THE WEST ASHEVILLE STORY A Publication of the West Asheville History Project Sponsored by the Asheville-Buncombe Library System and The North Carolina Humanities Council Volume 1, Issue 1 Winter 2001 HAYWOOD ROAD ©TheAsheville-BuncombeLibrarySystem, 2001 HAYWOODROADNEARBREVARDROAD, LATE 20'SOREARLY30'S. PHOTO, NORTH CAROLINACOLLECION, PACK MEMORIALPUBLIC LIBRARY. DONATEDBYTOMMYSELLERS. THE STORY OF HAYWOOD ROAD The story ofHaywood Road is the story ofWestAsheville, because itwas along this road thatthe town developed. Before itwas calledHaywoodRoad, it was partoftheWesternTurnpike thatran from Salisbur}'. North Carolinato the Georgia state line in Cherokee County. It was the only road fromAsheville to the west. Ifyou wantedto getto Haywood County, and later, ifyou wanted to getto the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you hadto go down Haywood Road. In 1885. withhisWestAsheville Improvement Company, Edwin Carrierbegan developing the road. He built2-story brickbuildings along theroad, many ofwhichstill stand. It was probably at this time that HaywoodRoad got its name. At first, Haywoodran whereWestwood Place is now. down to the river. Then W.E. Logan donated land furthersouth so thatthe road couldbe moved and "'macadamized'", which meant thatamixtureofgravelandtarwouldbe laiddown on the road. Thatmade itless dusty andeasierto travel on. There was abigdebate atthe time inWestAsheville overwhere the roadwouldbe laidout. E.B. Atkinson argued in anAsheville Citizen editorial thattheroad should notbe moved, due tothe factthatit woulddisplace longtimeresidents. OtherWestAshevilleresidents, includingone identifyinghimselfas Public B. Blowed, respondedvehemently inopposition. Atissue was the potential gradeofthe road, whose land itabutted, andwhose property wouldbe devalued as aresultofthe move. In the end, the County Commissioners movedtheroadto its currentlocation. Atthattime. WestAsheville was mainly woods andfields. Carrierhad laidoutlots andnamed streets, andresidents soon beganto arrive. PeoplecametoWestAshevilleformanyreasons, one ofwhichwas thatit offered affordable living. (continuedonpage2) 1 ) (continuedfrompage 1 FirstSettler: RobertHenry(1827) Being the country, families could have small farms and gar- FirstHotel: DeoverHotel (founded dens to feed themselves, yet be close enough toAsheville to work byReuben Deaverin 1830) in town. FirstBridge: Smith'sBridge(1833) WestAsheville was growing rapidly. In 1910, as electric FirstChurch: MillerMeeting House (1847) service came toWestAsheville, trolley service was extendeddown FirstElectricPassengerElevator Haywood Road. Thetrolleywastheeasiestway to get around intheSouth: SulphurSprings then, as cars had not yet hit it big in the area, and most people Hotel (1889) couldn'tafford them anyway. In 1914, Haywood Road was paved. FirstElectricPowerPlantInWNC: By 1930, WestAsheville's populationhad grown to over EdwinCarrierDam&Power 12,000. Haywood Road looked a lot like it does today. The fire FirstRPalialnwtaoyninHoWmeisntyAsChreeveilkle(:1889) station had been built in 1922. TheWestAsheville Bank andTrust WestAsheville&Sulphur Company moved into theirnew building on the cornerof SpringsElectric Railway(1891) Haywood Road and RichmondAvenue in 1927. Anew Post FirstTrolleyonHaywoodRoad: 1910 Office opened at795 Haywood Road. Calvary Baptist, West FirstMayorofWestAsheville: H.L. Bright(1914) Asheville Presbyterian, andtheTrinity United MethodistChurches FirstPaved RoadinWestAsheville: all stoodin theirpresentlocations. Businesses such as Fortune's Haywood Road (1914) Hardware, May's Market, and Home Furniture flourished. Buta FirstCityWaterLines: