In 1964 the Asheville Chamber of Commerce donated a mansion at 45 Patton Mountain Road to the state so that it could become the Governor’s Western Residence. The hope was that Governor Terry Sanford and his successors would spend more time in the west and consequently pay more attention to the needs of the region. Use of the home is difficult for the public to track, so it’s unknown whether Gov. Roy Cooper has visited the house yet.
Traditionally it is in the purview of the governor’s spouse to manage the second executive home. It’s also tradition for the first family to host open houses as often as twice a year for the public to come and enjoy the fine art and lovely landscape of the house. The tradition was kept well alive in the past two administrations.
A Spring Open House has been announced for June 3. The governor will apparently not be attending.
Press release from N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources:
First lady Kristin Cooper will welcome visitors to the Governor’s Western Residence in Asheville, NC for an open house on Saturday, June 3, from 3-5 p.m.
The Western Residence is located at 45 Patton Mountain Rd, Asheville, NC 28804. Reservations are not needed to attend the open house. The first lady will greet guests inside and light refreshments will be served. For more information, please call (828) 225-0122.
The Western Residence features breath-taking views of Mt. Pisgah and downtown Asheville. Built in 1939, the home was donated to the state in 1964 by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. It has been used by 11 administrations and is one of only four official state second residences in the United States.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.