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Woolworth Walk is a local gem of Asheville, a place where artists both casual and professional can display their work for many visitors to enjoy. Located in the historic F. W. Woolworth Building, the Woolworth Walk gallery and Soda Fountain keep the local history of Asheville alive while providing visitors with a taste of the contemporary art and culture of the area.&nbsp;<br><br>The F. W. Woolworth Building was&nbsp;built in 1938. In 2000, owner Scott Sirkin began renovations on the building, eventually creating the gallery space and Soda Fountain seen today. Rebuilt in its original location, the Soda Fountain adds another layer of nostalgia to the Woolworth Walk. It resembles the original Woolworth Luncheonette, adding a 50s flair to the space that compliments the local art.<br><br>The Woolworth Walk gallery features only local artists, immersing visitors in the history and culture of Asheville. The gallery welcomes new and experienced artists alike, providing a unique array of art for visitors to enjoy. Many types of art are displayed, including paintings, photographs, pottery, and glass work.&nbsp;

This 1938 Woolworth Building was restored in 2001 and has received two Griffin Awards for historical accuracy

The Soda Fountain, Built to resemble the original Woolworth Luncheonette

One of the paintings on display in the gallery

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Article on the creation of the Woolworth Walk

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Located in the historic F. W. Woolworth Building, Woolworth Walk is a uniquely local Asheville experience. One hundred and sixty local artists showcase their work in this shopping area and gallery in the heart of downtown that includes a 1950s lunch counter and soda fountain. The gallery displays jewelry, decorative art, fine art, and crafts. Both casual and professional artists are welcome, giving the gallery a variety of different pieces to interest viewers of all ages.

Woolworth Walk

This tour starts in the center of Asheville with the Vance Obelisk and includes a variety of museums, historic buildings, and historic sites related to the civil rights movement in Asheville.

<p>Zebulon Vance was born in 1830 at his family's farmhouse near Asheville. Upon graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1852. Vance served as the county's attorney for a number of years before running for an open seat in the state legislature. In 1857, Vance was appointed to complete the term of United States Congressman Thomas L. Clingman. The following year, he successfully ran for election and continued to represent this section of North Carolina when the state leaders decided to join South Carolina and other states in leaving the republic and forming a new government. After serving as a colonel in the first year of the Civil War, Vance won election to the governorship.</p><p></p><p>Despite being arrested following the conclusion of the war he and other Southern leaders were allowed to return to their homes under the condition that they would refrain from politics, forswear the rebellion, and promise to support the United States government. However, Vance and other Southern rebel leaders were back in politics in the 1870s. Vance won election to the governorship during Reconstruction and oversaw a period of violent voter suppression that saw the return of many former planters and Confederate leaders to office.</p><p></p><p>Upon their return to office, they sought to return the South to a state of dependency upon the planter elite and opposed all efforts to assist African Americans in their transition from slavery to citizenship. Vance and others might not of assisted the Ku Klux Klan and other terrorist organizations that prevented African Americans from voting, but they owed their election to the suppression of Black votes. With the effective destruction of North Carolina's Republican Party, Vance was practically unopposed in his Senatorial Campaign in 1879. He served in the United States Senate until his death in 1894.   </p>

Dedicated in 1897, this monument honored Zebulon Vance, the Governor of North Carolina during the Civil War. Prior to his election to the governorship in 1862, Vance was an attorney in Asheville and a junior officer in the Confederate army. As governor, Vance opposed Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Congress, believing that they were retreating from the doctrine of small government and state's rights by enacting higher taxes, enlistment quotas, and other restrictions upon the freedoms of Southerners. Like other white Southerners of the era, Vance was a slave owner and an opponent of equal political and civil rights for African Americans. At the same time, he was outspoken against the persecution of Jews. Following a decision by Asheville leaders against maintaining this monument as a symbol of their city, removal of the obelisk began in May 2021. 

