The 1920s saw an economic and cultural boom in Asheville. And in 1926, several buildings began to shape the city skyline as we know it today. Let’s journey back 100 years to learn how Asheville’s newest construction became local landmarks.
The Flatiron Building
The tan brick Beaux-Arts building was designed by NY architect Albert C. Wirth, modeled after its Manhattan counterpart. It’s even considered to be NC’s best example of the wedge-shaped style that garnered popularity in larger cities across the US.
Fun fact: A century ago, it was also the site of a harrowing spectacle as thousands gathered to watch Harry H. Gardiner, a.k.a. “The Human Fly,” scale the new building without a rope in sight.
Throughout its first 100 years, the Flatiron Building has been host to offices, artists’ studios, retailers, and, notably, Asheville’s first radio station, WWNC. In 2024, the building was turned into a boutique hotel, housing the Michelin Green Star restaurant Luminosa on the ground level.
The second Pack Memorial Library
Pack Memorial Library has seen many chapters (pun very much intended). The original Pack building was replaced by this second Renaissance Revival building designed by NY architect Edward Lippincott Tilton. The library moved to its current Haywood Street home in 1978, and today, the Tilton building is part of the Asheville Art Museum.
More projects were just getting started
It’s also 100 years since the first bricks were laid for two of Asheville’s most emblematic buildings. In 1926, construction began on Douglas Ellington’s downtown Art Deco masterpiece. Finished in 1928, City Hall’s octagonal red + green-tiled roof uses influences from mountain imagery and Native American motifs.
While Ellington worked on City Hall, he was also constructing his own family home. It was built completely by hand and sans blueprint — leftover materials from Ellington’s civic projects were used to construct the stone + brick cottage. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and now serves as an event venue, dubbed the Douglas Ellington House.
Lastly, construction on the Grove Arcade began this time 100 years ago. E.W. Grove designed the Palladian-style building to be one of the US’ first shopping malls, although he did not live to see the project completed. Since its opening in 1929, Grove Arcade has been more than a shopping center, closing for federal use during WWII and later becoming the headquarters for the National Weather Records Center. Today, the spot has returned to its original purpose, boasting dozens of amazing small businesses, from retailers to restaurants.
