Hendersonville in Henderson County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Ripley - Shepherd Building

ca. 1847

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 23, 2010

1. Ripley - Shepherd Building Marker

Inscription. (Lower Plaque)
Built by Col. Valentine Ripley, early businessman, this is one of the first brick structures in Hendersonville. Early uses were a general store, post office and Confederate commissary under Major Noe. M.M. Shepherd and F.G. Hart purchased it in 1896 for a furniture and undertaking business. Still proudly owned by the decendents of M.M. Shepherd.
(Upper Plaque)
This Property Has Been Placed On The National Register of Historic Places
By the United States Department of the Interior

Erected by Hendersonville Historic Preservation Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 35° 18.918′ N, 82° 27.584′ W. Marker is in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in Henderson County. Marker is on North Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Located between 2nd and 3rd Streets East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 218, Hendersonville NC 28792, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dotson Store Building (here, next to this marker); Ninth Avenue School (a few steps from this marker); Sixth Avenue School (a few steps from this marker); 226-232 N. Main

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(within shouting distance of this marker); 219 - 221 N. Main (within shouting distance of this marker); 215 N. Main (within shouting distance of this marker); 202 - 206 N. Main (within shouting distance of this marker); Nuckolls Building (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hendersonville.

Regarding Ripley - Shepherd Building. The Ripley family enjoyed early prominence in Hendersonville, especially the colonel himself. According to Lila Ripley Barnwell ( the daughter of Col. Valentine Ripley ) in an article that appeared in the Times News on August 29, 1938, "Colonel Valentine Ripley, a native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, came to this section in the (eighteen) thirties,
settling first in Asheville, where he married Miss Ruth Smith, daughter of James Smith, who was the first white child born west of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. Shortly afterward Henderson County was cut off from Buncombe, and because of interest in the mail route, Colonel Ripley came here to live. He had large land interests, owning thousands of acres in the county. No citizen was ever more interested in

Ripley - Shepherd Building with Marker at 218 North Main Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 23, 2010

2. Ripley - Shepherd Building with Marker at 218 North Main Street

the progress and development of this section. After the War Between the States, Colonel Ripley formed a partnership with Captain M.C. Toms in the mercantile business. He was too much a lover of the out of doors and fine horses to like the confinement of that life, and while he carefully attended to the business the practical management was left largely in the capable hands of Captain Toms. One of the greatest ambitions of his life was a railroad for Hendersonville and for years he spent time and money for this accomplishment, living to see his dream realized about four months before his death in 1879."
(Hendersonville Historic Preservation Commission)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,136 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 18, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.