I love living in North Carolina

 Today I feel like sharing a bit of history, and look at how it's right under our noses here in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Skyline Inn, Little Switzerland, NC, 1948 Built by John Greer and his wife Ada. (info from Michael

 Thrift)

Skyline Inn, Little Switzerland NC, 2017

(Yes a repost...) Hwy 221 North in front of the John English Farm in North Cove, North Carolina. near Linville Caverns or Linvill Falls, 1930 and 2022

Squire John Stepp’s Stage Coach Inn (probably posted before)

The Inn was originally built as a stagecoach stop by John Stepp around 1830 and was renovated and expanded in 1940. At its peak, the Inn had would host as many as 16-20 people for breakfast that were staying in the eight available rooms.

The Black Mountain Inn today (formerly Stepp's Inn) located on Old US 70 about 4 blocks from my home on Blue Ridge Rd.

At the turn of the 20th century it operated for several years as the Franklin Humanitarian Home (a TB sanatorium).

Notably, in 1940, as the famed Black Mountain College approached its zenith, the property was purchased by Mary Aleshire and Daisey Erb. Mrs. Aleshire was the manager of the Norton Art Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida. She artfully restored and updated the historic property. In 1942, the house was opened as the Oak Knoll Art Studio, which served primarily as a summer artist's retreat for Mrs. Aleshire and her many famous guest; Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Norman Rockwell, Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan and Joan Sutherland among them.

In 1965, wishing to preserve the house, and prevent commercial development the Aleshires sold the house to their caretaker Jim Reid.

The house was purchased again in 1989 and lovingly restored by its current owners, who transformed it into the Black Mountain Inn.

1954- Penland Post Office and General Store. On the banks of North Toe River and the railroad line to Spruce Pine NC. 

Penland School of Crafts has long been teaching crafts of the mountains as well as more modern media such as glass blowing. The workshops and series of classes are attended by adults from all over the world these days. Everything from woodworking, textile arts, metal work with blacksmithing or jewelry making to wood fired pottery classes are very popular.

The "Weaving Shed."

Making Iron Tools with Anna Koplik and studio assistant Sean Fitzsimmons, By Penland on May 21, 2024 01:27 pm

Patton Ave, Asheville NC 1898

This is now a great place to find enjoyable entertainment at various bars and taverns and enjoy a good meal at a variety of restaurants, as well as shop at a wide variety of stores.

33-Patton-Ave-Asheville-NC today

Patton Ave. Asheville today

Sharing a bit of history on Sepia Saturday today.

Today's quote:

Thoreau said: " "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Close to home

 Black Mountain Inn

Postcard: This divided back era postcard shows a lightly colored depiction of the Black Mountain Inn. The postmark on the back of the postcard is not entirely legible, but we believe it to read "July of 1910." Nestled within a tree preserve dating back to the 1700s, the Black Mountain Inn has nearly 200 years of history in Black Mountain. The building itself is three stories and almost 5,000 square feet with eight bedrooms and eight baths sitting on five acres. The Inn was originally built as a stagecoach stop by John Stepp around 1830 and was renovated and expanded in 1940. At its peak, the Inn had would host as many as 16-20 people for breakfast that were staying in the eight available rooms. Today, the Black Mountain Inn is still in operation off of Old US Highway 70.

Source: Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center facebook page

My post from 2020 follows:

It's set back from the road, up on a tall hill, overlooking both Old US 70, and the newer US 70, and the railroad running from east to west and back. Many trees are on the slope up to the old building, but they were cleared out a bit a few years ago, so you can now see the building from the road. For many years it was wild looking land, and only some brave folks would go up the gravel road to see it.

This sign shows a favorite gathering place, the Dynamite Coffee Shop with its red roof. It lies very close to the junction of the 2 US 70 highways. I live in the other direction a couple hundred feet also off Old US 70. This was the first time I drove up the steep driveway to take some photos.

Here's the link to their own internet site.

And I wanted to find out a bit of the history of the building, so I'm quoting from their web-page.

Originally designed as a stagecoach stop, the inn was built circa 1830 and for more than 100 years it underwent several transformations. At the turn of the 20th century it operated for several years as the Franklin Humanitarian Home (a TB sanatorium).

Notably, in 1940, as the famed Black Mountain College approached its zenith, the property was purchased by Mary Aleshire and Daisey Erb. Mrs. Aleshire was the manager of the Norton Art Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida. She artfully restored and updated the historic property. In 1942, the house was opened as the Oak Knoll Art Studio, which served primarily as a summer artist's retreat for Mrs. Aleshire and her many famous guest; Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Norman Rockwell, Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan and Joan Sutherland among them.

In 1965, wishing to preserve the house, and prevent commercial development the Aleshires sold the house to their caretaker Jim Reid.

The house was purchased again in 1989 and lovingly restored by its current owners, who transformed it into the Black Mountain Inn. Since then, we have been privileged to return this wonderful inn to the tradition of welcoming guests to the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains.

I think when they say "prevent commercial development" they were referring to something besides a B&B...maybe?

The following photos are all from their web site.

Linking to Sepia Saturday. The visitors to the mountains have always had ways to have fun, but not like the women in the ocean pictured here!