Tour Historic Hendersonville Homes

If you love history and architecture, this may be the event for you!  Take a driving tour of historic Hendersonville homes on Saturday, May 20, 2012.  This self-driving tour is brought to you by the Hendersonville Historic Preservation Committee.  For just $20, you can tour eight private Hendersonville homes that were designed by noted Hendersonville architect Erle G Stillwell in the 1920s and ’30s.

Erle G Stillwell lived and worked in Hendersonville and Henderson County during the early part of the 1900s. The Depression made a large impact on his design style.  In addition to private Henderson County homes, he designed several cinemas, schools and other civic buildings throughout the state.  In the 1940s, Stillwell helped found the Asheville architectural firm of Six Associates.  Their defense contracts after World War II helped them become one of North Carolina’s most successful architectural firms, helping the local Henderson County economy.  They continue their business success under the name of Callaway Johnson Moore & West today.

You can purchase tickets for your tour of historic Hendersonville homes at the Heritage Museum located in the historic Hendersonville Courthouse, at FountainHead Books (408 N Main St) or at Hendersonville City Hall before May 20th.  You can also purchase your tickets on the day of the tour at Landmark Apartments (203 6th Ave W), a recently renovated building also designed by Erle Stilwell.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/05/10/tour-historic-hendersonville-homes/.

Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is just over a week away.  If you’re not sure what to do to show your mom, grandmother or wife how amazing you think she is, show her the beauty of Western North Carolina by taking her on a Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother’s Day.  Throughout the entire weekend (May 12th & 13th), 12 mile long tours of Bridal Veil Falls, High Falls, Lake Julia and Triple Falls will be available via shuttle bus every half hour beginning at 9am and continuing through 2:30pm.

For a small donation of $12 for adults (ages 18+) and $6 for kids (ages 6-17), you can embark on a tour of some of the most breathtaking natural sights in all of Western North Carolina.  Just park your car near the High Falls parking area (1300 Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain).  Follow the Tour de Falls signs for your shuttle pick up.  You are allowed to take as much time as you like.  Typically, the tour will take approximately three hours to complete.  Volunteers will be aboard every shuttle as well as at every stop to give historical information as well as fun facts about each area you visit.  There will be no food for sale on the tour, so please feel free to bring a nice picnic lunch, water and/or snacks from home.  Both High Falls and Triple Falls will be nice places to have covered areas with tables for your Mother’s Day brunch.  While the lodge at Lake Julia does provide some light refreshments, it is the last stop of the tour.

Donations are accepted in cash or check form.  But leave the credit cards at home, since there is no way to process them on the shuttle.  None of the buses are handicap-accessible (sorry) and pets will not be allowed access to the bus.  Show the beautiful mom in your life that you think she’s just as amazing as the natural beauty found in Western North Carolina by taking her on a Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother’s Day.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/05/03/tour-de-falls-of-dupont-forest-for-mothers-day/.