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 Located at the hub of
the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains, 2,216 feet above sea level
on the Asheville Plateau, Asheville is the largest city in Western
North Carolina and the tenth largest municipality in the state,
covering an area of 40.99 square miles. Asheville’s population is
estimated at over 70,000 and the city is located at the
confluence of the
French Broad and Swannanoa rivers in a river-formed valley that
runs 18 miles north and south. Chartered in 1797 and named after
Samuel Ashe, a former governor of North Carolina, Asheville attracts
millions of visitors and tourists each year who come for the
timeless natural beauty, the crisp highland air, the magnificent
mountains and cosmopolitan vibrant hospitality the city offers.
Surrounded by thousands of acres of majestic mountains, plateaus, rolling
valleys and mystical coves, Asheville is a city not easily forgotten once
visited. With its winding hilly streets graced by architectural gems from the
past, Asheville has come to be known as the “Paris of the South.” Every section
of this enchanting city is blessed with unique and irreplaceable buildings that
few cities in America can match. From the awesomely majestic
Biltmore House to
the Art Deco masterpiece S&W Building to the stately rock-hewn beauty of the
Grove Park Inn, Asheville is overflowing with architectural treasures. More than
170 historic buildings have been preserved, some of which were
 designed by
world-famous architects Richard S. Smith, Douglas Ellington, Richard M. Hunt and
Rafael Guastavino. Couple this with all of the cultural, business and
entertainment possibilities and you have an extraordinary city to experience.
A major tourist destination with more than 5,000,000 visitors annually,
Asheville is also known for its varied and rich
Arts & Crafts communities.
Hundreds of galleries, craft shops, and artisans studios are to be found
here.
Asheville has become an important center for traditional Appalachian as well as
contemporary crafts and the variety and quality of the craft galleries and the
many craft exhibits and shows attest to this fact.
Located only minutes from national forests and green valleys, outdoor recreation
opportunities abound. White-water rafting, golf, hiking, fishing, horseback
riding, llama trekking, rock climbing, camping and ballooning are just a few of
the choices.
As you would expect, Asheville is rich i n museums, nature centers, historic
sites and other attractions for the visitor. During your stay, you may wish to
attend a performance of the
Asheville City Ballet, the
Asheville Symphony Orchestra or
one of the many local theatre companies. A wonderful way to spend a summer
evening is to take in a game at historic
McCormick Field, where Babe Ruth once
played baseball. Throughout the year Asheville celebrates with many festivals,
from the renowned fairs of the
Southern Highland Craft Guild to the world
famous street festival,
Bele Chere.
Asheville is also a major medical center. Modern hospitals and numerous
specialized medical facilities, as well as a large resident population of
doctors and medical professionals combine to make Asheville the regional center
for health care.
The largest city in Western North Carolina, Asheville is the regional center for
manufacturing, transportation, banking and professional services and shopping.
Asheville has also in recent years experienced a downtown revitalization that is
establishing it as Western North Carolina’s entertainment mecca. Nightclubs,
cafes,
galleries,
theatres,
coffeehouses,
pubs and superb
restaurants all add
to the mix that now creates one of the most exciting and cosmopolitan downtown
districts in the South. Voted an All-America City in 1997 by the National Civic
League, Asheville was one of only ten U.S. cities to receive this prestigious
award.
Beer City USA
An abundance of local microbreweries notably the
Highland Brewery, French Broad Brewery and others have also earned Asheville the
title of "Beer City USA". Asheville is home to numerous venues, included many
restaurants and most bars, where local handcrafted beers can be sampled, and in
September, the wildly popular
Brewgrass Festival takes place, a celebration of Asheville's
many microbreweries and bluegrass music.
Asheville has a number of unincorporated communities
and distinct areas that are constellated in and around the city. These include
Arden,
Biltmore Forest,
Candler,
Enka,
Fairview
and
Leicester. Of these Biltmore Forest is the most historic. An
incorporated town located right in the heart of Asheville, this residential
community is immediately adjacent to the world famous
Biltmore
Estate and is known for its many historic and elegant homes.
Surrounded by towering mountains, Asheville was a small crossroads town when it
was founded by pioneer town planner John Burton in 1792. Known as Morristown
during the early years, the city was also called Buncombe Courthouse until 1797,
when it was incorporated and named Asheville in honor of North Carolina governor
Samuel Ashe.
Buncombe attained county status in 1792 and was named for Revolutionary War hero
Col. Edward Buncombe. Growth was slow until 1880, when the first railroad system
was constructed. This first steam train changed Asheville forever, bringing in
the outside world. This small mountain settlement went from a population of
2,616 to 10,328 in just ten years. A trickle of summer visitors that had
journeyed to Asheville for half a century turned into a torrent. By 1886, an
estimated 30,000 “summer people” visited the city annually. In 1885, the
building of the first Battery Park Hotel was noted as the beginning of a great
period of expansion for Asheville. Near the turn of the century, George
Vanderbilt also began construction of the now world famous Biltmore House.
The greatest boom period in Asheville’s history came during
the 1920s with the construction of many new buildings throughout downtown, including the Grove
Arcade, City Hall, Buncombe County Courthouse, Flat Iron Building and others.
Many Art Deco buildings were also constructed in this period, the best example
being the S&W Cafeteria building.
Today, Asheville is experiencing another period of tremendous growth and
revitalization. The downtown district, with its wealth of historic buildings, is
one of the most vibrant city centers in the South. Major, ecologically sound
riverfront development is also occurring along the French Broad River, with
parks, greenways and cultural centers emerging. Asheville continues to attract
people from around the world as an exciting vacation destination, and as a
wonderful and beautiful place to live.
Resources
City Website:
City of Asheville: Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza, P.O.
Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802; 828-251-1122
Facebook:
City of Asheville,
Downtown Asheville,
River Arts District
County:
Buncombe County: County Offices, 205 College Street,
Asheville NC 28801; 828-250-4000
Elevation & Population:
2,216 feet, 73,000+
Visitor/Welcome Center:
Asheville Visitor Center,
36 Montford Ave., Asheville, NC 28801; 800-257-1300
City
Chamber of Commerce:
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Ave., Asheville, NC
28801; 828-258-6101
Newspaper:
Asheville Citizen-Times, 14 O’Henry Ave., Asheville NC 28801; 828-252-5611, 800-800-4204.
Movie Theatres:
Asheville Movie Theatres
High School:
Asheville High School, 419 McDowell Street, Asheville NC
28803; 828-350-2500
Colleges and Universities:
University of North Carolina in Asheville, One University
Heights, Asheville NC 28804; 828-251-6600 and
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, 340 Victoria
Road, Asheville NC 28801; 828-254-1921
Hospitals:
Mission Hospital, 428 and 509 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville NC
28803; 828-213-1111 and
Charles George VA Medical Center, 1100 Tunnel Road, Asheville NC
28805; 828-298-7911
Major Festivals:
French Broad River Festival (May), Bele Chere
(July),
Goombay
(August),
Brewgrass Festival (September),
North Carolina Mountain State Fair (September),
Craft Fair of the Southern Highland Craft Guild
(October),
More Festivals
Attractions:
Asheville Attractions
Wineries:
Biltmore Estate Winery
Private Mountain Communities:
Whisper Mountain
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