Downtown in Asheville in Buncombe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Legacy of Design

Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 10, 2019

1. Legacy of Design Marker

Inscription. English-born Richard Sharp Smith came to Asheville in 1890 as supervising architect of the Biltmore House. Buildings and residences he later designed gave the city much of its architectural flair. On this block on what was once the Buncombe Turnpike, the Masonic Temple and 73-77 Broadway were the work of Smith and his partner, Albert Heath Carrier.

Placed in honor of Barbara and Dennis Hodgson, stewards of the William Jennings Bryan House, by their children

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 35° 35.829′ N, 82° 33.139′ W. Marker is in Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. It is in Downtown. It is on Broadway Street (U.S. 25) north of East Walnut Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on sidewalk near a statue of a boy on stilts. It is stop #16 on the Asheville Urban Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 54 Broadway St, Asheville NC 28801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American

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South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: This Is Cherokee Land (within shouting distance of this marker); This Is Cherokee Language (within shouting distance of this marker); This Is Cherokee Basketry (within shouting distance of this marker); We Are Still Here (within shouting distance of this marker); Marketplace (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Thomas Wolfe Memorial (about 300 feet away); Crafting Our Culture (about 400 feet away); Thomas Wolfe House / Dixieland (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Asheville.

Also see . . . Richard Sharp Smith & The “Biltmore-style”.

Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 10, 2019

2. Legacy of Design Marker

Marker is on sidewalk by the statue (right) of a boy on stilts.

Smith's unique blend of English Arts and Craft styling, Elizabethan Tudor and Old World influences began just outside of George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. (The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County) (Submitted on December 9, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Masonic Temple image. Click for full size.

Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 10, 2019

3. Masonic Temple

A Richard Sharp Smith design, it was completed in 1913.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 288 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 9, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.