lJ

HISTORIC

CITY, TOWN

__ DISTRICT

BUILDING(S)

SHIUCTURE

SURVEY RECORDS

onw of

CODf

37

~~OCCUPIED

CONSIDERED UNRESTRICTED

NO

COUNTY

~~~EDUCATIONAL

__ GOVEHNMENT

_INDUSTRIAL

_~MILlTAI~Y

rODF

:;IDf NeE

_~_RELIGIOUS

SCIHHIFIr

_TRMJSPOn1ATIOF-J

North Carolina 28743

North Caroli

it

NO OHIGINAL (I NOWN) PHYSICAL RANCE

Hal ~;!J ll1g:; on or presentative

remote mountain cOlruTIuni t and on the northwe t

occup ed

1 te~ni teenth century t

lS bounded on the northeast by t . C. 209); mos 0 the surroundi

The rombl ture is of irregula fonn and ornamented with var of turned, and molded elements large derived from the Italianate Revival and

t 1 f the period. Th house is covered weatherboard and rests on a low foundation. I lse two under compi roo tern 0 t R~ct covered t , and part with tin The deep

o he large curvilinear awn t with turned drop de 1 board th along the 0 the les. All windows are of one-over-one t in l-arch head . corners pas

Th house faces the

rn 0

door of four of etched

th narrow corner po t , with molded caps et where the corner board.

town at an angle, and the \'l/alnut Street and Street facade facades of lmest importance. The Street elevation

f1i of teps i from the 1 1, is shed roof the

to a story, ection . . those on the have small the porch has been fitted with large, multi-

; thi allan ly date from the the porch is sawnwork lustrade

The entrance 1 a double impl frame under transom

A s , rectangul in~section from the I all r tide 0 thi elevation. Each level contains a r a the front and on each ide. A band 0 hori 1 1 with

runs beneath the on both level and the two 1 ed molding supported by pairs of 11 brackets. At the top of this bay a

mold by Erie of the

board run width of the and either side a i under the ty'mpanum 1 ; on tili are attached bracke s support a project eave that

the A louvered attic ventilator a al rch surround is on the

The Wnlnut S project of th(~

chaw of four panels door open onto panels glazed.

the the

1 symmet L broad gables both levation. Th.e se

th brac t T1H:' uppe ones lazed

h roof' th i

I 1

identic one­

floor

a a tory composi ion to the ri ection

ory flat roof supported t i a double Ie f door

An unsheltered second floor door 0 four panel , with the upper

UNITED HER. I TAGE cr:::

iTt onp

The long eigh outhwest elevation fran ed its entire 1 by a two-story shed roof porch. The balustrad -which appea only on the second level and t h (. po r c h po sid ( , n t i .. II t I ) t It (l :.t' n n i d 1', f' S t 1- 1 (' V .1 r i () n , T 11 C' 1:1 I r tv n windows on both level 00 the 1 tend 0 his elevation have triangu ar rather than segmental-arch beads .Jud a fdint eam linl::' appea in the "<leatherboard between the fc:'

windows and those to thei 1 ft. Thi ilea es that the two end are of slightly la er construction than he main body 0 the house, thou the porch posts and balustrade remain consistent across the ti elevation.

On the southeast elev ion, a one- tory end of the ruain block and hi two story at the very end. At ached to the southwe

h p roof addition is attached between the en Lon. A hi.p roo corner of the two-

room is set ens on 1S a one-

story, Ie roof annex of tVJO rooms 8h It rs the ea t ide of the nnex. surrounds,

The interior of follows a mod from the Br Street entrane to the down i tIt II cu; V I' r :; (\ ;j r c II . open st the east

long the

stair with turned baluste 11 of the hall anJ curv

ea t wall to a landing

o Bt)t h

The 1

I k lue. screened porch () sh in pl<'lln

center-hall plan. A long hallway runs the house; this is divided midway

1 on:~ 0 rIll' Illlll con t1 n ;1 (·p.lr:lt t •

front hall t 1 1 , riSing along to the econd 100r. Tbe re 11' tai rl::H::'~;

to c te the f1i t.

Opening onto this long hall from the a succes 10n 0 four rooms, the last one being thf~ kitchen. A econdary hall end from the c er of the n hall to the Walnut Street e ranee; this is flanked by a parlor on each side. The second floor plan duplicate he first floo

The interior is finished with good qual doors are of five pane s, with pai s a horizontal one, and are set in symrnet have mitered corner . othe have c Hantels vary in form. Several mantels with mirror . others bracket , and molded lve. ret in th j early llpaper.