Builtunder new developmentinAsheville threatenedHaywood Road. Itwas French Broad River(1914) thecar. FirstBank; BankofWestAsheville As more people began to drive, demand forthe trolley serv- (1915) FirstFireStation: Station3,at421 ice decreased. Its lastrun was in 1934. To accommodate the Haywood Road (1922) increasein traffic. Smoky Park Bridge was constructed in 1950. FirstParochialSchoolinWNC: People now traveled toAsheville with ease. In 1960, the St.JoanofArc (1928) Crosstown Expressway opened to traffic, and Haywood Road was FirstFlightatCarrierField: 1930 no longerthe primary route west. As PattonAvenue and Interstate FirstDrive-In BankinAsheville; 240received the brunt ofgrowth, HaywoodRoad retainedthe FirstNational Bank, Haywood Road Branch (1950) landmarks ofits heyday. No longerthe primary conduit itonce FirstPurpose-BuiltBranch Library was, Haywood Road is still the busy main streetofWestAsheville. in NC:WestBranch Library(1953) FirstShoppingCenterinWNC: Westgate(1956) FirstRaceatAshevilleMotor Speedway: 1960 OLDESTHAYWOODROADPHOTOTODATE: FAIRCHILD'SSTORE,CORNEROFHAYWOODROAD&STATEST., 1911. GEORGEFAIRCHILD,PROPRIETOR,STANDINGFRONTLEFTHOLDINGHOE;HELATEROPERATEDFAIRCHILD'SGARAGE ATTHISADDRESS. PHOTO, NORTHCAROLINACOLLECTION,PACKMEMORIALPUBLICLIBRARY. DONATEDBYHARRY WORLEY. 2 . . THEBANKOFWESTASHEVILLE,414HAYWOODROAD,LATE20'S AYCOCKSCHOOL,441 HAYWOODROAD, 1951 OR 1952. OREARLY30'S. COURTESYEWARTM. BALLPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTO,NORTHCAROUNACOLLECTION,PACK MEMORIAL COLLECTION,SPECIALCOLLECTIONS,RAMSEYLIBRARY,UNCA PUBUCLIBRARY THE BANK OF WEST ASHEVILLE AYCOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Bank ofWestAsheville opened in 1915 at the comerofHaywood Road andBeverly. In 1927. a new- Aycock Elementar}' School at441 Haywood bank building opened on the comerofHaywood Road Road opened in 1927. NamedforCharles B. and RichmondAvenue. The yellow brick structure was Aycock, NC's "Education Governor", the school 3 stories high and was called "WestAsheville's First was built on the site ofWestAsheville's firstpub- Skyscraper". The Bank ofWestAsheville closed in lic school, a 2-roombrick structure which stood Novemberof 1930 as the Depression deepened. The on the lotbehindthe presentbuilding, and which building still stands, and looks much as it did when new. was torn down in 1943.A}'cockElementar.' School served generations ofWestAsheville stu- dents, mostofwhomwalkedto school. The pres- Tin:ii.\>'K<>^A»^i8yA8«HV4Mtl^ " entbuildingwas erectedin the 60s andnow houses theAccelerated Learning Center. :,„";;';?.. 7^2^ "^-r. /^..^.^ __._ _ s^-f^^ ASHEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT BANKOFWESTASHEVILLECHECK, 1927.COURTESYDANJUDD STATION #3 AUXILIARY FIREMEN ASHEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT 1 CaptainJohn. L. Hall 12. B.A. Barrosse 2. Mr. Mac Kiser 13. FrankA. Davis, Capt. AF 3. FiremanArrowood 14. Ted Gaze 4. Fireman Ted Callaway 15. Jimmy Davis 5. BillyDovis 16. Harold Cummings 6. DoyleWoody 17. Joe Bassett 7. Fireman Grady 18. Harold Hicks (Turkey)Wilson 19.J.L Duckett 8. Austin O. Combs 20. MaryLouiseBrondle 9. GeorgeHughes, Lt. AF 21 JackHensley 10. Joe Hensley 22. Marion Davis 11. HenryMay, 2nd Lt. AF AUXILIARYFIREMEN,STATION3,421 HAYWOODROAD. STATION3,BUILTIN 1922,OPERATEDUNTIL 1979. ITWAS WESTASHEVILLE'SFIRSTPERMANENTFIRESTATION,SUCCESSORTOAVOLUNTEERUNITESTABLISHEDIN 1917BUT FORCEDTOCLOSEIN 1918DUETOAMANPOWERSHORTAGECAUSEDBYTHEWAR. BUILDINGSTILLSTANDS. PHOTO, NORTHCAROLINACOLLEQION,PACKMEMORIALPUBLICUBRARY. — TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH On September6, 1847, Thomas L. Gaston deeded an acre