The Smith-McDowell House, Asheville’s oldest surviving residence, is a prime example of brick antebellum architecture in Western North Carolina. Built around 1840 by James McConnell Smith, a prominent businessman, and his wife Mary “Polly” Patton, this four-story brick house remained in the family until 1881.
In 1898, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Van Bergen acquired the property and commissioned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to design the grounds. A new carriage house, possibly designed by Biltmore House architect Richard Morris Hunt, was added during this time.
Now a museum, the house is furnished with authentic period pieces and offers educational programs focusing on the Smith and McDowell era, including an annual Victorian Christmas celebration.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Smith-McDowell House is owned by Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and managed by the Western North Carolina Historical Association. It’s open to visitors year-round, Wednesday through
https://www.ashevillehistory.org/
About the home