Vance Memorial Obelisk (1897-2021)

The complex presently includes the Young Men's Institute Cultural Center which offers exhibits, artifacts, and programs related to the history and culture of African American communities in this section of North Carolina. <br><br>A true "local gem, the Asheville Museum of Science grew from the former Colburn Earth Science Museum that dates back to the formation of the&nbsp;Southern Appalachian Mineral Society in 1931.&nbsp;The museum continues to offer exhibits drawn from mineral collections that span the globe&nbsp;in addition to many programs and exhibits that focus on the geology of North Carolina. The museum also offers a variety of exhibits related to other scientific fields.&nbsp;<br><br>The Asheville Art Museum also emphasizes the region and state's culture with a variety of exhibits drawn from the work of local artists. Finally, the The 500-seat Diana Wortham Theatre offers performances of regional musicians and theatrical troupes in addition to hosting a variety of national touring acts.&nbsp;

The vision of Roger McGuire, this complex was made possible by local residents with the help of community organizations such as the North Carolina Arts Council and the Junior League. From the first planing meetings in the early 1980s to the opening of the complex in 1992, community members and organizations worked to bring an art museum, science museum, and theater to Asheville's downtown. Several of these institutions grew between the opening of the Pack Center and today, and as a result, these institutions have expanded to additional locations but remain within the heart of Asheville. 

Pack Place Education, Arts, and Science Center

<p><b>About&nbsp;</b></p><p>Innovative programming utilizing an outstanding collection of American art of the 20th&nbsp;and 21st centuries has established the Asheville Art Museum as a leader in the arts for Western North Carolina and the Southeast.</p><p>It is the only organization of its kind providing cultural and educational experiences for residents and visitors to the 24 county region.</p><p>Established by artists and incorporated in 1948, the Asheville Art Museum&nbsp;is committed to being a vital force in community and individual development and to providing life-long opportunities for education and enrichment through the visual arts.</p><p>The Asheville Art Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, accredited by the American Association of Museums which receives support for its programs from Museum members, other generous individuals, corporations, businesses and foundations, the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency&nbsp;which believes that a great nation deserves great art. Additional support is provided by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County.</p><p>1)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ashevilleart.org/about/">http://www.ashevilleart.org/about/</a></p><h3><br></h3>

Be inspired by world-class special exhibitions and the Asheville Art Museum's outstanding collection, showcasing the very best of 20th and 21st century American art and the cultural heritage and contemporary art of Western North Carolina. The collection, containing more than 3,500 works in all media, is the only such resource in the region. This award-winning Museum annually presents 12-16 exhibitions drawing from the permanent collection and borrowed works, and offers a wide variety of public programs for adults, children, and visitors of all ages. The Museum is open free to the public the first Wednesday of every month from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Standard admission for Museum Members visiting our galleries is always free. Regular Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Located on the first floor of the Museum, the Holden Community Gallery, Biltmore Gallery, Atrium art installations and Museum Shop are always open free of charge for visitors to enjoy.

Asheville Art Museum 

Where ASCORE marked the formal beginning of organized student civil rights activism in Asheville, it also served as Roland's entry into community activism. He was interested in ASCORE's "task of bringing about a oneness of community," and so agreed to serve as their advisor.<sup>2</sup> ASCORE's central founding members began working closely with Roland, and his influence showed. James Ferguson, one of those students and the first president of ASCORE, particularly remembers Roland's belief in nonviolence, which in turn caused he and his peers to "realize that instead of just going downtown to have a sit-in, we needed to learn more about the nonviolent method."<sup>1</sup><br><br>With Roland's mentoring and a deep adoption of the power of nonviolence, ASCORE met here, in the back of Roland's jewelry shop, and planned their first major civil rights protest: sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters. Though Mr. Roland's office where these pivotal meetings took place is long gone,&nbsp;Viola Jones Spells, another early student&nbsp;member, provides a hint at what took place: "Mr. Roland's office was a very tiny space, and we were all huddled in the back discussing what we were going to do and how we were going to do it . . . we would make a list of all the places we thought needed to be targeted and then we would prioritize them, and then certain people were assigned to committees."<sup>1</sup><br><br>Though ASCORE was formally retired in 1965, its impact, as well as Roland's, reverberated long after. First Woolworth's, then Newberry's, then Kress all desegregated their lunch counters. Buoyed by success with the hard-fought, systematic lunch counter campaign, ASCORE's short five years saw the successful desegregation of&nbsp;libraries, parks, and even the&nbsp;beginnings of employment desegregation. <br><br>As for Roland, his newfound involvement with community organizing became an inseparable part of his life. Before passing away in 1973, he&nbsp;went on to serve in many functions, including&nbsp;as a mediator between national civil rights organizations, such as The Committee on Racial Equality and&nbsp;the NAACP, and the head of multiple voter registration drives in Asheville. Economic opportunity was of deep personal interest to Roland, and he worked with the Merit Employment of Negroes to help qualified Black community members break barriers and enter jobs that had been historically off limits.&nbsp;Though ASCORE no longer filled Roland's small office, W. E. Roland Jewelry Company remained a central meeting ground where politically and community minded activists could come together for the next decade--serving, in Roland's words, as "what might be called a social center."<sup>2</sup><br>

