Press release from the organizer:
Starting Saturday, April 23 and April 30, and continuing each Saturday morning in May, at 10 a.m., guided walks along Hendersonville’s Main Street will reveal the history of the town and interesting architectural designs — including stops at the Historic Courthouse, Skyland Hotel, City Hall, and other shops and structures along Main Street. Cost is $10 per person 10 years and older. Children under 10 are free with a paid adult. Space is limited. Reservations are suggested. Gather at the King Street entrance of Hendersonville City Hall, beginning at 9:30 a.m. City Hall is at the corner of Fifth Avenue East and King Street.
The walks will be about 90 minutes and will be held rain or shine. Stroll with tour guide Mary Jo Padgett to answer such questions as — who donated the land where the new town would be built, what is the age of the oldest block of buildings, what was on the third floor (and in the basement) of the old City Hall, who was the town named for, bordellos, shoot-outs, trolley lines and much more. To make reservations or for more information, phone Padgett at 828-545-3179 or email maryjo@maryjopadgett.com.
“I invite locals and visitors to join me on Saturday mornings in late April and throughout May, to celebrate and share the interesting history and architecture of downtown Hendersonville,” Padgett said. “I can also work with groups to make arrangements for another tour time. I believe that knowing our history enriches our lives.”
The guided walks on Main Street will continue on Saturday mornings in July and also in November. They are conducted under the auspices of The Trolley Company, which conducts history, wine, and apple orchard tours around Henderson County.
Padgett served on Hendersonville City Council for eight years, is a journalist and public relations consultant, co-founder and former executive director of ECO, was associate editor at The Mother Earth News magazine, and conducts programs and guided tours in Paris, France, on the American Revolution. Her parents spent their honeymoon in the Skyland Hotel on Main Street. She grew up on a farm in Rutherford County, and has lived in a 100-year-old house in downtown Hendersonville for 34 years.
For more information on History Walks with Mary Jo, phone Padgett at 828-545-3179 or email maryjo@maryjopadgett.com.
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