Smith-McDowell House - Asheville NC - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From Wikipedia

"The Smith-McDowell House is a c.1840 brick mansion located in Asheville, North Carolina. It is one of the "finest antebellum buildings in Western North Carolina." Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was the first mansion built in Asheville and is the oldest surviving brick structure in Buncombe County.

HISTORY-19th Century
The house was constructed c.1840 for James McConnell Smith on a portion of the land grant issued to his father, Colonel Daniel Smith, as payment for Revolutionary War service. James Smith was the second mayor of Asheville and one of the wealthiest landowners and businessmen in the region. His businesses included a toll bridge across the French Broad River, the Buck Hotel, a tannery, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a mercantile. Smith's choice of brick for his farmhouse was a show of wealth as this building material was atypical for antebellum Western North Carolina.

After Smith a died in 1859, the house was auctioned as part of his estate. His daughter, Sarah Lucinda, and her husband, Confederate Major William Wallace McDowell, bought the house and 350 acres (140 ha) for $10,000. The McDowells raised eight children in their home and lived there until 1880 when post-Civil War financial difficulties forced them to sell.

In 1881, Alexander Garrett purchased and modernized the house, including connecting the summer kitchen to the main house and adding a solarium, Italianate windows, and a metal roof to replace the original wood shingles. Garret built the Oakland Inn down the road from his house and became the mayor of the town of Victoria, a small community built on former Smith-McDowell plantation property. Garret died in 1897, leaving the house to his son, Robert, who sold the house and 6 acres (2.4 ha) to Dr. Charles Van Bergen for $10,000."

(visit link)

Street address: 283 Victoria Road Asheville, NC United States 28801 County / Borough / Parish: Buncombe County Year listed: 1975 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1825-1849 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Museum Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/07/2023 Don.Morfe visited it