As the struggle for civil rights gained momentum with 1960s youth, Black students from the segregated Stephens-Lee High School were at the forefront of the fight in Asheville. When they founded the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE) in 1960, they took their organizing efforts to the next level. As they built ASCORE from scratch and searched for community members to aid in their efforts, they found an unlikely ally--and unofficial headquarters--with William Roland and his W. E. Roland Jewelry Company.

Civil Rights, William Roland, and the W. E. Roland Jewelry Company

During construction of his lavish home in Asheville, George Vanderbilt (1862-1914) established a community center for his African American workers and for residents of the town. The building, constructed between 1892 and 1893, was designed by Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect of the Biltmore House. The center, known as the Young Men’s Institute (YMI), held an organizational meeting in February 1893.<br><br>     The YMI offered the Black community speakers, a gym, bathing facilities, and classes for youths and adults. By 1910 the organization even had its own orchestra. In addition, churches, schools, and civic organizations were permitted to use the venue for special events. Church congregations used the YMI space for their worship services when needed. A variety of businesses and institutions utilized the YMI building over the years. African American professionals, such as Dr. James A. Byron, one of Asheville’s first Black physicians, kept offices at the YMI building. The Asheville Public Library operated a branch there from 1926 until 1966.<br><br>     Vanderbilt in time separated himself from the YMI and in May 1906 it was incorporated with 49 of Asheville’s Black leaders as members. Although the organization was not able to raise enough money to purchase the property outright, they garnered $10,000 and secured a mortgage for the remainder.<br><br>     While the YMI thrived for three decades, the Depression took its toll. In the early 1940s the YMI ceased to operate and the building fell into disrepair. Reorganization of the YMI took place in March 1944. Money was raised to restart programs and renovate the building, and it reopened a year later. In 1946 the South Market Street Branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) purchased the property and carried on the recreational aspects of the YMI.<br><br>     The neighborhood had deteriorated by the 1970s and in 1977 the building was condemned. The African American community in Asheville rallied to save the structure and was able to get it placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1977. Renovations were completed in 1988 and today the YMI Cultural Center operates the facility, offering cultural arts, economic development opportunities, and community education. There is also an auditorium, a museum, and community meeting space.

Built in 1893, the Institute served as an African-American equivalent to the YMCA. Philanthropist and resident, George Vanderbilt ordered and paid for the construction of the YMI while also building a lavish home in Asheville. The institute served as a community center and  a temporary church for some local congregations. It also served as a school.   

Young Men's Institute

Buncombe County was created in 1791 when the state legislature divided and redrew the boundaries of western counties. The county is named after Edward Buncombe, an officer who was wounded in the Battle of Germantown. The region of western Carolina was renowned for its scenic beauty but isolated from the market economy until the railroad reached the&nbsp;county in 1880. Ten years later,&nbsp;millionaire George Vanderbilt began&nbsp;construction of the&nbsp;Biltmore, the largest private residence in the nation. With the railroads&nbsp;came both industry and tourism, and the city leaders decided that they needed a new courthouse in 1923. Five years later, the present courthouse opened to grand acclaim. &nbsp;

Reflecting the sudden commercial growth of the city of Asheville and Buncombe County, officials decided that they needed a new county courthouse in 1923. Five years later, the new courthouse was dedicated and open to the public. City planners hoped to build the courthouse near Pack Square, creating a "civic center" around the square and locating the courthouse near Asheville's city hall. The courthouse features a neo-classical design and its planners spared few expenses. As soon as one walks into the interior lobby they are met with a mosaic tile floor, a sweeping marble staircase, and a coffered ceiling with ornate finishing details. The courthouse exceeded its original budget by 75% but became the tallest government building in the state when it opened in 1928.

