Asheville

<p> Asheville North Carolina grew from humble beginnings as a hamlet for local livestock handlers to become one of the most culturally and artistically diverse cities in the South. The city experienced a quick rise to prosperity in the late 19th century under the influence of wealthy benefactors including George W. Vanderbilt and E.W. Grove. A devastating downturn during the Great Depression was followed by slow economic revitalization up until the late 1970s. In the 1990s however Asheville entered boom time a period that reestablished the city as a popular retreat for tourists artists and retirees. </p><p> Here in this book is all the fascinating history of Asheville complete with a rich array of photographs. Multiple appendices reveal details concerning many lesser-known aspects of Asheville's unique history including city buildings designed by architects Richard Sharp Smith and Douglas D. Ellington and city projects funded by philanthropist Julian Price.</p>