If ya ain’t noticed yet…I like old buildings. So, when I heard that downtown Asheville, NC has a nice selection of old-school architecture, I had to check it out for myself. But I didn’t just go all willy-nilly. First, I did some web searchin’ and found an informative ‘self-guided’ walking tour, which I printed and took with me. (I would, gentle reader, provide you the link to this walking tour, but I am unable to find it in the present.) I was pleased to find that the rumors were true…there is indeed much coolness in downtown Asheville. So much goodness that I’m dividing it across two ThrowBack Thursdays, hence this very post is Part One of my walking tour of Asheville.
When I arrived in town, I parked a few blocks from the walking tour’s start point. (I don’t remember why exactly, but that’s what I did. Live with it!) Thus, I started with a walk to the walk, which I guess could be called a pre-walk. Here are some pics I took on the pre-walk:
The walking tour I had printed began at Pack Square. Located at an intersection of trails blazed by natives, and later used by settlers, Pack Square is where the city of Asheville began. So, it’s no surprise that it’s surrounded by some of the city’s oldest and grooviest buildings. Here are some of them:
And now, folks, we come to what may well be the highlight of our tour. The skyscraper known as the Jackson Building was completed in 1924, on a lot that measures 27 feet by 60 feet. So even if you’re not a fan of its Neo Gothic style, you will at least walk away with the satisfaction of having seen the world’s skinniest skyscraper:
Just down the hill from Pack Square are the county court house and the city hall. These are two very different buildings, but both are worth lookin’ at. Unfortunately, I was there on a weekend, so both buildings were closed. From what I could see through the glass doors of City Hall, it looked like the inside may be just as interesting as the outside. Well, then! Let’s take a look at that outside, shall we?
The city hall and county courthouse were built at the same time, right next to one another. However, they were designed with completely different architectural styles. And yes, the name of the county is Buncombe. I should take my dog over there some time to see if anybody offers to comb his buns. Anyway, here’s the courthouse fer ya:
From the courthouse to the boarding house we go! This old boarding house is now known as the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Thomas Wolfe being a famous author who grew up in this boarding house, as it was operated by his mother.
In North Carolina, a city just isn’t a city without an old Kress store. Here’s Asheville’s:
Built in 1895, the Drhumor (pronounced “drummer”) building is the oldest commercial building remaining in downtown Asheville. Arguably, it’s also the most ornate. Check it out:
Right next to the Drhumor Bldg. sits the ol’ S&W Cafeteria. Now this is some serious Art Deco, folks! Enjoy this:
All righty, then! That seems like a good place to stop for the day. But before you go, here are a few pics I snapped in between the ‘featured’ buildings above:
OK, dat’s it! Come on back next week for the second half of my photographic meanderings in Asheville!
Voyages with Parkinson's 