Montford Area Historic District in Asheville in Buncombe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Caney (Canie) Brown House
1915
Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 10, 2019
1. Caney Brown House Marker
Caney [Canie] Brown, an Asheville native, founded the successful Swannanoa Laundry on Church Street in 1902. He also served as president of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, a charter member and president of the Asheville Rotary Club, and president and a member of the executive committee of the Asheville Masonic Temple.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.
Location. 35° 36.057′ N, 82° 33.783′ W. Marker is in Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. It is in the the Montford Area Historic District. It is on Montford Avenue north of Chestnut Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 165 Montford Ave, 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 South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: In Honor of Markus and Maria Reich (a few steps from this marker); Wartime Jail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Riverside Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Locke Craig (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Riverside Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Riverside Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); Raphael Guastavino (approx. half a mile away); Sweet Harmonies (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Asheville.
Other markers no longer nearby. 1st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Battery Porter (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. Brown's first name is actually spelled Canie.
Regarding Caney (Canie) Brown House. Swannanoa Cleaners is
Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 10, 2019
2. Caney Brown House Marker
In 1900, Canie Brown founded a laundry business in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1961, Mr. Brown was succeeded by his son-in-law, Bretney Smith. Mr. Smiths son, Bretney Smith Jr., took over the business in 1977. After 40 years at the helm Bretney handed the reins over to his daughter Stacy Smith making her the fourth generation of the family to operate the company. Since, Stacy has retired. Today, Marvin Thomas, a second generation cleaner himself, operates the firm.
Also see . . . Montford Area Historic District. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on May 25, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
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 751 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 9, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