Buncombe County Courthouse

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Considering that many citizens of the United States would never be able to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, North Carolina businessman Vance Patterson and his wife wanted to build this monument to bring these founding documents to North Carolina. These three documents, often called "The Charters of Freedom" are an essential part of U.S. history. The monument is an educational site and has been the location of numerous events commemorating U.S. historical events. The letters on the displays are raised so that visitors can easily make rubbings of the documents.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; The monument which stands in Pack Square Park in Asheville, NC replicates the National Archives display in Washington, D.C. There are three displays constructed of concrete, granite, and bronze. On the far left is the Declaration of Independence. Four pages of the Constitution are in the center and the Bill of Rights is on the right. The monument also features an informational plaque and dedication plaques. The monument cost a total of almost $78,000 and was dedicated in May 2015. A time capsule was buried at this location and will be opened on September 17, 2087 for the 300th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. There are several other time capsules buried at different locations across the state.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Pack Square Park is next to the Buncombe County Courthouse and hosts a variety of plaques and monuments. The Western North Carolina Veterans Memorial stands next to the Charters of Freedom Monument. Other historical items of interest in the park include markers for the Revolutionary War, Lt. Colonel Robert Morgan, former North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe, and the 60th North Carolina Regiment. Additionally, there are other Charters of Freedom monuments located in Burke and Cherokee counties in the state along with many others outside of North Carolina.&nbsp;

Dedicated in May 2015, the Charters of Freedom monument is a replica of the displays at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The Charters of Freedom are founding documents of the United States and include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. This monument allows visitors to see what the original documents look like and additional plaques provide more information about each document. A time capsule was buried at this site and will be recovered on September 17, 2087 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. 

The Charters of Freedom Monument (Asheville, NC)

<p>*From Thomas Wolfe Memorial website:</p><p>"Thomas Wolfe left an indelible mark on American letters. And his mother's boardinghouse in Asheville, North Carolina—now the Thomas Wolfe Memorial—has become one of literature's most famous landmarks. Named "Old Kentucky Home" by a previous owner, Wolfe immortalized the rambling Victorian structure as "Dixieland" in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. A classic of American literature, Look Homeward, Angel has never gone out of print since its 1929 publication, keeping interest in Wolfe alive and attracting visitors to the setting for this great novel.</p><p>Thomas Clayton Wolfe, the youngest of eight children, was born October 3, 1900, at 92 Woodfin Street in Asheville. His father, William Oliver Wolfe (1851-1922), was descended from hardy Pennsylvania German-English-Dutch farmers; his mother, Julia Elizabeth Westall Wolfe (1860-1945), was a third-generation North Carolinian of Scots-Irish-English stock. Surprisingly, Julia Wolfe did not operate the boardinghouse because of financial need. W. O. Wolfe made enough money from the tombstone shop he owned and operated on Asheville's city square to support the family. But former teacher Julia was obsessed with the real estate market and used profits from the boardinghouse's operation to buy more property. A shrewd and hard-nosed businesswoman, Julia Wolfe was remembered as a "driver of hard bargains" by family members.</p><p>     </p><p>The sprawling frame of the Queen Anne-influenced house was originally only six or seven rooms with a front and rear porch when it was constructed in 1883 by prosperous Asheville banker, Erwin E. Sluder. By 1889, additions had more than doubled the size of the original structure, but the architecture changed little over the next 27 years. In Look Homeward, Angel Thomas Wolfe accurately remembered the house he moved into in 1906 as a "big cheaply constructed frame house of eighteen or twenty drafty, high-ceilinged rooms." In 1916, Wolfe's mother enlarged and modernized the house, adding electricity, additional indoor plumbing, and 11 rooms. Thomas Wolfe would leave Asheville to attend University of North Carolina Chapel Hill at the young age of fifteen. After he graduated his mother urged him to return home but instead he continued his education at Harvard where he studied to become a playwright.</p><p>Today the boardinghouse where Thomas Wolfe spent his childhood and adolescence feature furnishings that evoke the daily routine of life in both fact and fiction. In Wolfe's second novel, Of Time and the River (1935), 14 years before the "Old Kentucky Home" became a memorial, Wolfe already had intuitively assessed the house's true importance. He said his mother's "old dilapidated house had now become a fit museum." It is preserved almost intact with original furnishings arranged by family members very much the way it appeared when the writer lived there. Memories, kept alive through Wolfe's writings, remain in each of the home's 29 rooms.</p><p>Thomas Wolfe was perhaps the most overtly autobiographical of this country's major novelists. His boyhood at 48 Spruce Street shaped his work and influenced the rest of his life. So frank and realistic were his reminiscences that Look Homeward, Angel was banned from Asheville's public library for over seven years. Today Wolfe is celebrated as one of Asheville's most famous citizens, and his boyhood home has become a part of our nation's literary history.</p><p>Of Time and the River was a continuation of Look Homeward, Angel and Wolfe's last two major novels (published posthumously), The Web and the Rock (1939) and You Can't Go Home Again (1940), followed the events of his life in New York and Brooklyn, his wandering travels through Europe, his success as a novelist, and his final sad revelation of "you can't go home again." Thomas Wolfe died in the prime of his life of tubercular meningitis on September 15, 1938, 18 days short of his 38th birthday.</p><p>Wolfe's mother lived in the "Old Kentucky Home" until her death in 1945. Four years later her surviving sons and daughters sold the house to a private organization, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association, and it opened to the public as a house museum on July 19, 1949. The association continued to operate the memorial until 1958, when it was taken over by the City of Asheville. On January 16, 1976, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources acquired the property." In 1998 the house sustained fire damage and the house was shut down to the public for several years to restore the property. It was finally reopened in 2004 and remains open today.</p>

