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Asheville, North Carolina

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Not to be confused with Ashville (disambiguation).
Asheville, North Carolina
City
Downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville
Flag of Asheville, North Carolina
Flag
Official seal of Asheville, North Carolina
Seal
Nickname: 
"Land of the Sky"[1]
Location in North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyBuncombe
Incorporated1797
Government
 • MayorTerry Bellamy
 • Council MembersCecil Bothwell,
Jan Davis,
Esther Manheimer,
Chris Pelly,
Marc Hunt,
Gordon Smith
Area
 • City41.3 sq mi (107.0 km2)
 • Land40.9 sq mi (106.0 km2)
 • Water0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)  0.94%
Elevation
2,134 ft (650 m)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • City83,393.
 • Density2,032.15/sq mi (786.02/km2)
 • Urban
238,318
 • Metro
408,436
 • Demonym
Ashevillian
 US Census Bureau official
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code828
FIPS code37-02140Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1018864Template:GR
Websitewww.ashevillenc.gov
Asheville City Hall. Designed by Douglas Ellington, this building epitomizes the Art Deco style of the 1920s.
View of downtown Asheville, 1888
The Biltmore House on Biltmore Estate, which is the largest house in America, with more than 250 rooms, was built as a private residence complete with indoor pool and bowling alley. Modern guests, who also come to see the adjacent gardens, enjoy a similar view to this 1902 photo.

Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States.Template:GR It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), which is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The U.S. Census Bureau determined that Asheville's population in 2010 was 83,393.[2] Asheville is a part of the four-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population of which was estimated by the Census Bureau in 2010 to be 417,012.[3]

History

Origins

Before the arrival of Europeans, the land where Asheville now exists lay within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.[4] In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto came to the area, bringing the first European visitors[5] in addition to European diseases which seriously depleted the native population.[6] The area was used as an open hunting ground until the middle of the 19th century.[7]

The history of Asheville, as a town, begins in 1784. In that year, Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family settled in the Swannanoa Valley, redeeming a soldier's land grant from the state of North Carolina. Soon after building a log cabin at the bank of Christian Creek, Davidson was lured into the woods by a band of Cherokee hunters and killed. Davidson's wife, child and female slave fled on foot to Davidson's Fort (named after Davidson's father General John Davidson) 16 miles away.

In response to the killing, Davidson's twin brother Major William Davidson and brother-in-law Colonel Daniel Smith formed an expedition to retrieve Samuel Davidson's body and avenge his murder. Months after the expedition, Major Davidson and other members of his extended family returned to the area and settled at the mouth of Bee Tree Creek.

The United States Census of 1790 counted 1,000 residents of the area, excluding the Cherokee Native Americans. Buncombe County was officially formed in 1792. The county seat, named “Morristown” in 1793, was established on a plateau where two old Indian trails crossed. In 1797, Morristown was incorporated and renamed “Asheville” after North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe.[8][9]

The Civil War

Asheville, with a population of approximately 2,500 by 1861, remained relatively untouched by the Civil War, but contributed a number of companies to the Confederate States Army, and a substantially smaller number of soldiers to the Union.[citation needed] For a time, an Enfield rifle manufacturing facility was located in the town. The war came to Asheville as an afterthought, when the "Battle of Asheville" was fought in early April 1865 at the present-day site of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, with Union forces withdrawing to Tennessee after encountering resistance from a small group of Confederate senior and junior reserves and recuperating Confederate soldiers in prepared trench lines across the Buncombe Turnpike; orders had been given to the Union force to take Asheville only if this could be accomplished without significant losses.[citation needed]

An engagement was also fought later that month at Swannanoa Gap as part of the larger Stoneman's Raid, with Union forces retreating in the face of resistance from Brig. Gen. Martin, commander of Confederate troops in western North Carolina, but returning to the area via Howard's Gap and Henderson County.[citation needed] In late April 1865 troops under the overall command of Union Gen. Stoneman captured Asheville.[citation needed] After a negotiated departure, the troops nevertheless subsequently returned and plundered and burned a number of Confederate supporters' homes in the town.[citation needed] The years following the war were a time of economic and social hardship in Buncombe County, as throughout most of the defeated South.[citation needed]

1880s

On October 2, 1880, the Western North Carolina Railroad completed its line from Salisbury to Asheville, the first rail line to reach the city. Almost immediately it was sold and resold to the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, becoming part of the Southern Railway in 1894.[10] With the completion of the first railway, Asheville experienced a slow but steady growth as industrial plants increased in number and size, and new residents built homes. Textile mills were established and plants were set up for the manufacture of wood and mica products, foodstuffs, and other commodities.[11]

The 21-mile distance between Hendersonville and Asheville of the former Asheville and Spartanburg Railroad was completed in 1886.[12] By that point, the line was operated as part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad until 1894 and controlled by the Southern Railway afterward.[13] (Asheville's final passenger train, a coach-only remnant of the Southern Railway's "Carolina Special", last runs on December 5, 1968.)