y millwork typical of the period. Most iral panel above and below a ingle molded surround Some surrounds

blocks with rondel or foli e Jesigns. o the Coloni 1 1 ype with over-compositions of panels, attached plates,

o wLlll pJ j and many rOOl1l~;

FHR-8-300A (1 /78)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE I lOR HERITAGE CONSE.RVAT10N AND R[CREAI~ION SERVICE

ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE one

The village 0 Hot Springs (known as Wa until 1886) 18 located in a fertile valle yon t h F r e nell B r O'J d R i v (' r) six mil () [ t h (' Ten n L' see b 0 r J e , :lll dis surrounded by high cre t of the Pisgah and Unaka ~iountains. The ""arm mineral spr around whicll the settlemen grew were known and visited by the Cherokee long before they VJPre di covered by Hen lei !lnd Thomas l'torglln 1 n 1778,. The Governor 0 North Carolina conveyed of 2,000 acres to Gaser Dagg, wh i c 11 inc 1 u de d the tva rm S pin g 8, i n 1 788. I

Tile Warm Sp s Hotel, which developed from an early tavern in the village, became known for it hospi ali y and its guests early a 1800. Francis Asbury, the pioneer Methodist Bishop in America, recorded having visited the vi lage inn in IROO, 1801, and 1803. 2 IM27 the Buncombe Turnpike, said to be the finest toll road in the State, was opened long the banks of the French Broad River north of Asheville, linking the settled plantation country of the Eastern Carolinas to the western frontier lands In Tenne see and Kentucky. Situated on the or trade and emigration route through the Southern Appalachians, Hot Spr taverns and inns flourished, and the cu ativc repu-tation a the mineral pr1ngs began attracting visitors from the whole eastern seaboard.

In 1832 James and John Patton bought the \·Jalln Springs Hotel and rebuilt it into one of the most beautiful resort hotels in the East. According to published notices, it had the largest ball in the Stat, ident orchestra, and attracted as many as 1,000 guest at a time. At the close of the War Between the States, the Warm Springs llotel and much of the surrounding proper was bought by Confederate Colonel James H. Rumbough. Daily tag0coaclies and 1 t r Pf'Cl 1 trains brought even greatp crowds to the thriving resort in the 1870's and 1880's as the town reached its zenith as a fashionable Victorian wat ring place.

The late Victorians who came to take he haths and escape the low-country heat bl;~lding !Jalati 1 summc'r r(' id,!l1ce on the hills surrounding tile \varm Springs.

Sunnybank, built in 1875, was one of a half-dozen el Victorian summer houses built In llot S ngs in the 1870' It i the only structure from this period to su ssentially intact.

The hou e was built for Cha les D. Merrit and h wife Li zie S. Merritt on a six-acre tract a land acquired from Colonel Rumbaugh. Nothing can be learned about Merritt from existing local records; Colonel Rumbaugh's granddaughter can relate only that the 11erritts were a weal family "from the north," \vho st in town a few years and then moved on' apparently the Merrit were the first to call the house "Snnnybank. ,,5

In ]88 /!, fi des the LV";] \'-l:Jrm pring' 110 el that Jmne RUIlIbuugli had pUlcha:;ed. The property was put on the market and acquired by a group of New Yo. k investors called the Southern Improvement Company.6 Around that time, the name of the town was changed from Warm Springs to Hot Spring (po ibly because of the discovery of another mineral spring, \tJlth highel temperatures). The investment company built a new hotel, named the

Mount n Pa Hotel, on the In 1885, Colonel

IT

same site, but IJ u r c h a ~.; ~ J t

R 8

s not e to manage it succ fully. hotel propc y,7

Du ing this pe iod the Merritt fami eviden ly decided to leave town, and in 1886 the family sold to Colonel and . Rumbough, \vho re ie/ed the while thei nev) home "Lore a II was being buil 8 - In 1894 was acquired by . Fr.::mc Sh ,widen./ 0 a wealthy Rhode I land busine sman to be used as a family summer home' Mr . Shaw and he ch Idren vac tioned and enterta ned lavi in Sunnybank throughou the summe seasons until 1912. 9