Novelist Thomas Wolfe spent a decade of his childhood here in his mother's Asheville boardinghouse. Called "Old Kentucky Home" the house was patronized by summer tourists and health seekers during the early years of the 20th century. These boarders would later inspire many of the colorful characters in Wolfe's 1929 novel, Look Homeward, Angel. The house itself was recast as "Dixieland" and would provide much of the setting for the story. Today, tours of the Old Kentucky Home provide a glimpse into Asheville's early rise to prominence as a resort for health and recreation as well as the stories associated with Thomas Wolfe's colorful and turbulent childhood here. An adjacent visitor's center and museum contains a self guided exhibit hall and 22 minute film presentation on Wolfe's life and writings.

Thomas Wolfe State Historical Site

<p>Black
Mountain College opened in 1933 by a group of its faculty members that had
broken away from Rollins College. The school closed after 24 years of service
but not before it had become one of the world’s best architectural schools in
the U.S. The school closed due to unpaid debts and ordered by court decision to
close until these debts were paid. It is unclear if the debts were paid, but
the school was never able to reopen its doors. Throughout its 24 years, the art
and architecture created at the school was able to evolve into its own unique
designs and views that still influence the world today. </p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Citizens from all over the world began discovering Black
Mountain College and all that they offered after the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Several of the students that enrolled in the college were from the European
continent trying to escape the persecution that Hitler and his regime were
putting on all the free thinkers of Europe. Students and faculty from all over
Europe were accepted and taught in the new designs of art and architecture.
Several of the world’s great artists studied here, such as Robert Rauschenberg,
Franz Kline, and Buckminster Fuller. </p>

<p>Today, a museum and art
center has opened to preserve the history of the school. Opened in 1993, the
museum and art center has rotating exhibits representing the great artists that
attended the school. Along with these exhibits, the museum and art center are
working on a permanent collection for the school’s architectural history. Within
this collection are oral interviews with alumni of the college along with seminars,
lectures, and films from the school. These collections are rotated on exhibit
and continuously added to when new items are donated to the museum. More
interviews, art collections, board minutes, and other items related to the
college are owned and housed by the state of North Carolina in the Western
Regional Archives. These records are among the widest used research materials
in the museum and the state archives.&nbsp;</p>

The Black Mountain College Museum and Art Center was established in 1993 by Mary Holden. This museum is to honor the students and faculty of the world renowned school of the arts. The museum is located in downtown Asheville and has been able to educate the community on the renowned studies of the college and its experimental educational practices. The school closed down in 1957 after a ruling of a judge stated that the teachings of the college should end until all the debts of the school had been paid. 

