Wrecking ball swings toward Asheville black history

I just want Asheville to know it is about to lose a historic African-American building in the Burton Street area. A year ago, I did research on the building at 3 Buffalo St. and found out that it was built in 1924 by a black man. I later heard that he used to do carnivals in the area. I found out it was later owned by a black family; there are records of them in the Pack Library. The building housed a grocery store, a beauty shop and was later the community center before the Burton Street Center was built.

The building has Masonic symbols in tile across the front. I wondered why no Masons are interested in saving the building? So I thought, maybe they just do not know. Hence my letter.

The building has been sitting unused for years, until someone bought the lot next door and put up a building. Then all of a sudden, the building is scheduled for demolition. DeWayne Barton and my nonprofit asked the owners, Rev. and Mrs. Young, if we could buy the building. Rev. Young offered it to DeWayne, but by the time we put together a deal, he was no longer willing to talk to DeWayne about saving the structure—or even letting us walk through to see if it could be saved or could be determined to be historic.

DeWayne wanted to use to building as a training center for the youngsters in the community. He works with these youngsters on the weekends, paying them to help work on his sculpture garden and community garden. The young men have to show DeWayne their report cards in order to work. The members of the Burton Street community have turned it around, from drugs and crime to a clean, safe area. But it could use a grassroots center.

I wanted to use the building to house my black-resource library and museum. Debra Liontree has a nonprofit that sponsors trips to Africa; she also has resources that could be in the community, in that building. The Afro-Brazilian martial arts group, Capoeira Asheville, which used to be in the Burton Street Center (they moved for many reasons, but one of them is that they hold events called Rodas that don’t always end when the employees of the center are ready to go home). They were looking for a space where they could hold the keys and lock up when they wanted to.

I was saddened when the Capoeira group moved. It gave the local children an opportunity to see a martial art that was rooted in African culture. Some of them even got to give it a try, and were especially excited about the drumming and singing that goes along with the martial art.

So I just wanted to let folks know. It’s not too late. DeWayne Barton can’t do it alone. He can’t save our boys alone! He needs help!

— Valeria Watson-Doost
Zamani Refuge African Culture Center
Leicester