ofland along the future Haywood Road to brothers Peterand George Miller, "forthebenefitofthe neighborhood", as the deed stated. Peterbuilt a 1-room frame building namedThe MillerMeeting House. Used as a"day school" through the weekand fornon-denominational services on Sundays, this building wasWestAsheville's firstchurchAND first school. In 1871, through the influence ofJames Buttrick, azealous Methodistfrom England, the churchjoined thefold ofthe Southern Methodist Church, and the name was changed to Balm Grove. In 1909, when anew building was erected, the name changed to WestAshevilleMethodistChurch. The cur- rent building was completed in 1927. Church membership through the 40's exceeded 1200. In 1968, the church adopted MILLERMEETINGHOUSE, 1847,587HAYWOODROAD. itspresentname.Trinity United MethodistChurch. The church PHOTO,TRINITYUNITEDMETHODISTCHURCH. celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997. CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH Organized in 1909, Calvary Baptist Church startedoutwith 68 members meeting in the Odd Fellows Hall on Haywood Road (current site of B & B Pharmacy). Construction onthepresent buildingbegan in 1921 and thebuilding was first used on May 13, 1923. In 1924, Calvary formed the firstVacation Bible School inAsheville, and in 1934 the churchformedthe firstBrotherhood organization in North Carolina. The beloved Rev. J.B. Grice served as pastor 1918-1947. The presentcongregation ofmorethan 1200celebrated ODDFELLOWSHALL,CORNEROFHAYWOODRD.ANDHANOVERST., 1927. PHOTO,CALVARYBAPTISTCHURCH. Calvary's 90th anniversary in 1999. WEST ASHEVILLE PRESBYTERLAN CHURCH In 1913, PR Wynn ofWestAsheville started a Sunday School onthe second floorofthe Ideal Drug Store building at 723 HaywoodRoad. In 1916, the West Asheville Presbyterian Churchwas organized; the property atthe comerof Haywood Road and VirginiaAvenue was purchased and the first church building — the "Potato House" was erected. The congregation grew potatoes on the proper- ty to raise funds forthecurrent sanctuary, built in 1922. In 1943, the church helped organize the Malvern Hills Presbyterian "THEBARNINTHEPOTATOPATCH",690HAYWOODRD., 1917. Church. In 1956, anew Sunday School PHOTO, WESTASHEVILLEPRESBYTERIANCHURCH. building was built. The church celebrated its 80th anniversary in 1996. GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Grace Baptist Church was organized October 26, 1947. in the chapel ofAnders-Rice Funeral Home at 521 Haywood Road; membership had reached 350 when the charter period ended that November. The church purchased the site at 718 Haywood Road (the formerGardner Hospital), and met in the Masonic Hall on Hanover St. until renovations were completed. The first service was held at the new location December21, 1947. InAugust, 1854. the old res- idence was torn down to make way forthe new sanctuary, dedicated in March of 1955. The GRACEBAPTISTCHURCH,718HAYWOODROAD.GARDNERHOSPITAL UNDERDEMOLITIONTOMAKEWAYFORCURRENTSANCTUARY. church celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997. PHOTO,GRACEBAPTISTCHURCH. jOAN OF ARC ST. CHURCH & SCHOOL In March of 1927, parishioners from St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Asheville purchased a 12-room house on the cornerofHaywood Rd. and Blue RidgeAve. in WestAsheville. At the direction ofFather Louis J. Bour, pastorofSt. Lawrence, the structure ST.JOANOFARCCHURCHANDSCHOOL,919HAYWOODROAD.PHOTOCOURTESY was renovated as a chapel and the first NORTHCAROLINACOLLECTION,PACKMEMORIALPUBLICLIBRARY. parochial school in Western North Carolina. The school and chapel were named St. Joan ofArc; chapel furnishings, including