One of the alluring reasons people come to visit Hendersonville, North Carolina, and why they fall in love with it, is the rich heritage that the city has in its history. Incorporated in 1847 thanks to a land donation by Judge Mitchell King, Hendersonville became a bustling area for commerce and activity at the dawn of the 20th century.
Hendersonville continues to maintain a historic downtown area today by keeping a two-lane road through Main Street, maintaining the brick exteriors of the buildings, preserving the old courthouse, and planting a variety of flowers in planter boxes beginning in early spring. It’s not just the look of Main Street that makes Hendersonville’s downtown area historic though, but rather the preservation of the culture, the landmarks, and the architecture. In 1988, Hendersonville was added to the National Register of Historic Places for the efforts made to restore many historic homes and buildings.
Photo Cred: Henderson County Genealogical Society
HISTORICAL LANDMARKS AROUND HENDERSONVILLE, N.C.
There are four historic districts around Hendersonville including Main Street, Hyman Heights, and two Druid Hills areas. The City of Hendersonville has provided a map of the historic areas for you to see. There are over a dozen landmarks as well that have been deemed historical landmarks and are to be preserved.
Here is a list of those landmarks:
- Brookland
- The Cedars
- Claddagh Inn
- Clarke Hobbs Davidson House
- The Clough H. Rice House
- Erle Stillwell House I
- Erle Stillwell House II
- Grey Hosiery Mill
- The Henderson
- The King Waldrop House
- Mary Mills Coxe House
- The Reese House
- The Waverly
BUSINESSES ON MAIN STREET IN HENDERSONVILLE’S HISTORY
Image courtesy of Knox Crowell.
Main Street in downtown Hendersonville was originally built 100 feet wide so that a wagon with a team of horses could turn around without having to stop. The first city hall was built in 1893, but was torn down in 1925. Hendersonville even had gallows which were used to hang criminals in the late 1800’s.
In the early 1920’s, the Henderson County Farmers Mutual Curb Market opened to meet the demands of the growing population. Fresh produce and handmade goods were sold from the downtown location. Originally designed to stop the annoyance of door-to-door sales, the Curb Market quickly became the best place to shop in Henderson County. By 1926, they outgrow their space and moved to King Street, but again quickly outgrew that and had to move to a bigger location on Church Street. The Curb Market is still thriving today!
On the corner of what is now Main Street and 5th Avenue was The Palace Theatre, a business known for its entertainment that included silent movies, music, and burlesque performances. Coincidentally, what used to be Renzo’s Speakeasy most recently occupied this space, but is now an Indian Restaurant and Kilwin’s ice cream.
J.C. Penney even had its own building right in downtown Hendersonville, a two-story brick structure stood right where the old Town Hall used to be. The store was there for over 45 years until it finally closed. The Village Green Antique Store then took over the building, but also recently closed.
In 1929, the Skyland Hotel was built to enrich the overall atmosphere of Main Street. Many famous people visited the Skyland Hotel including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ronald Reagan.
If you decide that you would like to learn more about buying a house for sale in Hendersonville, N.C., or have one you wish to sell, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (828) 423-1401 or by email at HendoLifeNC@Gmail.com.
Written By: Rob Bowman
About The Author
Rob Bowman of Bowman Marketing has 20 years of experience in advertising luxury items in the boating and yachting industry. He’s been an expert in the marine industry space in search engine optimization, content creation, social media, and overall marketing strategies. He has a client list that includes United Yacht Sales, SI Yachts, Seattle Yachts, Fleming Yachts, Absolute Yachts, and others. Rob now also manages the marketing for HendoLife and all of Ashley’s real estate clientele. Find out more about Rob Bowman professionally on his LinkedIn page.