Asheville had the first electric street railway lines in the state of North Carolina, the first of which opened in 1889. These would be replaced by buses in 1934.[14]

1900s to present

Construction on Grove Park Inn, 1912

While Asheville prospered in the decades of 1910s and 1920s (at one point, Asheville was the 3rd largest city in North Carolina, behind Charlotte and Wilmington), the period of Asheville's history made world-famous by the novel Look Homeward, Angel, the Great Depression hit Asheville quite hard. On November 20, 1930, eight local banks failed.[15] Only Wachovia remained open with infusions of cash from Winston-Salem.[citation needed] Because of the explosive growth of the previous decades, the 'per capita' debt owed by the city (through municipal bonds) was the highest of any city in the nation.[16] By 1929, both city and Buncombe County had incurred over $56 million in bonded debt to pay for a wide range of municipal and infrastructure improvements, including the courthouse and City Hall, paved streets, Beaucatcher Tunnel, school buildings and municipal parks. Rather than default, the city paid those debts over a period of 50 years. From the start of the Depression through the 1980s, economic growth in Asheville was slow. During this time of financial stagnation, most of the buildings in the downtown district remained unaltered. This resulted in one of the most impressive, comprehensive collections of Art Deco architecture in the United States.[17][18]

The Asheville area was subject to severe flooding from the remnants of a tropical storm on July 15–16, 1916, causing over $3 million in damage. Heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan caused major flooding in Asheville in September 2004, particularly at Biltmore Village.[19][20]

In 2003, Centennial Olympic Park bomber Eric Robert Rudolph was transported to Asheville from Murphy, North Carolina, for arraignment in federal court.[21][22]

Nationwide recognition

Asheville pops up on national rankings for a variety of things: Modern Maturity named it one of "The 50 Most Alive Places To Be,"[23] AmericanStyle magazine called it one of "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations,"[24] Self magazine labeled it the "Happiest City for Women,"[25] it is one of AARP Magazine's "Best Places to Reinvent Your Life",[26] and was proclaimed the "New Freak Capital of the U.S." by Rolling Stone. Asheville has also been called "a New Age Mecca" by CBS News' Eye On America,[27] In August 2006 Asheville was named one the "Best Outside Towns" by Outside Magazine.[28] In the 2008 book, The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner, Asheville was cited by the author as one of the happiest places in the United States. In 2011 Asheville was picked as one of the “10 Most Beautiful Places in America” by Good Morning America.[29] In 2007, Asheville was named one of the top seven places to live in the U.S. by Frommer's Cities Ranked and Rated,[30] and #23 of 200 metro areas for business and careers by Forbes.[citation needed] It was also named one of the world's top 12 must-see destinations for 2007 by Frommer's travel guides.[31]

Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the area and near the Biltmore Estate.

Politics

Local government

The City of Asheville operates under a council-manager form of government, via its charter. Over 89 million American citizens live in this type of local government. City Council appoints a city manager to achieve the desired end set by the City Council. The manager oversees day-to-day city operations and executes Council established laws and policies. The city manager also ensures the entire community is being served. If the manager is not responsive to the governing body’s directions and guidance, the governing body has the authority to terminate the manager at any time. City Council also appoints the city attorney and the city clerk.[32] In the absence or disability of the mayor, the vice-mayor performs the mayoral duties. The vice-mayor is appointed by the members of City Council. City Council determines the needs to be addressed and the degree of service to be provided by the administrative branch of city government.

Downtown Asheville is a major attraction for tourists in the area

Mayor Terry Bellamy, the city's first African-American female mayor, is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition.[33] In 2005, Mayor Charles Worley signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and in 2006 the City Council created the Sustainable Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment. In 2007, the Council became the first city on the East Coast to commit to building all municipal buildings to LEED Gold Standards and to achieve 80% energy reduction of 2001 standards by 2040. In 2007, the Council signed an agreement with Warren Wilson College stating the intent of the city and college to work together toward climate partnership goals. In 2009, the election of city councilman Cecil Bothwell was challenged because the North Carolina Constitution does not allow for atheists to hold public office.[34]

