Today, 177 Cumberland Ave. is the home of the charming Carolina Bed and Breakfast. But about 95 years ago, the small pebbledash cottage behind the Arts and Crafts-style home was the first workshop of David Webb, a remarkable and prolific luxury jewelry designer.
Before his sparkling, opulent work graced the covers of Vogue and donned the necks of regal women like Grace Kelly and Lana Turner, he was crafting ashtrays and dogwood pins to sell on the streets of Asheville. But that’s not the only alluring piece of history tucked in the home — let’s take it back to the beginning to appreciate this historic home.
History behind the house
The Montford house was built in 1901 and designed by Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect at the Biltmore. True to his signature style, no two rooms are alike. Even the doorways in the house are all different sizes.
The home was designed for a woman named Maria Brown — but she soon married and instead, her brother Vance Brown and his wife Daphne moved in. The couple had five children together in the house, and in 1916, Daphne died in the house. But according to Carolina Bed and Breakfast owner Diana Thornton, her spirit very much lives on.
Multiple guests have told Thornton that they have seen the ghost of a young woman in the house, and Thornton herself says Daphne frequently “plays tricks” on them. She explained several instances of finding doors she had closed and lights she had turned off found open and on with no explanation. I believe her when she tells me these stories as we sit on the living room sofa, but I’m really sold once the lights start flickering soon after we talk about Daphne’s “tricks.”
In the 1930s, the house was sold to Elizabeth and George Webb, who turned it into a boarding house — as was the case for many Montford homes during the Great Depression. As David began to explore the world of jewelry, he set up his workshop in the cottage behind the main house.
From Asheville to the Diamond District
After shadowing his uncle in jewelry manufacturing, Webb began to make his own copper ashtrays as a young teenager. He sold the ashtrays around town, but didn’t stay here long. By 17 years old (and after a brief stint in the army), he went north to New York City, ready to cement himself as one of the most illustrious jewelers of his time, opening his first storefront at 23 years old in 1948.
He crafted incredibly ornate and whimsical pieces, from seahorse brooches to diamond-crusted zebra bangles. By the mid-1960s, Webb had reached the peak of notoriety in his career, with his designs dazzling the wrists and gracing the necks of women like Estée Lauder, Jackie O., and Elizabeth Taylor. These women weren’t just loyal customers — they had a deep appreciation for his bold designs.
Kennedy commissioned Webb to create official Gifts of State in 1962. His most iconic pieces, colorful enamel animal cuffs, were beloved by Taylor. In her 1973 film “Ash Wednesday,” she wore all her own jewelry, sporting a David Webb pearl necklace, matching torsade lion bracelet, and diamond + platinum hoops.
Webb died of pancreatic cancer in 1975, but his legacy continues as a team of expert jewelers brings life to his archive of more than 40,000 original designs. The jewelry house even produced an Asheville collection in the fall of 2021, filled with floral motifs.
Be part of the history
Similar to how Elizabeth Webb hosted people in her boarding house, the Carolina Bed and Breakfast is open for folks to stay. The cottage has been outfitted into a room, complete with a king bed, sitting area, and kitchenette. And while you’re there, Thornton can tell you about plenty more of the “good magic” present throughout the house’s history — even Daphne.
