Asheville history and landmarks: founding, National Register, museums

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from NCpedia, the State Library of North Carolina’s encyclopedia, the City of Asheville and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office’s National Register list. Thomas Wolfe Memorial: 828-253-8304.

The land around Asheville was home to the Cherokee long before European settlers arrived after the Revolutionary War. The settlement first called Morristown was renamed Asheville, for North Carolina Gov. Samuel Ashe, and incorporated in 1797, according to NCpedia. From at least 1797, the ground around today’s Pack Square Park has served as the town’s public square, the city says.

Who to call

• Thomas Wolfe Memorial: 828-253-8304, 52 N. Market St.
• City historic landmarks and districts: Historic Resources Commission
• Riverside Cemetery: 828-259-5800, 53 Birch St.

Timeline

The city’s 1930 debt, more than Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem combined, meant no new borrowing without a public vote, so its park system stood largely still for decades, the city says in its history of French Broad River Park.

The historic downtown

The Downtown Asheville Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1979 and enlarged by the Biltmore Avenue (1989) and Ravenscroft (1990) amendments, according to the state list. Separately listed downtown buildings include City Hall (1976), the Grove Arcade (1976), the Buncombe County Courthouse (1979), the Battery Park Hotel (1977), the S&W Cafeteria (1977) and the Young Men’s Institute, the YMI Building (1977).

Other historic districts include Montford (1977), Chestnut Hill (1983), Grove Park (1989), Biltmore Village’s Cottage District (1979), Norwood Park (2008), Proximity Park (2008), Clingman Avenue (2004), the Riverside Industrial district (2004), Sunset Terrace (2005), West Asheville End of Car Line (2006) and West Asheville-Aycock School (2006), and the Oteen Veterans Administration Hospital (1985).

The city also designates local historic landmarks, from the Grove Arcade and the Flat Iron Building to the Kress Building and the Stephens-Lee Gymnasium. Changes to them need a certificate of appropriateness from the city’s Historic Resources Commission, the landmarks page says.

Museums, sites and cemeteries to visit

• Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 N. Market St.: the boardinghouse where Wolfe grew up, a state historic site. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday, Monday and state holidays. Free admission; guided tours have a fee. 828-253-8304, state historic sites.
• Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square: open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday, according to the museum.
• Asheville Museum of History, at the Smith-McDowell House: set up by the WNC Historical Association in April 2023 to tell the stories of Western North Carolina’s land and people, the association says. Check its site for hours.
• Riverside Cemetery, 53 Birch St., in Montford: a garden-style cemetery that is both a burial ground and a public park, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., the city says. Richmond Pearson, the congressman and diplomat who built Richmond Hill, is buried there. Dogs are not allowed, except service animals.

Every National Register listing in Asheville

All 87 entries the State Historic Preservation Office lists for Asheville and its vicinity, by the year they were listed. Boundary changes and amendments are left out. The full nomination for each is linked from the state list, and the National Park Service keeps the national database.

What this means for you

• Own a local historic landmark? Changes need a certificate of appropriateness from the city’s Historic Resources Commission before work starts.
• The Thomas Wolfe Memorial is closed Sunday and Monday.
• More on today’s city: population and growth and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When was Asheville founded?

The settlement first called Morristown was renamed Asheville and incorporated in 1797, according to NCpedia, the State Library of North Carolina’s encyclopedia. It is named for Gov. Samuel Ashe.

How many National Register historic places are in Asheville?

The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office lists 87 National Register of Historic Places entries for Asheville and its vicinity, not counting boundary changes and amendments.

When did the railroad come to Asheville?

Rail service arrived in 1880, the City of Asheville says, turning the livestock town into a resort destination and a center of commerce and health care.

What are the Thomas Wolfe Memorial hours?

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial at 52 N. Market St. is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday, Monday and state holidays. Admission is free; guided tours have a fee. Call 828-253-8304.