by Dale Wayne Slusser The development of Montreat, North Carolina was the product of the blending of two Victorian social movements- the camp meeting, and the railroad promoted health and pleasure resorts movements. The original concept for Montreat was, according to...
“Here lived Miss Agnes and Lucia Campbell, two very sweet and indigent Southern gentlewomen…” By Dale Wayne Slusser In 1889, northern millionaire George Washington Vanderbilt, began construction of his 250-room mansion, “Biltmore” on a hill above the southern bank of...
by Dale Wayne Slusser Once described as a “pretty little religious village”[1], the Town of Montreat, which is nestled in a deep cove near Black Mountain in Western North Carolina, has a rich and prolific assemblage of historic cabins, cottages, and residences. One...
By Dale Wayne Slusser On May 24, 1914, the Charlotte Observer reported the following news from Asheville: “Work on the stone castle which Fred L. Seely is building on the brow of Overlook Mountain has been resumed and a force of 30 workmen is now engaged in erecting...
By Dale Wayne Slusser While walking down N. Liberty Street in North Asheville, via google “street view”, recently, I came across the beautiful cottage at the northeast corner of N. Liberty and East Chestnut Streets (138 E. Chestnut Street). My first thought was that...
Before Biltmore Village: Thomas Foster’s Farm and the Reed HousesJanuary 14, 2025
The Forgotten Homes and Estates Along the Swannanoa River: A SeriesJanuary 14, 2025
“What’s in a Name?”: To Be a Grove or Not to Be!December 10, 2024