EVOLUTION: Joe and Joan Eckert opened Jack of the Wood in 1997. Until 1999, the downtown pub housed Asheville's second craft brewery, Benefit Brewing, which later became Green Man.

Carolina Beer Guy: Green Man Brewery’s local roots originate from Jack of the Wood pub

Posted on June 28, 2017June 26, 2017 by Tony Kiss

Founders Joan and Joe Eckert reflect on the pub’s history, including being the original home of Asheville’s second brewery.

TOURING THE TOWN: Taken in 1913, the photo shows Fred Seely driving Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan around Sunset Mountain, above the Grove Park Inn. Mary Bryan sits behind her husband, with Evelyn Grove Seely in the middle. Third women, unknown.

Tuesday History: Local historian Bruce Johnson discusses the Grove-Seely family feud

Posted on June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 by Thomas Calder

On Wednesday, June 28, Bruce Johnson will offer a talk titled “Family Feud: The Bitter Battle Between E.W. Grove and Fred Seely For the Grove Park Inn.” It will take place at the Lord Auditorium, on the lower level of Pack Memorial Library.

MITCHELL'S FALLS: This lithograph was used as an advertisement in the December 31, 1857 Asheville Spectator. Mitchell's Falls is the site where Elisha Mitchell's body was discovered in the summer of that year.

Tuesday History: “Death was on his brow,” the discovery of Elisha Mitchell’s body

Posted on June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 by Thomas Calder

‘We, the petty actors, will pass away, forgotten; but never, while the everlasting mountains stand, the name of professor Mitchell.’ — The North Carolina Standard, 1857

OLD-TIME TRADITION: Local filmmaker David Weintraub's new documentary, 'A Great American Tapestry,' delves into the multicultural roots of old-time music and dance, from early African and indigenous influences to present-day performers like Rhiannon Giddens, pictured.

New film explores the multicultural roots of traditional music and dance

Posted on June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 by Max Hunt

The film’s world premiere is set for Thursday, June 22, at Blue Ridge Community College. Subsequent screenings will take place at the Fine Arts Theatre on Thursday, June 29, and at White Horse Black Mountain on Friday, June 30.

PAST AND PRESENT: UNC Asheville history professor Daniel Pierce is the author of a new book that explores history of the Hazel Creek community in Swain County, including broken promises over the so-called “Road to Nowhere.” Photo of Pierce by Audrey Keelin

Hazel Creek author Daniel Pierce details community’s convoluted past

Posted on June 17, 2017June 13, 2017 by Lyss Hunt

Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community, by UNC Asheville history professor Daniel Pierce, explores the complex history of the so-called “Road to Nowhere” and the people it was meant to serve. Released in April, the book details the multifaceted and often overlooked story of the ill-fated town of Proctor and its inhabitants.

THE FINAL ASCENT: On June 27, 1857 Elisha Mitchell fell to his death, as he traversed the Black Mountains in an effort to remeasure and confirm his 1935 assessment concerning the height of present-day Mount Mitchell.

Tuesday History: Tracing the doomed tracks of Elisha Mitchell

Posted on June 13, 2017June 14, 2017 by Thomas Calder

On July 22, 1857, The North Carolina Standard ran a letter relaying the discovery of Elisha Mitchell’s fallen corpse. The Chapel Hill professor had made his way back to the Black Mountains to confirm his previous 1935 measurement of present-day Mount Mitchell.

LEADING THE WAY: From left, Andy Gardner of Builtwright Construction Co., Jack Thomson of the Preservation Society, Pam Myers of the Asheville Art Museum, Stacy Merten of the Historic Resource Commission, Sasha Mitchell of the African-American Heritage Commission and Michael Logan of Logan Restoration Contracting stand on the front porch of the historic Patton Parker House.

It takes a village to preserve a city

Posted on June 8, 2017June 7, 2017 by Thomas Calder

Various tax credits and preservation easements offer financial benefits to owners of historic properties; advocates also tout broader benefits, such as job creation, the reduced environmental impacts of restoration versus demolition, and the intangible value of connecting the present with the past.

LAND OF THE SKY: According to the North Carolina Room, the image above was printed in Germany for H.C. Leighton, of Portland Maine, circa 1901. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina

Tuesday History: A dispute about the mountains, 1869

Posted on June 6, 2017June 12, 2017 by Thomas Calder

“No one can approach Asheville without being struck with the awful sublimity of those dark ranges that tower from two thousand to six thousand feet into mid heavens,” writes Dr. J.P. Purcell in 1869 article “Wayside queries and Information.”

CHICKEN HILL: Among the winners of this year's Griffin Award winners was the property at 14 Club St. It was recognized for its rehabilitation, which is the preservation practice of lightly modifying a historic house in a manner that respects the integrity of age while allowing for modern-day conveniences.

The winners of the 2017 Griffin Awards for Historic Preservation

Posted on June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 by Thomas Calder

Each year in May, during National Preservation Month, the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County brings together the community to recognize significant preservation projects.

