History of Town Mountain Road

(Original post by Jerry Birdwell to old FoTM web site)

This post card says the picture is of the "road to Mountain Meadows Inn." A message on the card is dated Feb. 28, 1914. A now deceased Asheville native, Bill Hamrick, recalled that in his youth he travelled to the Inn by way of Elk Mountain Scenic Highway because "that was before there was a Town Mountain Road"

This early photo (above) is labeled "Autos at Summit, Sunset Mountain." The card has no date. It cost only 1 cent to mail

Six miles above Asheville the road approached the Mountain Meadows Inn.

Only one building stands today as a result of a fire. It was the Inn's Dining Hall, now a private home. At one time a railroad was proposed to serve the Inn..

The picture postcard indicated visitors could see Craggy Mountains from the Dining Veranda. A Dairy serving the Inn was some three miles west.

(These photographs were copyright and published by Herbert W. Pelton of Asheville. They are from a collection owned by realtor Mark Mathews)