pews and an organ, were donated by parishioners. Enrolling 75 pupils during its first yearofoperation, by 1949 the school provided elementary and high school education to 163 students. The present church building was constructed in 1936. In 1950, construction began on a new brick school build- ing. In 1980, the school consolidated with St. Eugene's asAsheville Catholic School, in NorthAsheville. The church celebrated its 65th anniversary in 1993. WEST ASHEVILLE ^-. CHURCH BAPTIST ES In December, 1929, some mem- bers ofFrench BroadAvenue Baptist Church who had homes in West 1 '^ -i i- r yy^mK Asheville formally organized West Asheville Baptist Church. The charter If^ '^: g ^^jBBWiB^^.^'^.,-.. * congregation of 113 members met in a rented "Upper Room" above theA&P WESTASHEVILLEBAPTISTCHURCH,926HAYWOODROAD;FIRSTANNIVERSARY, Se,tore at.-7790-77.H1aywoodJ rR,dj. AA ,lot was DECEMBER 1, 1930. PHOTOCOURTESYWESTASHEVILLEBAPTISTCHURCH. leased on Haywood Rd., across from Blue RidgeAvenue, and achurch was erected; first services were held there on May 18, 1930. In 1935, the lease on the lotran out. Raising $900 in a single Sunday, the church purchased its present site on the cornerofHaywood Rd. and LynndaleAve. The church met in the old Vance Elementary School while the building was underconstruction. At 10:16 p.m. on May 27. 1982, the church suffered one ofWestAsheville's worst tragedies. Lightning struck the church, starting a huge fire. 25-year old fireman Raymond Flowers losthis life battling the blaze, and the church was severely damaged. The congregation rebuilt thechurch in 3 years, dedicating the new building on May 31, 1985. The church cele- brated its 70th anniversary in 1999. THE THEATER ISIS The Isis Theater, at 743 Haywood Road, opened December26, 1937. Built at a cost of$50,000, the artdeco structure featured two screening rooms and could seat 550. The theateroffered amatinee andtwo evening shows Monday-Friday, with continuous shows after 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission in 1937 was 20 cents foradults and 10cents forchildren. Usually one ofthefeatures was awestern. Ageneration thrived on its Saturday matinees and aircondi- THEISISTHEATER,743HAYWOODROAD,DATENOTKNOWN.PHOTO,EWARTM.BALL tioning. The Isis closed its doors PHOTOGRAPHICCOLLECTION,SPECIALCOLLECTIONS,RAMSEYLIBRARY,UNCA.PRESENT inNovemberof 1957. LOCATIONOFPASTABIUTIESRESTAURANT. MAY'S MARKET May's Market, founded in 1928 at 747 Haywood Road by John B. May, became aWest Asheville institution. Mr. May employed all of his children in the store, and countless West Asheville young people got theirfirstjobs working at May's Market after school and on Saturdays. The store was open 6 days a week, and groceries were delivered by bicycle and delivery truck. During the Depression, Mr. May extended credit to many ofhis customers. His MAY'SMARKET,747HAYWOODROAD, 1970'S. PHOTOCOURTESY daughterNancy, who began working in the FRANKANDNANCYLEPPERT. PRESENTLOCATIONOFMERCADO MEXICANA. ^'^^'"^ ^" 1943, recalls that the lastDepressi.on- eraaccounts were paid offduring the 50"s. Afterthe war, she and herhusband, Frank Leppert,joined Mr. May in the family business. May's Market was known forits meats; butcherRalph Pitillo ran the meat counterforover40 years. May's Marketclosed in 1978, after50 years in business. HAYWOODROAD, WESTASHEVILLE,EARLY30S. LEFTTORIGHT: A&P,797HAYWOODROAD;OLDPOSTOFFICE,795HAYWOODROAD; PALACETHEATER,791 HAYWOODROAD;REDSTARSTATION,785HAYWOODROAD. POSTOFFICEOPENEDIN 1929. PALACETHEATER OPENED 1928. PHOTO,EWARTM.BALLPHOTOGRAPHICCOLLECTION, SPECIALCOLLECTIONS,RAMSEYUBRARY,UNCA. WEST ASHEVILLE BRANCH LIBRARY In 1929. the