While the city council elections are considered non-partisan, party politics may enter into play with both Republican and Democrat counterparts backing their registered members candidacy. While all of the members of the city council are registered Democrats, the Republicans have held offices in past years -- most notably Carl Mumpower, who departed the Council in 2008 to seek the NC-11 U.S. Congressional seat. Mark Cates, a Republican who unsuccessfully sought the Council in 2011, argued that the issues that the Council faces are not decided by ideology and said: “There’s the water issue — there’s no such thing as ‘Republican water’ or ‘Democratic water.”[35] That year, the proposition of electing a Republican to City Council was described as nearly impossible by many involved in local politics[36]; Cates claimed that he was excluded from a debate because of his partisan affiliation.[37] The 2011 election cycle concluded with Marc Hunt, Chris Pelly elected, and Jan Davis reelected to the Asheville City Council. Lael Gray, Mark Cates, and Saul Chase finished fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.[38]

Current elected officials[39]
  • Mayor: Terry Bellamy
  • Vice-Mayor: Brownie Newman
  • Council: Cecil Bothwell
  • Council: Gordon Smith
  • Council: Bill Russell
  • Council: Esther Manheimer
  • Council: Jan Davis

State government

In the North Carolina Senate, Martin Nesbitt (D-Asheville) and Tom Apodaca (R-Hendersonville) both represent parts of Buncombe county. Nesbitt represents most of the city of Asheville.[40] Apodaca a very small portion of the southern part of the city.[41]

In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Susan Fisher (D-Asheville), Patsy Keever (D-Asheville), and Tim Moffitt (R-Asheville) all represent parts of the county.[42] All three of them represent parts of the city.

Federal government

Obama won Asheville with about 70% of the vote, while he won the entire county of Buncombe with 56% of the vote. Obama has visited the city a few times and has said he loves Asheville and the State of North Carolina.[43] In April 2010, he and his family vacationed in the city; it was the first time he visited since October 5, 2008.[44]

The two U.S. Senators of North Carolina are Richard Burr (R-Winston Salem) and Kay Hagan (D-Greensboro). The city of Asheville is based in North Carolina's 11th congressional district, represented by U.S. Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Haywood County).

Geography

Asheville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.3 square miles (107.0 km2), of which 40.9 square miles (105.9 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.94%) is water.[citation needed]

Climate

The climate of Asheville is a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), resembling the rest of the southeastern U.S., but with noticeably cooler temperatures due to the higher altitude. The area's summers in particular, though warm, are not as hot as summers in cities farther east in the state, as average highs peak at 85 °F (29.4 °C) in July. Winters are cool, with a January mean of 36.4 °F (2.4 °C). Snowfall is sporadic and usually light, with an average seasonal amount of 13.3 inches (34 cm). Freezing rain often occurs, accompanied by more significant disruption. Precipitation is relatively well-spread, though fall and early winter are the driest, and totals 37.3 inches (947.4 mm).

Extremes range from −16 to 100 °F (−27 to 38 °C), in January 1985 and August 1983, respectively.[45][46]

Climate data for Asheville, North Carolina (Asheville Regional Airport), 1981-2010 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 47.6
(8.7) 		51.1
(10.6) 		58.8
(14.9) 		67.8
(19.9) 		74.9
(23.8) 		81.4
(27.4) 		84.1
(28.9) 		83.1
(28.4) 		77.0
(25.0) 		68.2
(20.1) 		58.9
(14.9) 		49.6
(9.8) 		66.9
(19.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 26.7
(−2.9) 		29.6
(−1.3) 		35.5
(1.9) 		42.8
(6.0) 		51.3
(10.7) 		59.5
(15.3) 		63.5
(17.5) 		62.9
(17.2) 		55.7
(13.2) 		44.5
(6.9) 		35.7
(2.1) 		29.1
(−1.6) 		44.7
(7.1)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.69
(94) 		3.77
(96) 		3.82
(97) 		3.33
(85) 		3.66
(93) 		4.67
(119) 		4.35
(110) 		4.41
(112) 		3.84
(98) 		2.90
(74) 		3.65
(93) 		3.61
(92) 		45.71
(1,161)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 4.6
(12) 		2.4
(6.1) 		1.9
(4.8) 		0.8
(2.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		1.9
(4.8) 		11.8
(30)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 9.4 11.1 10.1 11.6 12.6 12.7 12.4 8.8 7.9 9.4 9.7 125.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 2.1 1.8 1.0 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 1.2 6.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 176.7 183.6 223.2 252.0 263.5 267.0 257.3 226.3 207.0 220.1 180.0 167.4 2,624.1
Source 1: NOAA [47]
Source 2: HKO [48]

