sherwood Inn.” Apparently, you can still see the numbers from the old inn on some of the bedroom doors. Note to the right of the house is an old trolley car. It was an original car to the Asheville trolley system.

Images of the home’s interior are in an old real estate listing.

-North Carolina, Houses, National Register of Historic Places

A Bed of Roses Inn-A Historic House in Asheville, North Carolina

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The Victorian home in the Montford District was built in 1897 by O. D. Revell for Carolyn Gray. The Wilkinson family lived in the home by 1902. By 1922, it was divided into rental units. It became a bed and breakfast in 1995.

Image from the National Register of Historic Places application
-North Carolina, Black History, National Register of Historic Places

Young Men’s Institute Building-Asheville, North Carolina

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The Young Men’s Institute (YMI) Building was the dream of Asheville community leaders Isaac Dickson and Dr. Edward Stephens. Both approached George Vanderbilt to fund a community building to serve the Black community of Asheville. George Vanderbilt donated $10,000 to help build the space. It was designed by Richard Sharp Smith, the architect for the Biltmore and many other important buildings around the Western North Carolina area. It opened in 1893.

Modeled after the YMCA, the YMI provided services to the local community, such as teaching people to read, public speaking classes, and a meeting space. Additionally, the YMI held events that included notes, musicians, and speakers. It was a true hub of the community.

It is a contributing property to the local historic district.

-North Carolina, Black History, Churches and Temples

Cappadocia Fire-Baptized Holiness Church-Asheville, North Carolina

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Located on the Catholic Hill in Asheville is the Cappadocia Fire-Baptized Holiness Church. The FBH church was founded in 1896. It was built on the tenets of three acts of grace: the New Birth, baptism of fire, and baptism with the Holy Ghost.

The Asheville FBH congregation was formed in 1906. By 1908, they built their first church. The current structure was constructed in 1926. The church is one of the oldest extant buildings in the historic Black neighborhood of East End. Unfortunately, the church dissolved a few years ago due to dwindling membership. It sat abandoned for a few years. It was slated for demolition, but the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County purchased it.

For a very detailed history of the area and the church, please read the history compiled on the Preservation Society‘s website.

-North Carolina, Cemeteries, Famous People

Hair Clips and $1.87-The Gifts Left on O. Henry’s Grave

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William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. Porter’s pen name was O. Henry. A prolific short story writer, his most famous story is “The Gift of the Magi,” a story about a husband and wife who struggle to afford Christmas gifts and their determination to buy the perfect gift for each other.

Buried in Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery, visitors frequently leave $1.87 on his grave, the amount Della possessed in savings at the story’s beginning, and hair clips.

If you’ve never read the story or want to reread it, you can read it for free on Google Play Books.

-North Carolina, Black History, Cemeteries, Churches and Temples, National Register of Historic Places

St. John “A” Baptist Church and South Asheville Cemetery

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Located in South Asheville, the St. John “A” Baptist Church and the South Asheville Cemetery were originally part of a Black community that was absorbed into Kenilworth. The cemetery and church were not annexed into Kenilworth.

Built in 1929, this brick Gothic Revival church is the third church for the congregation. It is located next to the South Asheville Cemetery, which began as a cemetery for the enslaved. Its first caretaker was George Avery (1844-1938). Believed to be a United States Color Troop member, he returned to Asheville after the Civil War and became the sexton to care for the cemetery.

It is estimated that over 3000 people are buried in the cemetery, which was one of the few places where Black community members of Asheville could be buried. There are only about 100 headstones in the cemetery, though.

The church is now the official steward of the cemetery. When the cemetery became overgrown, volunteers from the church took care of it. Fortunately, the church now receives help from volunteers across the city.

The church and cemetery were put on the National Register of Historic Places