During this second heyday of Hot Springs resort rea the Mountain Park Hotel wa the hub a activ! . The hotel \vas fou tories high with 200 bedrooms lighted by lect icity and hee:! ed by team. 10 oci 1 Ii gay and va ied. Many touris s were att ted by the supposed curative effects 0 the mineral waters, but also many came for sucltrecreational pur its as tennis, bowling theatricals

id ,and dancing every evening in th ballroom. The nine hole f coursE', according to reports, was one of the fi in North Carolina. l

Howeve ! the turn 0 tl10 century wi ne

resorts and initi ted period of low Springs. In 1912 the Shaw family 01

sll rp drop 1 th pOjluln it of IIp:11th business and population in Hot

Jame E. Rector, who was the first to open the house to the tha has continued to he present time. 12

in turn to Mr, B. I. Nicholson! of whom

public s tradition Lat the same year Rector sold the property ttle is knO\4n but who continued to operate

the y as a boardinghouse. 3

The slow decline of bus ness induced the ly in 1914 to 1 the Mountain Park Hotel to the government as an internment camp for 2,700 German Naval 0 lcers captu ' t the inning 0 the r. S C(>nnan Sunnybank and at other town boardinghous Town 1

Icces ful escape from the hotel prison plcmned room j n Sun n y b ,:m k , Th e '-'I if, n<l val of i, the i traveled to Mexico, and eventually back to Germany,14

s we llowed to board al ha i thnt the only

haus from her made thei escape,

After much cultural interm th iendly Hot Spri s tive .Llnd the "enemy," who lived the lives ivilians although constrained wh Ie in tmvn, and a few month aft r the Germans and the soldier at the end of the War, th Mount in Park Hotel again burned to the I and the hath degenerated In 0 a stat 0 disre r, as they exi t today.lS Though a third hotel was built at the site (also to even ually burn») Hot Spri never recovered from its los and in tIle next dcocad s became a qui tly dpr]inlng mount in vi}1 gP j tr'f1pcting on, flnd rrDlC'rnhp ln~) its past.

In 1919 Sunnybank was acqui d by James W. and Jane Gentry, and it was to remain In the Gentry family fa over Ilcllf a cen ury. 16 Du ing the Gentry o\mership the

three

house beC(ime sociated wi th the Dorland~Rell Insti u e, a neC! Presby lan school for Appalachian girls. Many of the Dorland-Bell teachers boarded at the inn, and Mrs. Jane Gentry and he daughter, Mrs. Maude Gentry Long, musicians and folklorists of note, t t music, and shared moun ain food, songs, and tales vJith hundreds of students boarders, and travelers who pas ed through Hot ngs. The most famous visitor Cecil Sharp the ish folkl t and noted authori on ancient ballads, and Mrs. John C. 11 were touring the mountain areas collect songs for his famous volume of ish Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. 17 They stopped t Hot S ng in 1916 (prior to the Gentry' se of Sunnybank), and collected over six four ballads from Mrs. Gentry for the book. IS Mrs. Maude Gentry lumna 0 Dorland-Bell, pre ided over Sunnybank in the succeeding generation and carried on the Gentry trad t on of fine mus and wann mountain hospi ali In the 1940 and 1950s, Maude Gentry was recorded, singing a large

ballads and recit The Jack Tales in her home, Sunnybank, and of seventh students, under

her also , and thi record is also in the 011

In 1972, he children a Baker, who made some ini the property to Elmer o. work and who cant

Haude Gentry ial efforts at

sold the prope ty a Terrance and Nancy ilitation,20 In 1976, the Bake sold

with careful and sensitive rehabilitation to 21

During the 1930s, most of the land surrounding Hot S became part of the pi This devel tr ted the town limits, prohibiting further growth or s cant industrial development. The national forest lands began to attract visitors, campers, hunters, and ishermen, and the development of the Appalach 1) which runs t past and the village, brought several thousand h each season, hikers who usually stop for mail, lodging, and food. hav tnessed and part of Hot Springs' 19th century glory now share e of that past th the pass traveler who comes seeking rest, relaxation, and hospitality in the midst of the mountain wilderness,