Neighborhoods

  • North - includes the neighborhoods of Albemarle Park, Beaverdam, Beaver Lake, Chestnut Hills, Colonial Heights, Grove Park, Kimberly, Montford, and Norwood Park. Chestnut Hill, Grove Park, Montford, and Norwood Park neighborhoods are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Montford and Albemarle Park have been named local historic districts by the Asheville City Council.
  • East - includes the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Chunn's Cove, Haw Creek, Oakley, Oteen, Reynolds, Riceville, and Town Mountain.
  • West - includes the neighborhoods of Camelot, Wilshire Park, Bear Creek, Deaverview Park, Emma, Hi-Alta Park, Lucerne Park, Malvern Hills, Sulphur Springs, Haywood Road, Pisgah View, Hilcrest, and West Asheville.
  • South - includes the neighborhoods of Ballantree, Biltmore Village, Biltmore Forest, Biltmore Park, Kenilworth, Oak Forest, Royal Pines, Shiloh, and Skyland. Biltmore Village has been named a local historic district by the Asheville City Council.[49]

Architecture

Biltmore Estate today

Notable architecture in Asheville includes its Art Deco city hall, and other unique buildings in the downtown area, such as the Battery Park Hotel, the Neo-Gothic Jackson Building, Grove Arcade and the Basilica of St. Lawrence. The S&W Cafeteria Building is also a fine example of Art Deco architecture in Asheville.[50] The Grove Park Inn is an important example of architecture and design of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Asheville's recovery from the Depression was slow and arduous. Because of the financial stagnation, there was little new construction and much of the downtown district remained unaltered. This however has allowed Asheville to be a great collection of Art Deco and truly a style all its own.

Inside dome of the Basilica of St. Lawrence, and final resting place of Rafael Guastavino (d. 1908) in Asheville.

The Montford Area Historic District and other central areas are considered historic districts and include Victorian houses. On the other hand, Biltmore Village, located at the entrance to the famous estate, showcases unique architectural features that are found only in the Asheville area. It was here that workers stayed during the construction of George Vanderbilt's estate.[citation needed] Today, however, as with many of Asheville's historical districts, it has been transformed into a district home to quaint, trendy shops and interesting boutiques. The YMI Cultural Center, founded in 1892 by George Vanderbilt in the heart of downtown, is one of the nation's oldest African-American cultural centers.[51][52]

Demographics

Location of the Asheville-Brevard CSA and its components:
  Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area
  Brevard Micropolitan Statistical Area
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18701,400—
18802,61686.9%
189010,235291.2%
190014,69443.6%
191018,76227.7%
192028,50451.9%
193050,19376.1%
194051,3102.2%
195053,0003.3%
196060,19213.6%
197057,929−3.8%
198054,022−6.7%
199061,60714.0%
200068,88911.8%
201083,39321.1%

Asheville is the larger principal city of the Asheville-Brevard CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Asheville metropolitan area (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Madison counties) and the Brevard micropolitan area (Transylvania County),[54][55][56] which had a combined population of 398,505 at the 2000 census.Template:GR

At the 2000 censusTemplate:GR, there were 68,889 people, 30,690 households and 16,726 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,683.4 per square mile (650.0/km²). There were 33,567 housing units at an average density of 820.3 per square mile (316.7/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 77.95% White, 17.61% Black or African American, 3.76% Hispanic or Latino American, 0.92% Asian American, 0.35% Native American, 0.06% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 1.53% some other race, and 1.58% two or more races.

There were 30,690 households of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.81.

Age distribution was 19.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

The median household income was $32,772, and the median family income was $44,029. Males had a median income of $30,463 versus $23,488 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,024. About 13% of families and 19% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan area

Asheville is the largest city located within the Asheville MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area). The MSA includes Buncombe County; Haywood County; Henderson County; and Madison County; with a combined population - as of the 2008 Census Bureau population estimate - of 408,436.[3]

Apart from Asheville, the MSA includes Hendersonville and Waynesville, along with a number of smaller incorporated towns: Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Canton, Clyde, Flat Rock, Fletcher, Hot Springs, Laurel Park, Maggie Valley, Mars Hill, Marshall, Mills River, Montreat, Weaverville and Woodfin.

Several sizable unincorporated rural and suburban communities are also located nearby: Arden, Barnardsville (incorporated until 1970), Bent Creek, Candler, Enka, Fairview, Jupiter (incorporated until 1970), Leicester, Oteen, Skyland, and Swannanoa.

