Foster's Log Cabin Court
Foster's Log Cabin Courts | |
 Front Entrance with sign and Dining Lodge, 2021 | |
   | |
| Location | 330 and 332 Weaverville Rd., Woodfin, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°39′38″N 82°34′55″W / 35.66056°N 82.58194°W |
| Area | 3 acres |
| Built | c. 1932 |
| Architectural style | Rustic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 100000939 |
| Added to NRHP | May 1, 2017 |
Foster's Log Cabin Court (now the Log Cabin Motor Court) is located at 330-332 Weaverville Road in Woodfin, North Carolina, about five miles north of the City of Asheville.[1] One of the first auto-oriented tourism facilities in the Asheville area, it features a number of one and two bedroom Rustic Revival log cabins and a dining lodge.[2] It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. [3] [4]
Historic Background[edit]
A Buncombe County, North Carolina couple, Zebulon and Audrey Foster, purchased land in the Pine Burr Park area of Woodfin in 1920. They both worked in Asheville, and were looking for a more rural lifestyle for themselves and their young daughter. Initially they lived in a small house on the property, gardened, and had a dairy cow. [2]
The land bordered what became a section of the Dixie Highway, a scenic driving route for tourists from northern states. After a number of people asked to camp on the site, which featured a grove of pine trees and views of the mountains, the Fosters decided to construct some small cabins around 1931. The first seven one-room cabins with porches, built from pine logs, were served by two outhouses. Each cabin rented for $1 per night. [2]
Six more cabins were built in 1932. All the cabins were improved over the next few years, with additions such as bathrooms, brick chimneys, and wood floors. A dining facility was constructed on an adjoining lot in 1937; it operated as a restaurant until 2021. [5] [6][3] [1] Part of the movie Thunder Road, starring Robert Mitchum, was filmed in one of the cabins in the summer of 1957; it was then called Top-o-the-Hill cabin, and is now known as the Thunder Road cabin. [3]
Audrey Foster operated the Log Cabin Court until she retired in 1970 (Zebulon Foster died in 1941.) [2] It has continued to provide moderately-priced tourist accommodations under subsequent owners.[1]
National Register of Historic Places Listing[edit]
Foster's Log Cabin Court was nominated for the National Register in December 2016, and was listed on May 1, 2017. [3] There are twenty-two contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings in the property listing.
The historic significance of the property was described in the nomination:
As an intact example of twentieth-century automobile-based tourism, Foster’s Log Cabin Court meets National Register Criterion A in the area of Entertainment/Recreation. Foster’s Log Cabin Court also meets Criterion C for architecture as an intact tourist court with Rustic Revival style buildings characterized by saddle-notched pole-log construction. The rustic log construction has appealed to the romantic nature of passing motorists since the court’s inception, offering tourists a welcome opportunity to experience the pioneer heritage of the region. As one of the region’s earliest and best-preserved tourist courts, the buildings of Foster’s Log Cabin Court remain scattered among tall pine trees, and the wooded setting compliments the rustic architecture of the tourist court.[3]
Gallery[edit]
-
Traveler's Rest Cabin, 2021 -
Sung Harbor Cabin, 2021 -
Midnight Roost Cabin, 2020
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Observer (MCT), By Kathleen Purvis, The Charlotte. "Sleep like a log in these old-timey tourist cabins near Asheville, N.C." orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Acme Preservation Services, August 2017. Historic Structures Survey Report for US 19-23 (Future I-26) Improvements from Exit 24 in Asheville to Exit 13 Buncombe County. Prepared for the NC Department of Transportation. p137-150. https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/historic-preservation-office/PDFs/ER%2013-2173.pdf
- ^ a b c d e North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Office of Archives and History Department of Cultural Resources. National Register of Historic Places: Foster's Log Cabin Court. Woodfin, Buncombe County, BN1406, Listed 5/1/2017. https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/BN1406.pdf
- ^ Hinton, Justin (2017-07-19). "3 mountain locations added to National Register of Historic Places". WLOS. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Bavarian Dining". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
- ^ Clark, Paul (2013-07-01). "Pining to Return to Log Cabin Motor Court". Blue Ridge Country. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
See also[edit]
Articles about the Rustic Revival style in North Carolina:
Log Building Construction in Mecklenburg County From 1920 to 1945: http://landmarkscommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Rustic-Revival-Log-Buildings.pdf
PSABC Learns about Homeland Tourist Park & Rustic Revival Log Cabins: https://www.biltmorebeacon.com/news/psabc-learsn-about-homeland-tourist-park-rustic-revival-log-cabins/article_369eb27a-6508-11e9-87e9-d796d6b0ae90.html
Rustic Revival: https://www.ourstate.com/rustic-revival-joe-webb-cabins-highlands-north-carolina/