The view above the tracks

 Doughtery St. comes down the hill and makes a sharp turn into the beginning of Sutton St. At that corner above the tracks is now the Cove Auto repair shop. It opened in that location sometime since I' moved to this town in 2007...but I don't know what was there just before. The tracks haven't changed over the years.

A few weeks ago I showed a post card taken from the site of the Gladstone Hotel looking across the tracks HERE.

This early 20th century postcard captures the train pulling into Black Mountain station (coming from asheville) with the Gladstone (Gresham) Hotel perched on the hill nearby to the right. All the closest  trees on the left and the siding tracks are no longer  there.

"Hotel Gresham was located along the north side of the railroad tracks in downtown Black Mountain. Provided by Swannanoa Valley Museum."

"Built in 1882 as the Mount Mitchell Hotel, this structure served as the first hotel for the town. Unfortunately, the original building burned down in 1905 following a fire caused by sparks from coal being transported on the nearby train tracks. By 1911, a new hotel had been built at the same location, known as the Black Mountain Hotel. In time, this hotel was called the Gladstone - and later the Gresham. By 1947 this building had also burned down."

Source: Black Mountain News: Valley Rewind: Black Mountain's Hotel Gresham, details from Swannanoa Valley History Museum, April 1, 2024

Are you tired of seeing our dogwoods yet?

Looking the other direction, there's the same train depot, which now houses arts and crafts in The Olde Depot store.

As I stood near the tracks taking the above photos, I looked down to see this hardy volunteer plant.

The view looking down hill from the tracks, with an old stone building which might have been there when the hotel was.

Today's quotes:

History is all explained by geography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (1905-1989)

Today I celebrate with all of you,
The miracle of sunlight,
The humble joy of being and breath
And the mystery and grace of each new day.
—Vincent VanGogh
The Field Next to the Other Road

Trains and crafts meet here

The Train Depot no longer has any stopping trains, though there are a half dozen or so which go past daily.  So this is now the site of a crafts store for the tourists that arrive by car.