SECOND IN LINE: Over the last 170 years, Asheville's Trinity Episcopal Church has built three structures. Featured above is its second church, built in the 1880s. It stood where the current Trinity Episcopal Church stands today, on the corner of Church and Aston streets. The second Trinity burned to the ground on Nov. 15, 1910.

Tuesday History: Bringing religion to the “rude mountaineers,” 1869

Posted on May 30, 2017June 1, 2017 by Thomas Calder

“The dew of Heaven is falling, and is fertilizing the land,” writes Dr. J.P. Purcell, in his 1869 report on Asheville.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER: While community members largely spoke out in favor of Alternative 4B for Section B of the I-26 Connector Project, several aspects of NCDOT’s design, such as the three bridges that would span the French Broad River near Montford (above), have a coalition of Montford neighbors and others questioning the scale and scope of the design. Image via NCDOT; courtesy of DWAC

Despite progress, concerns about the I-26 Connector persist

Posted on May 26, 2017May 26, 2017 by Max Hunt

When the DOT finally decided on a design for Section B of the Connector project in 2015, many stakeholders thought they saw light at the end of a very long tunnel. Other residents, however, see serious flaws in Alternative 4B, questioning whether the project’s long-term benefits will justify the sacrifices their neighborhoods must make to see it completed.

PUBLIC SQUARE: Downtown Asheville circa 1881-1882. It is believed that this photograph was taken from the courthouse, looking over the area where the Vance Monument now stands.

Tuesday History: Scoping out Asheville’s prospects in 1869, part II

Posted on May 23, 2017May 23, 2017 by Thomas Calder

This week Dr. J.P. Purcell offers commentary on the area’s grapes, as well as its cheesemaking facilities.

PASSING ON THE PAST: With the wealth of information modern technology affords, the oral traditions and histories passed down through generations in Western North Carolina and elsewhere often get lost in the shuffle. Historians such as filmmaker David Weintraub, right, are working to preserve these stories and lessons before the region’s elders pass on. Photo courtesy of David Weintraub.

Oral history records heart and soul of mountain culture

Posted on May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 by Max Hunt

Seeking to preserve the region’s history and traditional culture, local organizations and researchers are working to document the lives and wisdom of WNC’s elders, believing that this provides invaluable context for the area’s present and future.

A PLACE TO REST: The Eagle Hotel, photographed above, was built in 1814. Established by James Patton, it stood on South Main Street, a short distance from Public Square (modern day Pack Square).

Tuesday History: Scoping out Asheville’s prospects in 1869

Posted on May 16, 2017May 16, 2017 by Thomas Calder

Take a look at Asheville’s people, population, climate, institutions, churches, wine making, factories, rent and faith in 1869.

GREETINGS FROM THE WEST: This postcard offers a view of Asheville from the west bank of the French Broad River. It features the West Asheville Bridge, since demolished.

Tuesday History: Headlines and advertisements from 100 years ago, today

Posted on May 9, 2017May 10, 2017 by Thomas Calder

In May of 1917, the country was at war with Germany. Meanwhile in Asheville there were some great deals on clothing, sleeping porch shades and real estate.

FINDING THE LINK: "We're all connected along that same road," says Ray Christian. "Everything that is happening now is just a continuation of things that have happened in the past."

Tuesday History: What Ray’s Saying

Posted on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 by Thomas Calder

Last year, historian and eight-time Story Slam winner, Ray Christian, launched his podcast series, ‘What Ray’s Saying.’ The monthly program is a combination of storytelling, Black history and social commentary.

The Buck Hotel: Constructed by James M. Smith in 1825, the Buck Hotel was located at the intersection of Broadway and College Street.

Tuesday History: ‘Mountain Scenery’ offers insight into 1850s Asheville

Posted on April 25, 2017April 25, 2017 by Thomas Calder

On Wednesday, April 26, Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Colton will discuss her great-great uncle’s 1859 book, ‘Mountain Scenery: The Scenery of the Mountains of Western North Carolina and Northwestern South Carolina,’ at the Pack Memorial Library’s Lord Auditorium.

FROM THE MOUTH OF GROVE: At the opening ceremony of the Grove Park Inn, E.W. Grove offered the following: “A man is never too old to build castles and dream dreams. Standing here tonight in the midst of my friends and invited guests, I find a dream realized and a castle materialized.”

Tuesday History: The Grove Park Inn was “built not for the dead”

Posted on April 18, 2017April 19, 2017 by Thomas Calder

“Today we stand in this wonderful hotel, not built for a few, but for the multitudes that will come and go,” said Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, at the 1913 opening of the Grove Park Inn.

A FINE PLACE TO RELAX: Built by Col. Frank Coxe, the original Battery Park Hotel opened on July 12, 1886. With a fireplace in each room, modern steam radiators and electric lights, it was considered among the finest and most modern resorts of its day.

Tuesday History: Seeking rest at the Battery Park Hotel, 1886

Posted on April 11, 2017April 11, 2017 by Thomas Calder

The 1880s marked the start of Asheville’s urban growth. The decade began with approximately 2,600 permanent residents. Advances in transportation, communication and the health industry would contribute to the city’s population increase. On Oct. 2, 1880, the first train pulled into town, offering visitors greater access to the mountains. A few years later, the arrival of two […]