Economy

Largest employers

According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[57] the largest employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Mission Health System 3,000+
2 Buncombe County Schools System 3,000+
3 Ingles 3,000+
4 State of North Carolina 1,000+
5 Buncombe County 1,000+
6 Asheville VA Medical Center 1,000+
7 City of Asheville 1,000+
8 Wal-Mart 1,000+
9 The Biltmore Company 1,000+
10 Asheville–Buncombe Technical Community College 1,000+
11 Eaton 1,000+
12 Grove Park Inn 500-999
13 Asheville City Schools 500-999
14 Community CarePartners 500-999
15 United States Postal Service 500-999
16 BorgWarner Turbo Systems 500-999
17 Thermo Fisher Scientific 500-999
18 arvato digital services 500-999
19 Employment Control 500-999
20 Volvo Construction Equipment 500-999

Education

Asheville High School Main Entrance (designed by Douglas Ellington)

Public Asheville City Schools include Asheville High School (known as Lee H Edwards High School 1935-1969), School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville, Asheville Middle School, Claxton Elementary, Randolph Learning Center, Hall Fletcher Elementary, Isaac Dickson Elementary, Ira B. Jones Elementary and Vance Elementary. Asheville High has been ranked by Newsweek magazine as one of the top 100 high schools in the United States. The Buncombe County School System operates high schools, middle schools and elementary schools both inside and outside the city of Asheville. Clyde A. Erwin High School, T C Roberson High School and A. C. Reynolds High School are three Buncombe County schools located in Asheville.[citation needed]

Asheville was formerly home to one of the only Sudbury schools in the Southeast, Katuah Sudbury School. It is also home to several charter schools, including Francine Delany New School for Children (one of the first charter schools in North Carolina) and Evergreen Community Charter School, an Outward Bound-Expeditionary Learning School, recognized as one of the most environmentally conscious schools in the country.[58]

Two private residential high schools are located in the Asheville area: the all-male Christ School (located in Arden) and the co-educational Asheville School. Several other private schools, including the Carolina Day School enroll local day students.

Colleges

Asheville and its surrounding area have several institutions of higher education:

Transportation

Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher, North Carolina, and by Interstate 40, Interstate 240, and Interstate 26. A milestone was achieved in 2003 when Interstate 26 was extended from Mars Hill (north of Asheville) to Johnson City, Tennessee, completing a 20-year half-billion dollar construction project through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Work continues to improve Interstate 26 from Mars Hill to Interstate 40 by improving U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 23 and the western part of Interstate 240. This construction will include a multi-million dollar bridge to cross the French Broad River and is not slated to start until after 2008.[59]

The city operates the Asheville Transit System, which consists of several bus lines connecting parts of the city and surrounding areas.

The Norfolk Southern Railway passes through the city, though passenger service is currently not available in the area.

Public services and utilities

Water

Drinking water in Asheville is provided by the Asheville water department. The water system consists of three water treatment plants, more than 1,600 miles (2,600 km) of water lines, 30 pumping stations and 27 storage reservoirs. Until recently the direction of the water agency was shared between Buncombe County and the City of Asheville.[citation needed] The two governments are presently seeking agreement on water that could restore the previous intergovermental agency.[citation needed] The public drinking water supply in most areas of Asheville is presently fluoridated by the addition of hydrofluorosilic acid, at a rate of 0.9 to 1.1 parts per million[citation needed]

The original water system in Asheville dates from the 1880s when Asheville constructed a reservoir on Beaucatcher Mountain, collecting water from various springs and branches. Pipes were laid and unfiltered water distributed by gravity flowed down into the town.[citation needed]

Sewer

Sewer services are provided by the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County.

Electricity

Power is provided by Progress Energy Inc.

Natural gas

Natural gas is provided by PSNC Energy.

Local culture

Music

Live music is a significant element in the tourism-based economy of Asheville and the surrounding area. Seasonal festivals and numerous nightclubs and performance venues offer opportunities for visitors and locals to attend a wide variety of live entertainment events.[60]

Asheville has a strong tradition of street performance and outdoor music, including festivals, such as Bele Chere and the Lexington Avenue Arts & Fun Festival (LAAFF). One event is "Shindig on the Green," which happens Saturday nights during July and August on City/County Plaza. By tradition, the Shindig starts "along about sundown" and features local bluegrass bands and dance teams on stage, and informal jam sessions under the trees surrounding the County Courthouse. Another popular outdoor music event is "Downtown After 5," a monthly concert series held from 5PM till 9PM that hosts popular touring musicians as well as local acts. An unorganized drum circle, held by residents in Pritchard Park and open to all, has been a popular local activity every Friday evening. [61]

Asheville also plays host to the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, an annual charity event which raises money for Habitat For Humanity, and attracts nationally touring acts; in addition to regular performers Haynes himself, and the two bands he plays with, the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule, past acts include King Crimson, Bob Dylan, Robert Fripp, Dave Matthews, Ani Difranco, Widespread Panic, and Phish. Other big acts that have played the Asheville area in recent years are bands such as Porcupine Tree, Broken Social Scene, Ween, The Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch, Cat Power, Ghost Mice, Loretta Lynn, The Disco Biscuits, STS9, Pretty Lights, Primus, M. Ward and The Mountain Goats. DJ music, as well as a small, but active, dance community are also components of the downtown musical landscape. The town is also home to the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and the Asheville Lyric Opera and there are a number of bluegrass, country, and traditional mountain musicians in the Asheville area. A residency at local music establishment The Orange Peel by Smashing Pumpkins in 2007, along with Beastie Boys in 2009, brought national attention to Asheville.[62] The Seattle based rock band, Band of Horses, have also recorded their last two albums at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, as have The Avett Brothers (who have also traditionally played a New Year's Eve concert in Asheville).

