Hendersonville Promotes City and Encourages Tourists and New Residents, 1914

“More Than Half Million Dollar Expenditure in Hendersonville—Glimpse of Progress in 1914” from the June 4, 1914, issue of the Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad Hustler, Hendersonville, N.C. The following story is from a special edition distributed outside of North Carolina to encourage tourism and the growth of the area.

Hendersonville, one of the most popular and rapidly growing cities in that portion of Western North Carolina, far-famed as the “Land of the Sky,” is the county seat and largest town in Henderson county and has a population of about 4,000, the county having approximately 20,000 inhabitants.

Over Half Million Dollars in Improvements

Improvements and developments of various kinds aggregating a total of more than half a million dollars have recently been made and are in the process of making, serving to show that Hendersonville is a wide awake city with many advantages to attract investors and seekers of health, rest and recreation and that the community is filled with a progressive people who have had a vision of the almost unlimited possibilities of this section.

Indications on every side point to a Greater Hendersonville, as will be shown by the list of improvements with estimated cost herewith.

Good Roads and Streets

The county has awakened to the importance of better roads and the city people have been imbued with a spirit for better streets, thus affording greater comfort and pleasure for home people and tourists who are permitted to see within a short distance of Hendersonville some of the finest scenery in the worlds.

For the accommodation of visitors, hotels and boarding houses are being built, thus providing for an additional number of tourists each year.

Numerous Amusements

Amusements of various kinds may be had by the thousands of people who visit Hendersonville each summer, among them being: Boating in the numerous lakes around Hendersonville, the equal of which cannot be found near any other mountain town in this part of the country, fishing in the cool pure mountain streams, hunting in season, automobiling and horse back riding, mountain climbing, street car riding on two systems, and bathing in the only bathing beach in Western North Carolina.

An Educational Center

As will be seen by articles elsewhere in the Democrat, Hendersonville is becoming a great educational center, three preparatory schools, two for boys and one for girls, having been established during the past year. The rural schools and the Hendersonville graded schools are making rapid progress, which assures the residents of this section and those who contemplate moving here that the educational side of life in this community has no occasion for neglect.

Real Estate Shifting

Real estate in Hendersonville is rapidly changing hands with growing prices. While the prices are in advance of those in cities not possessing the many unrivaled advantages of Hendersonville, it is reasonable to presume that they are lower than they will ever be again for there is great demand for building lots, trucking gardens, farm and orchard lands.

Space will not permit here a detailed enumeration of the excellent advantages of Hendersonville and community, some of which are outlined elsewhere in this issue, but the list of building operations given herewith will serve to show that Hendersonville and the whole of Henderson county is up and doing, and the detailed mention of these improvements make one of the most interesting chapters in the rapid growth and development of Hendersonville, one of the most popular summer resorts in America and a place that is becoming better known advantages as a winter resort.

It is impossible to get a complete list of improvements completed and underway, but t the request of the Democrat, H.C. Meyer, member of the firm of Meyer & Stillwell, architects, has carefully and painstakingly prepared the following bearing upon the development of Hendersonville and community:

(By H.C. Meyer)

The following facts and figures were compiled after a careful canvass of the field which they cover, and are offered with the hope that they will fully acquaint our people with the almost phenomenal transition which Hendersonville is now undergoing. From the data, it will be apparent that the amount of construction work far exceeds that of any previous period in the history of the city.

A serious study of this progress bulletin should fill our progressive people with pride in their past, pluck in their present, and firm faith in their future.

The estimates for the various items are based on information obtained from the most reliable sources available.

Buildings Now Under Construction or Recently Completed

U.S. Post Office—4th Ave. West	$62,000
Fassifern Girls’ School—Asheville Road	15,000
J.W. Bailey House—7th Ave. W.	14,000
Park Hill Annex—6th Ave. W	14,000
Blue Ridge School for Boys—Fruitland Road	10,000
Carnegie Library—King St.	10,000
Henry Hyder Building—Depot	7,000
D.S. Pace Building—Depot	6,000
Dr. Egerton Residence—5th Ave. W.	4,900
Mrs. Gover Bungalow—5th Ave. W.	4,800
Dr. Kirk House—Crab Creek St.	4,000
W.M. Bacon Residence—2nd Ave. W.	4,000
Dr. Howe Residence—Flat Rock Road	4,000
Chas. N. Wrenshall Residence—Hyman Heights	4,000
Highland Lake Club Improvement—Highland Lake	4,000
Singletary Residence—Above Laurel Park	3,500
Calvin H. Oak Residence—Fleming Street	3,500
J.H. Patterson Residence—6th Avenue West	3,500
Walter Lambeth Residence--Kanuga Lake	3,500
Community Club Building—King St.	3,000
D.S. Pace House—4th Ave. W.	2,500
T.L. Durham Residence—Buncombe St.	2,500
John L. Orr House—Willow St.	2,500
W.D. Bryant Residence—6th Ave. W.	2,500
Mrs. Watson Residence—Laurel Park	2,500
Walter B. Smith House—Laurel Park	2,000
Lentz Residence—7th Ave. West	2,000
Miss Addie Timmons Bungalow—Laurel Park	2,000
G.V. DeVault Residence—Laurel Park	1,600
W.A. Smith Jr. House—Laurel Park	1,600
Barnwell Residence Remodeling—South Main St.	1,500
	$208,300
Miscellaneous Buildings	$12,000
Total	$220,300

                               

City and County Road Improvement Work

Hendersonville Township	$50,000
Henderson County	25,000
Hoopers Creek Township	20,000
Edneyville Township	12,000
General Road Fund	10,000
Private Subscriptions	5,000
Steel Concrete Bridges (Co.)	5,000
Drain Tile	2,000
Total	$129,000

Street Paving, Sidewalks and Other City Improvements

5th Avenue Paving	$50,000
3rd & 4th Avenues	22,000
6th Avenue	20,000
Temporary Increased Water Supply	2,000
Sewers, Fire Hydrants, Grading, Culverts, Etc.	2,000
Cement Sidewalks	1,000
Cemetery Improvements	2,000
Total	$99,000

Mountain Home Co., of St. Petersburg, Fla., at Hillgirt

Main Club House—Start in July	$18,000
Seven Cottages—Start at once	10,000
New Railroad Station, Etc.—Appropriation made by Southern Railroad	10,000
Water System—Now and under way	2,000
Total	$40,000

Hendersonville Light & Power Company

New Dam, Machinery, and other Power Equipment—Ready July 1st	$15,000
New Poles and Other Maintenance Work	1,000
Total	$16,000

Laurel Park Improvements

Quarry Machinery	$2,000
Additional Rolling Stock, Car Barns and other work	3,000
Miscellaneous Bungalows, Cottages, Etc., in addition to those listed under Building Construction	3,200
Road Improvements	800
Additional Amusement Features	800
Total	$9,800

Grand Total: $514,100

In addition to the above items, there are a number of substantial building propositions and other important enterprises and developments contemplated, the outlook for the consummation of which is decidedly favorable.

While a great deal of inconveniences will perhaps be experienced because of the vast amount of work going on during the summer season, the impression of real progress which it will undoubtedly make upon our visitors should be of tremendous advertising value to the city.