West Asheville Community Club launched adrive to secure a public librar>' forthe commu- nity. The Depression, fol- INTERIOROFWESTBRANCHLIBRARY, 1953. FIRSTLIBRARIAN,MRS. DOANOGDEN,VISIBLEAT lowedbyWWII, caused DESKINBACKGROUND. PHOTO,NORTHCAROLINACOLLEQION,PACKMEMORIALPUBLIC LIBRARY. delays, but in 1953 the goal was achieved. Built onproperty at 970 Haywood Road donated by theWestAsheville BusinessAssociation. WestAsheville Branch Library was the firstpurpose-builtbranch librar>' in North Carolina. The hbrarv' shared space in the $100,000building with Fire Station 6 and the WestAsheville Community Center. Dedicated on May 31. 1953. the library was hailed as acultural milestone in the history ofWestAshe\ille. "Libra)-}-Journal" in November. 1954. noted that "Community gratitude is frequently expressed. . .that cit\ attire is notrequired." Opening with acollection of2500 new books, the library registered afirstmonth's circulation of4.365. In 1997. the hbrary moved into a new building at 942 Haywood Road, next doorto the old location. The collection now numbers over40.000 items: circulation in October, 2000. topped 15.000. WestAsheville Branch Library remains the busiest branch in theAsheville-Buncombe Library System. LAVONNE'S DRIVI'IN OPENING TUESDAY, 4 P:M LAVONNE'S DRIVE-IN NOW OPEN ^^ >-'•» •"••»^ FO^UoN^TA-IN CHICKEN IN BASKET ^ SERVICE FTRAISETDYSSHARNIDMWPICLHNESBASKETJ FOUNTAIN DAIRYBAR NOBEERNORwrNESERVEDHERG LAVONNE'SDRIVE-IN,955HAYWOODROAD,ACROSSTHESTREETFROMWESTBRANCHLIBRARY, 1951-58;BECAMETOOT&TELL DRIVE-ININ 1959. PHOTO,EWARTM.BALLPHOTOGRAPHICCOLLEaiON,SPECIALCOLLEQIONS,RAMSEYUBRARY,UNCA. — THANKS! Asheville-BuncombeLibrary System•AshevilleCitizen-Times• BUtmorePress•RosemarieBrown- Taylor•CalvaryBaptistChurch• MaryRuthDuyck•FriendsofWest AshevilleBranchLibrary•DaleGroce •BarbaraHall•BetsyMurray•Rob Neufeld•ZoeRhine•DavidSimon• NorthCarolinaCollection,Pack MemorialPublicLibrary•Special Collections,RamseyLibrary,UNCA• HAYWOODROADAT1-240,LOOKINGWEST;NOVEMBER, 1999. PHOTOCOURTESY TrinityUnitedMethodistChurch• LISSAJUEDEMANN. WestAshevilleBusinessAssociation• WestAshevilleLionsClub•West AshevilleStoryCircleParticipants• AnnWright•HelenWykle SulphurSprings Rd WEST ASHEVILLE HISTORY PROJECT COMMITTEE Pope &DotBallinger• VermontAve. MildredAve. BruceEmory•CulleyHolderfield •FreddieHopper• FDRON HAYWOOD LissaJuedemann•JoanJohnson• ROAD MiUieJones•MinnieJones• Frank& NancyLeppert• DanLobdell • KarenLoughmiller• In 1936, thenation's president GlennMay • KathyNewfont FairfaxAve, rode downHaywoodRoad. Franklin D. Roosevelt, inthe middleofapresi- SPECLVL TLLANKS LouisianaAve. dentialcampaign,journeyedto AshevillefromtheGreat Smoky BruceEmory• HarlanGradin• CulleyHolderfield•Freddie DorchesterAve. Mountains National Park, taking Hopper•Mrs. InezHorton• the only possibleroute Image420•EdSheary •Staffof Highway 10—whichincluded WestBranchLibrary•The PEOPLEofWestAsheville! HaywoodRoad. 5,000people lined Allen St. both sides oftheroute throughWest STAFF Asheville all theway totheWest ProjectDirector: AshevilleBridge. TheAsheville KarenLoughmiller Citizen reportedthat"Both sides of Writers: Richmond Ave. Haywood Roadwerepacked ashe CulleyHolderfield,PhyllisLang MichiganAve • camethroughWestAsheville.The Photographers: entiredistanceoftheroutewas LissaJuedemann, DanLobdell Sv/annannoaAve linedwith men, women, Research: BruceEmory,MillieJones andchildren, white ConsultingHumanitiesScholar: andcolored." Dr. PhyllisLang SponsoredbytheNorthCarolina HumanitiesCouncil HAYWOOD ROAD WestAshevilleHistoryProjectWestAshevilleBranchLibrary942Haywood florthCarolinaHunianitiei[ouncil Road,WestAsheville828-251-4990 WeavingCuttur