Regional Authors

Asheville: A History (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies #19) (Paperback)

By Nan K. Chase

$29.95

ISBN: 9780786431762

Availability: On Our Shelves Now

Published: McFarland & Company - September 12th, 2007

Asheville, North Carolina, grew from humble beginnings as a hamlet for local livestock handlers to become one of the most culturally and artistically diverse cities in the South. The city experienced a quick rise to prosperity in the late 19th century under the influence of wealthy benefactors including George W. Vanderbilt and E.W. Grove. A devastating downturn during the Great Depression was followed by slow economic revitalization up until the late 1970s. In the 1990s, however Asheville entered boom time, a period that reestablished the city as a popular retreat for tourists, artists, and retirees. Here in this book is all the fascinating history of Asheville, complete with a rich array of photographs. Multiple appendices reveal details concerning many lesser-known aspects of Asheville's unique history, including city buildings designed by architects Richard Sharp Smith and Douglas D. Ellington, and city projects funded by philanthropist Julian Price.