Asheville in Buncombe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
The University of North Carolina at Asheville
Erected 1976 by Division of Archives and History. (Marker Number P-56.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 35° 36.694′ N, 82° 33.973′ W. Marker is in Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. Marker is at the intersection of Broadway (State Highway 1791) and WT Weaver Blvd, on the right when traveling north on Broadway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Asheville NC 28801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Buncombe Turnpike (within shouting distance of this marker); Zelda Fitzgerald (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Asheville (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Battle of Asheville (approx. 0.4 miles away); Riverside Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Richmond Pearson (approx. 0.7 miles away); 1st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (approx. ¾ mile away); Locke Craig (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Asheville.
Regarding The University of North Carolina at Asheville. The University of North Carolina at Asheville was established in 1927 as Buncombe County Junior College, under the auspices of the Buncombe County Board of Education. The college operated separately as a free public institution until 1930, when financial difficulties compelled administrators to begin charging tuition. The name of the school was changed to Biltmore Junior College. In 1934 the Board of Education relinquished its authority to a board of trustees, who obtained a charter under the name of Biltmore College. Control was passed again in 1936, this time to the Asheville City School Board. The institution then became Asheville-Biltmore College, although the name was not widely used for several years.
The General Assembly approved state support for the college in 1955, and when the same body provided for the community college system in 1957, Asheville-Biltmore College was the first institution to qualify as a state supported community college. By 1958 the college, with the help of community leaders, launched a development campaign that eventually gave the institution the financial backing to purchase a 157-acre tract of land on the north side of town and to construct seven buildings there. The campus officially moved to the site in 1961. At the recommendation of the Governor’s Commission on Education Beyond High School, Asheville-Biltmore College became a four-year state college on July 1, 1963. Exactly six years later, the college became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina, adopting its current name, the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The campus, still in its scenic North Asheville location, now encompasses 265 acres. (North Carolina Dept. Of Cultural Resources)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 537 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 23, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3. submitted on May 21, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.