Black Mountain College Museum 

The museum's exhibits focus on topics such as the unique experiences of Appalachian women, the accomplishments of women in North Carolina, the experiences of LGBTQ women, the economic contributions of women, and women who have become leaders and key figures in their fields. There is even an exhibit dedicated to the women who have been awarded the the Nobel Prize.&nbsp;While most of the exhibits focus on the experiences and accomplishments of women, some of the exhibits focus on the history of sexism&nbsp;

TheaSHEville Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the cultural history of women in North Carolina, Appalachia, and the rest of the world. It is the only museum in the United States that is specifically dedicated to women's cultural history. The museum's gallery offers a rotating display of exhibits in additional to special lectures and educational programming. For example, rotating exhibits have explored topics such as sexism in advertising and the unique experiences and perspectives of Appalachian Women. The museum offers a small café as well as gift shop with books, fair trade items from around the world, and original works by local artisans. 

aSHEville Museum 

<p>Conceived
by manufacturer turned developer E. W. Grove and designed by architect Charles
N. Parker, the Grove Arcade has been a landmark in Asheville, North Carolina,
since it opened as a public market in 1929. Designed in the Gothic and Tudor
Revival styles with richly detailed terra cotta, the building is Asheville’s
largest structure. From the time of its opening until 1942, the Grove Arcade
was a center of western North Carolina commercial and civic life. During World
War II, the Arcade was taken over by the Federal government to relocate offices
displaced in Washington D.C. by new war departments. At the war’s conclusion,
the building remained in federal ownership and eventually was reconfigured to
serve as headquarters of the National Climatic Data Center. The Grove Arcade
was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.&nbsp; When the Climatic Center moved to a new
facility in 1994, the Grove Arcade was declared surplus property.<em></em></p>

<p>&nbsp;In
order to convert the Grove Arcade into a mixed-use development and return the
building to its former splendor, the City of Asheville acquired this property
through the Historic Surplus Property Program in 1997. The City subsequently
entered into a long-term lease arrangement with the Grove Arcade Public Market
Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that rehabilitated the ground floor of
the building as a public market. The Foundation, in turn, formed a partnership
with a for-profit developer, leading to a major rehabilitation of the remaining
two-thirds of the property for shops, restaurants, offices, and apartments.</p><p><em></em></p>

Built in 1929 by E.W. Grove, the Grove Arcade is a city landmark and a location for shopping, food, and apartments in Downtown Asheville. The Arcade was originally one of the most popular public markets in the country, but was re-purposed during World War II. In order to convert the Grove Arcade into a mixed-use development and return the building to its former splendor, the City of Asheville acquired this property through the Historic Surplus Property Program in 1997. Today, after undergoing numerous renovations, the Grove Arcade retains its original purpose of being a public center for Downtown Asheville.

Grove Arcade

<p>The original hotel was conceived by Colonel Frank Coxe, who opened the doors of the original Battery Park Hotel on July 12, 1886. Within its first decade, the hotel was known as "one of the world's social centers."1 George Vanderbilt numbered among the esteemed guests who roamed the legendary hotel's halls. </p><p></p><p>By the 1920s, Asheville was in the throws of a flourishing tourism economy and major development period that even dwarfed the turn-of-the-century era success. In this context, however, the old Battery Park Hotel was anachronistic. While the massive wooden building once representing the epitome of grandeur, the decades of technological and cultural development between its construction in 1886 and the booming economies of the 1920s unforgivingly marked the old hotel as a nineteenth-century artifact blotting an otherwise vibrant portrait of progress. </p><p></p><p>When Edwin Grove purchased the property from Coxe, he attempted to incorporate the aging yet undeniably impressive hotel into his plans to expand into a hospitality complex, but those efforts collapsed during Grove's massive hill excavation. The old hotel emulated Queen Anne style architecture, and the decision to demolish it was met with heated debate by Asheville's citizens, but Edwin W. Grove's new Battery Park Hotel promised to feature revival styles in vogue during the 1920s.</p><p></p><p>W. L. Stoddard designed the imposing 14-story building, facing its concrete substructure with brick and limestone, complete with a "Mission Revival style roof."2 Indeed, the hotel was representative of larger trends during the 1920s that often wedded Neoclassical and Spanish designs in the accelerated construction of hotels across the country. Just as its predecessor, the new hotel made sure to incorporate the latest trends and luxury appointments, including rooftop dining which, considering the hotel's impressive height, boasted incredible views of Asheville's mountainous skyline. Similar to many other grand downtown hotels, this hotel saw a decline in its business in the 1960s and 1970s. After closing in 1972, the hotel was converted into apartments. </p>