Award-winning Christian vocal group The Kingsmen originates in Asheville.

Sports

Current teams

Name Sport Founded League Venue
Asheville Tourists Baseball 1897 South Atlantic McCormick Field
Asheville Grizzlies Football ?? NAFL Memorial Stadium

Previous teams

Name Sport Founded League Venue Years in Asheville
Asheville Smoke Ice hockey 1991 United Hockey League Asheville Civic Center 1998 - 2002
Asheville Aces Ice hockey 2004 Southern Professional Hockey League Asheville Civic Center 2004
Asheville Altitude Basketball 2001 NBA Development League Asheville Civic Center 2001–2005

Other sports

Area colleges and universities, such as the University of North Carolina at Asheville, compete in sports. UNCA's sports teams are known as the Bulldogs and play in the Big South Conference. The Fighting Owls of Warren Wilson College participate in mountain biking and ultimate sports teams. The College is also home of the Hooter Dome, where the Owls play their home basketball games. The Civic Center is home to the Blue Ridge Rollergirls, an up and coming team in the sport of Women's Flat-Track Roller Derby.

Recreational sports

Asheville is a major hub of whitewater recreation, particularly whitewater kayaking, in the eastern US. Many kayak manufacturers have their bases of operation in the Asheville area.[63] Some of the most distinguished whitewater kayakers live in or around Asheville.[64] In its July/August 2006 journal, the group American Whitewater named Asheville one of the top five US whitewater cities.[64] Asheville is also home to numerous Disc Golf courses. Soccer is another popular recreational sport in Asheville. Many games are held at Azalea Park. HFC is the local soccer club in Asheville. The Asheville Hockey League provides opportunities for youth and adult inline hockey at an outdoor rink at Carrier Park. The rink is open to the public and pick-up hockey is also available. The Asheville Civic Center has held recreational ice hockey leagues in the past.

Performing arts

Sculpture in Downtown Asheville of a young lady feeding a horse.

The Asheville Community Theatre was founded in 1946, producing the first amateur production of the Appalachian drama, Dark of the Moon. Soon after, the young actors Charlton Heston and wife Lydia Clarke would take over the small theatre. The current ACT building has two performance spaces - the Mainstage Auditorium, which seats 399 patrons (and named the Heston Auditorium for its most famous alumni); and the more intimate black box performance space 35below, seating no more than 49 patrons.[citation needed]

The North Carolina Stage Company is the only resident professional theatre in the downtown area.

The Asheville Lyric Opera celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009 with a concert featuring Angela Brown, David Malis, and Tonio Di Paolo, veterans of the Metropolitan Opera.[65] The ALO has typically performed three fully staged professional operas for the community in addition to its vibrant educational program.

Asheville Vaudeville,[66] Asheville's only monthly vaudeville variety show, performs new material each month from local magicians, jugglers, comedians, musicians, stilt-walkers, knife-throwers and more.[67]

In 2004, the Asheville Arts Center opened. It is a theatre, dance and music studio designed for arts education. The Grand Hall of the Arts Center is a regular venue for local bands as well as the Asheville Movement Collective.

The Asheville capoeira performance movement was solidified with the arrival of world renowned Mestre Pe de Chumbo to the area in 2006. The capoeira group continues to give performances in the streets, on the stage and during festivals. Due to this group's cumulative efforts in the art of capoeira and in developing community[citation needed] the Asheville Culture Project (ACP) was established in 2010. The ACP is a community arts initiative that offers a space for the integration of cultural performing arts, community and social justice. The cultural center offers the community performances, classes and outreach.

In 2010 the Magnetic Theatre opened in the River Arts District and hosts performances of original works in a variety of genres.[68]

Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective, founded in 2010, produces and presents Theatre which confronts issues of social diversity.[citation needed]

Places of worship

Places of worship in Asheville include the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Lawrence, the Episcopal Cathedral of All Souls and St. Luke's Church, and the Conservative Jewish Beth Israel Synagogue.

