From The Archives

My House Has A Story

In 1928, American Enka Corporation announced plans to build a major industrial plant for the production of rayon near Asheville, North Carolina. By July of 1929, the plant was completed, creating thousands of jobs for area residents just as America was entering the Great Depression. American Enka offered workers more than a job: it developed Enka Village, composed of nearly 100 homes, to provide quality housing close to the plant, and it created a recreation club on nearby Enka Lake (now Biltmore Lake). The village houses are in three categories: large, lake-front homes, medium-sized homes, and smaller homes. The house size reflected the relative importance of its residents to the company. The home in which I have lived for more than thirty years is “medium-sized.”

During WWII, rayon produced at American Enka was used to manufacture parachutes, flying suits and blood plasma filters for the military. (Historic Plaque on walking trail). In the early 1950’s, production of nylon was initiated at the Enka plant as well, and through the years, American Enka rayon and nylon have been used in countless products: clothing, carpets, upholstery, tires, conveyor belts, and high-pressure hoses. At about this same time, American Enka built a laboratory complex on the plant grounds to research and develop new products and processes (the former complex now houses a branch of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College). Reflecting changing trends, American Enka removed itself from the “housing business” when it sold its company houses in the late 1950’s.

Living in my house as a history teacher, I would sometimes think: my house was here during the Great Depression, during the rise of Hitler in Germany, during all of WWII, during the Eisenhower Era, during the cultural upheaval of the 1960’s, and so on. My own late father was only a young boy when my house was first built! I have often imagined the changing tenor of conversation that has occurred within the walls of my home, and during tumultuous and troubling events, I have often felt embraced by the constant endurance and stability of my old house.

In the early 2000’s, approximately 1300 undisturbed woodland acres, formerly owned by American Enka Corporation, were sold to be developed into upscale Biltmore Lake. Home packages in this development range from $300, 000 to one million and up. (see BiltmoreLake.com) It is a comprehensively planned, multi-use development with miles of shaded walking trails, a retail center, and restaurants. The development is ongoing, and it is a highly desirable area in Asheville. The street where my house is located is totally surrounded by the luxury of the Biltmore Lake community. This fact makes my old home very unique because many old houses are located in decaying downtowns, or in isolated areas unattractive to persons in the workforce. Furthermore, the lot for my home is much larger than the ordinary lots for the new homes. Even though my house is 79 years old, it has no “sags or bags,” and I often amuse myself by thinking that my old house will STILL be standing in its “handmade-brick, double-wall” glory when the new houses of Biltmore Lake have fallen into dust!

Enka Village has been approved for formal historic status because it is one of the largest intact mill villages in the southeastern United States. However, the residents have not yet decided, as a whole, if they formally want the designation. Formal historic status is approved and available IF the residents vote for it. Some residents think that it is “just a matter of time,” and discussion is ongoing. Nonetheless, the historic sign was unveiled recently (August, 2007) amid much nostalgia and emotion. I have taken excellent care of my home through the years because I was once planning to live in it always, and I take comfort in knowing that one day, my home will be a priceless, historic treasure.

Location is the undisputed first consideration for buying real estate, and no better location exists than Asheville, if one is to believe the testimony from new residents who have fallen in love with the area. From my home, downtown Asheville is only minutes away by car as is the Blue Ridge Parkway, countless outdoor recreation areas, I-40 and I-26, the airport, etc.

Wikipedia.com records interesting information about Asheville:

Asheville pops up on national rankings for a variety of things: Modern Maturity named it one of "The 50 Most Alive Places To Be,"[10] AmericanStyle magazine called it one of "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations,"[11] Self magazine labeled it the "Happiest City for Women,"[12] it is one of AARP Magazine's "Best Places to Reinvent Your Life,"[13] and was proclaimed the "New Freak Capital of the U.S." by Rolling Stone. Asheville has also been called "a New Age Mecca" by CBS News' Eye On America,[14] and named the "most vegetarian-friendly" small city in America by PETA.[15] Begun in 2005, Asheville has its own new age talk radio program, VIRATO LIVE![3]
In 2007, Asheville was named one of the top seven places to live in the U.S. by Frommer's Cities Ranked and Rated, #23 of 200 metro areas for business and careers by Forbes, and the best place to live in the country by Relocate-America. It was also named one of the world's top 12 must-see destinations for 2007 by Frommer's travel guides.
Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the Asheville area and near the Biltmore Estate.

For more information see:

http://home.triad.rr.com/dshoaf/