Prior to the early 1920s, this area was known as Battery Porter Hill owing to its high elevation and use as a Confederate gun battery during the Civil War. The hill was home to a grand Victorian hotel that was completed in 1886. In the 1920s, developers leveled the ten hilly acres that composed the Battery Porter Hill neighborhood in order to expand the downtown area. At the center of the development project was the construction of an even grander hotel that was in operation from 1924 to 1972. And so while the hill met its end in 1924, the neighborhood witnessed a new beginning that paralleled the growth of Asheville. 

The original Battery Park Hotel, constructed in 1886, was significant for the size of the city at the time of its construction. After four decades of growth, however, developers saw an opportunity to build a modern high-rise hotel. Edwin W. Grove purchased the property and began his plan to build an urban hotel with Southern charm. After leveling the Battery Porter Hill neighborhood, he rebuilt the Battery Park Hotel using the latest building technologies and amenities. The hotel was the social center of Asheville for many years, but its fortunes declined with the rise of national hotel chains. In 1972, the Battery Park Hotel closed its doors. The city's housing authority purchased the building in the 1980s and converted the former hotel into an apartment complex for seniors. 

Battery Park Hotel, 1924-1972

<div><br><b>St. Lawrence</b><br>Lawrence, a deacon who served the church in the third century, was the caretaker of funds and dispenser of alms to those early Christians in need. A faithful disciple of Pope St. Sixtus, martyrdom took place three days after that of the holy Pope.</div><div><br></div><div>That is all that is known for certain of the life and death of St. Lawrence. The writings of St. Ambrose, the poet Prudentius and others, with details about his life and death, have been adopted by Christian tradition.</div><div><br></div><div>This tradition holds that Lawrence anticipating the martyrdom predicted for him by Pope St. Sixtus, gave all the money in his care to the poor and the proceeds from the sale of the sacred vessels he distributed in like fashion.</div><div><br></div><div>The prefect of Rome believed that Lawrence had hidden still more of the church's treasures and he wanted to secure them for the emperor and himself. The prefect was angered when Lawrence showed him lepers, cripples, orphans, widows, the poor and the lame as the Church's true treasures. Lawrence was condemned to a slow, painful death by the irate prefect. A large gridiron was made ready and glowing coals were put under it that Lawrence might be slowly burnt. After suffering a long time, and praying for the conversion of Rome, he died.</div><div><br></div><div>It is stated that his death marked the death of idolatry in Rome. Christianity spread and many miracles were worked through the Intercession of St. Lawrence, who has been one of the most venerated martyrs of the Roman Church since the fourth century.</div><div><br></div><div>We honor St. Lawrence, who spent himself for the poor of the Church. Thus he merited to suffer martyrdom and to ascend in joy to Jesus Christ the Lord.&nbsp;<br>1)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.saintlawrencebasilica.org/saint-lawrence">http://www.saintlawrencebasilica.org/saint-lawrence</a></div>

Completed in 1909, the Basilica of St. Lawrence D.M. is one of Asheville's architectural treasures and spiritual anchors. Designed by Rafael Gustavino and Richard Sharpe Smith, renowned architects on the Biltmore House, this Catholic church has the largest freestanding elliptical dome in the country.

Asheville North Carolina Walking Tour

Woolworth Walk

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information