Film and television

Although the area has had a long history with the entertainment industry, recent developments are cementing Asheville as a potential growth area for both film and TV. The Asheville Film Festival has completed its sixth year. However the City of Asheville, which funds the festival, has announced that it will no longer fund the festival. The festival's future is in doubt. The city is also an annual participant in the 48-Hour Film Project.[citation needed] The city's Public-access television cable TV station URTV began broadcasting programs in spring 2006. Films made at least partially in the area include A Breed Apart, Searching for Angela Shelton, Last of the Mohicans, Being There, My Fellow Americans, Loggerheads, The Fugitive, All the Real Girls, Richie Rich, Thunder Road, Hannibal, Songcatcher, Patch Adams, Nell, Forrest Gump, Mr. Destiny, Dirty Dancing, Bull Durham, The Private Eyes, The Swan, The Clearing, House of Poets, The Purple Box, 28 Days and The Hunger Games. Locally produced films include Golden Throats of the 20th Century and Anywhere, USA, a winning film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[citation needed]. And Asheville hosts the ActionFest Film Festival, the only festival in the world devoted to action film. The 2010 inaugural edition included Chuck Norris, who was honored as the first ActionFest "man of action."

Media

Asheville is in the "Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson" television DMA and the "Asheville" radio ADI for the city's radio stations.[69]

The primary television station in Asheville is ABC affiliate WLOS-TV Channel 13, with studios in Biltmore Park and a transmitter on Mount Pisgah. Other stations licensed to Asheville include WUNF, PBS station on Channel 33 and The CW affiliate WYCW on Channel 62. Asheville is also served by the Upstate South Carolina stations of WYFF Channel 4 (NBC), WSPA-TV Channel 7 (CBS), WHNS-TV Channel 21 (FOX), MyNetworkTV station WMYA Channel 40 and 3ABN station Channel 41. SCETV PBS affiliates from the Upstate of South Carolina are generally not carried on cable systems in the North Carolina portion of the DMA.

The Asheville Citizen-Times is Asheville's daily newspaper which covers most of Western North Carolina. The Mountain Xpress is the largest weekly in the area, covering arts and politics in the region.

Friends of Community Radio created Asheville FM, a volunteer-based, grassroots community radio station. It has been broadcasting since 2009 via the World Wide Web at www.AshevilleFM.org. The station is licensed under the "Free Form" format. There are also a variety of broadcasts dedicated to Poetry, Interviews, Selected Topics, Children's Radio, and Comedy. The staff have remote broad-casted many local concerts including (but not limited too) Monotonix from Israel, JEFF the Brotherhood from Nashville, Screaming Females from New Jersey, and local acts.

Notable people

Living

Deceased

Points of interest

Sister cities

Asheville has six sister cities:[96]