FOOTNOTES

iN ION

four

1. . JlnS1P Und rwood n. p., 1 C) 7/~) p. 2/ •.

Hereinafte cited as

2 Underwood This IS Madison Count r 19

3 Underwood, Thi 1S Madison 8.

4 .1' 4 Mau1son County Deed Book P, p. 98.

Imer Hall Interview with Elizabeth Rumbough Dottere , Hot S October 16, 1979, hereinafter cited as Do terer Interviet<J.

6 Unuerwood, This i , p. 25.

----------------~----~

ngs, N. C.,

ly Wade Hellman The Madison (Ch pel Hill: Unive i y 0 North ~~-~~"---=-"--~---~~~--.~

Carolina Press, 1973), p.

8 . Deed 355. Had1son County Book U p. , Dottere Interview.

9 . County Deed Book 7, 160. Nadlson p. Dott re Interview.

10 Underwood Thi

11 , l' Underwood, ThiS r.ladison Count , PP 25-26

1 1S01l County Deed Book 29, p. 333. Do terer Intervie\v.

13 , 8 Nad 1 son Count y Deed Rook 30, p. 6, Dot t Interview.

1 11m;]n, The K' Madison, 116. _1 p.

1 llman, The of Madlson 116. p.

16 , MadIson County Deed Book 39, p. 51.

17 Ina W. and John J. Van pen, Weste

--------~------~--------~------~-~---------Appalachian Consortium Press, 1973), p. (Boone: Western

N. C. Since the Civil War.

1 NappeD, Weste N. C. Since the Civil War, p. 229.

---.--~-~--~----

19 A ea ta logue of fvlrs. record i ne~s lIJ.] he olJt d i ncd from the i\ 1'cl1i ve o Folk Song, Library 0 Congress, Wash ton. D. C. 20540.

aDA

UNITED OF I CONSERVAT ION AND . "'""""" '~I'L_"r-\

fivE'

Ison County Deed Book 69 page 1 .

1 on Coun Deed Book 124,

OOA ')

UNITED HER 1 TAGE COf\JSERVAT ION ;llJ\JD

11 NUMBER 9

Wellman, Manly Wade. Carol Pres 19

Ison, I Hill: Unive ity 0 North

OF SIGNI

PFi[HISTOHIC ARCHFOI.UGY PRFHISTOFHC COM~,"LHHTY

_1400- _ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC __ CONSERVATION

1 ~iO() 1

16001

___ 1700- '-'99

1800 1

1900

__ ",GAICUI TUI11:

~ __ ARCHITECTUF~E --ART

_~_CUMM[RCL

__ COMM UNICA TlONS

ECONOMICS

E.DUCA.TIOt'J

NGINEE:RING

I. XF'LrH(A flON/Sf f

INDUS1HY

~_INVE:NlI0N

eH AND JUSTI

_LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUI\E RELIGION

_LAW _SCIENCE

PHILOSOPHY

__ POLITICS/GOVERNMENT

___ SOCIAIJHUM,ti,NITARIAN

__ 1

nON

__ OTHER (SPECiFY)

SPECIFIC OAT BUI LDERI ARCH ITEeT

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Situated on a knoll ave County

C t:

A

B

C. The In of

ng the viII of Hot own I last maj or link to

The

1 p nent in remote ~1adi

attracted

Unknown

Had i on a re sort

was Lt r idenc during

by Colonel ), and from 1894

of .1 1 Rhode

h OU Sl~,

ballad

y Long, ive the Library

The Gent ry and 1 , and 0 f h t Y t 0

sent , Hr. Elmer Hall~ has to the house, and continue to offe

teenth centu ry art at its enjoyed a

the enti e terTI seaboa

th the Mrs. Jane Gentry daughte ,

t rue ttl re t stes and

but on to the sh folk musical of res s

i 1 sort Ii

of 1 Cecil

s Iat

cant

Mad son Coun Dp('d

Re 0

OF NOMINl\frD PFlCWF HTY 1 ,0 u

Hars Hill: n,p. 1974.

Carolina sine the Civil War. Boone:

The nominated prope y eon:,;ist of th bou plat.

find one ac o 1 ;:] n d ::; h 0\;/11 by the en c los e d

STATE COO[ COUNlY CODE

rAIE CODE COUNTY

, consultan Elme 1-1 11 c h a e 1 S (j U the rn , S u

DATE

stern Office N. C. Division of Archives and History Jan. 10 1980 TELEPHONE

702-298-5024

Tf! EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN TH STATE IS:

NA flONAL STATE LOCAL X

hereby nominate this property for Inclusion in the National Reglste

criteria and procedures forth by the Ndtional Park Service

HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.R SIGNATURE

11 TlE

GPO 8')2.453

o

/-

,1

/ Ii

,I t '/ I (Jil ()

tI ' 1 J f VI "/

ac Hot S

1 (~

I \

1\

!il

f'i.:](l i son County, N. C.

N. C. -Term.

1:24000 rangle

! 1)1

1\

f r'

(!

I \ )

,/

UTM References: Zone 17 \./

Ea ting 334845 N () r t hi n ~~ '3 g 1'3 2 '~ ') \

) i

(

/

(S,wln y '/'1"-/. ,~rl IV

srA/ r ? /! n(l()

I) j-

0 loon ?OOO 1"1 \ I I I I I I

J I) --j

FOP ';/\1 flY U C, GIOiOCI':J\1 ::;urNf '{ F?I I ml VII !IND HY U VI'.! LI\i i\UTHOf~IT,(, CHIITT.'\f'·IOOGI-\, Hi'H\j 1

I'll D I V I ~; ION 0 F G EO LOG Y, N 1\ S H V 11 I. I , nrSCIlIRIf'j(, 1 OPI)(;V-.(,iI,PHIC Mf'I~,-', IHHJ :;YMf~()1 '; I"',