The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the Grove Arcade, the many notable buildings designed by Douglas Ellington (such as the S&W Cafeteria and City Hall) — these are just a few of the highlights of Asheville’s remarkable architectural legacy. The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County is sponsoring the following events for Heritage Week, May 8-14:
• On Thursday, May 11, Michael Southern, author and research historian with the Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, will present a slide show, “Historic Architecture of Western North Carolina,” at the Smith-McDowell Museum (283 Victoria Road) at 7 p.m. The event is free for Society members, $4 for nonmembers. Southern will be available to sign copies of his book.
• On Saturday, May 13, historic interpreter Chris Morton will present a slide show, “Thomas Wolfe Memorial: The Fire and Its Aftermath,” at the Visitors Center (52 N. Market St.) at 2 p.m. Admission is free.
• On Sunday, May 14, from 1-5 p.m., the Society will host a tour of downtown architecture, focusing on buildings that are under renovation. The tour, titled “Downtown Asheville Renaissance: Our Past Into the Future,” will feature the Grove Arcade, the Castanea Building (57-65 Haywood St.), the Hilliard Building (19 Biltmore Ave.), the Classic Building (76-78 Patton Ave.), the Loughran Building (41-43 Haywood St.), the Abrogast Motor Company Building (52 Broadway), the Leader Building (10-12 Patton Ave.), and the Piedmont/Moskins Building (86-88-90 Patton Ave.). The cost of the tour is $15. Participants are invited to brunch (11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) at The Left Bank (90 Patton Ave.); reservations are recommended on the day of the tour. Participants should retain their tour tickets, in order to take advantage a 30 percent discount on all specialty coffee drinks at the Double Decker Coffee Company, from May 14-28. Tickets are available the day of the tour at The Left Bank and The Leader Building. Participants are urged to wear shoes and clothing appropriate for visiting construction sites.
Preservation Society annual meeting
The Society will hold its annual meeting June 20 at Richmond Hill’s Arbor Grille. The event will begin with a reception and silent auction at 5:30 p.m., followed by (hopefully) the introduction of the Society’s new executive director.
The annual meeting, which begins at 8 p.m., will include the presentation of this year’s Griffin Award for the most exceptional restoration effort of the year. Items are needed for the silent auction; all donations are tax-deductible.
For information about the silent auction, contact Shirley Anne McCullough at 253-1178, Harriette Winner at 252-0716, or Thea Atkinson at 254-9856.
For more information, call the Society at 254-2343.
— compiled by Margaret Williams
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