References

  1. ^ "Why Work for BCS?". BCS website. Buncombe County Schools. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  2. ^ a b Population Finder: Asheville, North Carolina. U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 Population Estimates. Accessed February 10, 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Census Bureau Home Page".
  4. ^ "Original extent of Cherokee claims 1732". Collection at the University of Georgia. 1996-06-26. Archived from the original (map/.GIF) on 2006-06-26. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ The Historic News (1999). "A History of Asheville and Buncombe County" (text/.html). Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ "Cherokee History, Part One" (text/.html). Lee Sultzman. 1996-02-28. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ "Asheville - 0-1800 The Early Settlers" (text/.html). Asheville.be. 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ Caton, Alex S. (1999–2004). "The Early Settlement of Buncombe Country and the Drover's Road". Smith-McDowell House Museum. Archived from the original (text/.html) on 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
  9. ^ "Western North Carolina Heritage: Asheville" (text/.htm). Land of the Sky. 2001–2002. Retrieved 2006-07-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
  10. ^ http://www.historync.org/railroad-WNCRR.htm
  11. ^ The Federal Writers' Project of the Federal Works Agency, Works Projects Administration for the State of North Carolina, "North Carolina: A Guide to the Old North State", The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1939, page 139.
  12. ^ Thomas Lanier Clingman: Fire Eater from the Carolina Mountains, Thomas E. Jeffrey, page 213
  13. ^ Appalachian History: Manuscript Resources in Special Collections, Asheville and Spartanburg Railroad Company
  14. ^ The Federal Writers' Project of the Federal Works Agency, Works Projects Administration for the State of North Carolina, "North Carolina: A Guide to the Old North State", The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1939, pages 69, 139.
  15. ^ "8 CAROLINA BANKS FAIL AS BOOM ENDS". The New York Times. 1930-11-21. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
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  17. ^ ABOUT
  18. ^ Preservation-Asheville, North Carolina: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
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  20. ^ http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/101007flood
  21. ^ Ellingwood, Ken (2003-06-02). "The Nation; Fugitive's Capture Heightens Speculation; Locals are touchy about the theory that some sympathetic with his anti- government views helped the suspected bomber elude the law".
  22. ^ Fletcher, Michael A (2003-06-03). "Rudolph to be tried first in Alabama ; Abortion clinic bomb case said to be strongest". Chicago Tribune.
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  25. ^ Self, October 2002.
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  28. ^ Outside Magazine Best Outside Town Archive
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  30. ^ "24 Blue Ridge Mountain Retirement Locations". Retirement Housing Guide. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
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  32. ^ http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Government/AboutCityGovernment.aspx
  33. ^ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members".
  34. ^ Schrader, Jordan (December 8, 2009). "Critics of Cecil Bothwell cite N.C. bar to atheists". Asheville Citizen-Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ Cates speaks with the Tribune "Cates speaks with the Tribune". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  36. ^ Asheville-Buncombe Teenage Republicans blog: Teenage Republicans hit the campaign trail for Mark Cates "Asheville-Buncombe Teenage Republicans blog: Teenage Republicans hit the campaign trail for Mark Cates". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  37. ^ Mountain Express Interview with Mark Cates "Mountain Express Interview with Mark Cates". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  38. ^ Asheville City Council results thread "Asheville City Council results thread". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  39. ^ http://www.ashevillenc.gov/CityCouncil/MeetCityCouncil.aspx
  40. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/ContainerDetail.html?ContainerID=12069
  41. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/ContainerDetail.html?ContainerID=12068
  42. ^ http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/counties/counties.pl?county=Buncombe
  43. ^ http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/10/17/141415067/obama-hearts-north-carolina-but-it-may-have-lost-that-loving-feeling
  44. ^ Wing, Nicholas (2010-04-16). "Obama Vacation: First Family To Visit Asheville, North Carolina". Huffington Post.
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  46. ^ NOAA records for January - Asheville, NC
  47. ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
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  49. ^ http://www.ashevilleneighborhoods.info/ Asheville Neighborhoods.info listing of Asheville neighborhoods
  50. ^ http://www.heritagewnc.org/buildings/s&w_cafeteria.htm WNC Heritage Database
  51. ^ Putting YMI on the Map: The YMI Cultural Center History Project
  52. ^ History of the YMI
  53. ^ "Population Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  54. ^ METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  55. ^ MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  56. ^ COMBINED STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENT CORE BASED STATISTICAL AREAS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01.
  57. ^ "City of Asheville Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF).
  58. ^ http://www.evergreenccs.org/
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  60. ^ "Music pumps up economy, enlivens nightlife"; Michael Flynn; Asheville Citizen-Times; August 22, 2003
  61. ^ Dewan, Shaila (Oct 24 2010). "36 Hours in Asheville". New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  62. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins' return puts Asheville on music map"; Associated Press; June 22, 2007 http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/life/lifeview.asp?c=217801
  63. ^ Rocking the boat | Mountain Xpress Features | mountainx.com
  64. ^ a b American Whitewater Journal July/August 2006 (not published on the web yet)
  65. ^ Asheville Citizen-Times article on Asheville Lyric Opera's Tenth Anniversary. Jan 26, 2009. Accessed February 2, 2009
  66. ^ [4]
  67. ^ Vaudeville! Burlesque! Cabaret!
  68. ^ In Asheville, N.C., the River Arts District Blooms. Dec 1, 2010. Accessed June 4, 2011
  69. ^ Market Ranks and Schedule (1-50)
  70. ^ New York Times - For Harry Anderson, the New Orleans Magic Is Gone; August 30, 2006
  71. ^ CFL Roster;
  72. ^ http://www.nfl.com/players/profile?id=BUT133826
  73. ^ "Despite personal tensions and lineup changes, labelmates Lost Sounds and the Reigning Sound push ahead."; [5]
  74. ^ "Racer at heart, Daugherty much more than meets eye";
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  77. ^ Roberta Flack Biography;
  78. ^ Eileen Fulton Biography;
  79. ^ Mule.net Meet the Band;
  80. ^ David Holt: About David;
  81. ^ Zack Smith. "Hope Larson on Chiggers and More". Newsarama. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  82. ^ Leonard Little
  83. ^ "The two lives of Andie MacDowell";
  84. ^ "Keep an Eye on Roberson High School’s Cameron Maybin ";
  85. ^ NBADraft.net - Rashad McCants profile
  86. ^ Bryan Lee O'Malley|LibraryThing;
  87. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5102100
  88. ^ buzzhired
  89. ^ Robert Pressley
  90. ^ Angela Shelton (I) - Biography
  91. ^ asheville.com news: Roy Williams
  92. ^ http://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/record/2001/2001_E02167.pdf Representative Charles H. Taylor - United States Congress - Congressional Record, Thursday, November 29, 2001
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  95. ^ [8] Asheville Citizen-Times w/ photo
  96. ^ "Asheville Sister Cities." Asheville Sister Cities Inc. Retrieved on July 8, 2008.
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