Early Milestones in Buncombe County

Early Milestones in Buncombe County. . Buncombe County was named for Edward Buncombe (1742-1778), a North Carolina plantation owner who served in the Revolutionary War and died of injuries sustained in the Battle of Germantown. , The county was formed in 1792 from vast tracts of sparsely settled wilderness taken from Burke and Rutherford counties. Its borders changed several times over the years as the population grew and additional counties were established. , In 1793 Buncombe County's first official courthouse was built west of here in what is now Pack Square. It was the first of six courthouses to be located in the square. In 1903, the county opened its seventh courthouse in this immediate vicinity. The Classical-revival structure faced College Street and featured a Corinthian portico and a cupola. It had sleeping accommodations for jurors, who often had to travel long distances over rough roads. Horse stalls, hitching posts and water troughs were located behind the building. , The new courthouse was in use almost to the end of the 1910-1930 boom years that transformed the city. Many inhabitants enjoyed new conveniences and prosperity during this period. Others continued to live in somewhat primitive conditions, especially those in isolated areas of the county. These men and women were rugged, independent people who worked hard to survive. , In 1925, bonds were issued for a five-year Program of Progress that called for new government buildings. The eighth Buncombe County Courthouse and the second Asheville City Hall were begun in 1927 near the 1903 courthouse. Both buildings opened in 1928, and the old courthouse was torn down. , The 17-story Neoclassical courthouse was designed by the firm of Milburn, Heister and Company of Washington, D.C. It features classic details in limestone and granite on the facade and a sweeping marble staircase in the lobby. , Asheville's Art Deco City Hall was designed by North Carolina native Douglas Ellington, who studied at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. The building has colorful tiles on an octagonal stepped roof and a feather motif on the facade, a reminder of the American Indians who once inhabited the area. Ellington also designed First Baptist Church, the S&W Cafeteria, Asheville High School and Biltmore Hospital in the Art Deco style, giving Asheville a national reputation as an Art Deco city. , [Captions (top to bottom)] , . The 1903 courthouse shortly before its removal. , . Upper Hominy woman churning butter, ca. 1920. William Barnhill photo , . The new Buncombe County Courthouse and Asheville City Hall, ca. 1930. , All photographs courtesy of the North Carolina Reference Desk, Pack Memorial Library