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Fred Seely’s “Overlook” Castle - Photo by Tim Burchfield, Line of Sight Technologies
When we left off in part I of The Collision Between Man and Mountain, Edwin Grove and Fred Seely were beginning plans to build a luxury resort in the Grove Park neighborhood. Seely and Grove had sold the Atlanta Georgian Newspaper, with no future career lined up for Seely. Grove had just purchased the Sunset Mountain lands and was beginning work on Overlook Park and its derelict rail lines to change it from a tourist destination into an automobile touring road, with a toll fee attached. Grove had begun to seriously explore constructing a luxury hotel for his Grove Park neighborhood, with plans expanding in a dramatic fashion. In this month’s blog, we’ll explore the construction of the Grove Park Inn, as well as Fred Seely’s “Overlook” Castle.
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Continued from part one…. (clickable link in case you missed part I)
Fred Seely and Edwin Grove made a fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, dabbled in the newspaper business and real estate development. Taking stock of his real estate holdings in Asheville, Grove saw more potential for what he could develop in the city. In this era, Asheville was being marketed as a haven for those with tuberculosis and respiratory illness. Grove had concerns about the many tubercular sanitariums and boarding houses opening in the city, enough so that he outlawed them in the charters of his residential neighborhood, Grove Park. He then began buying up many existing TB sanitariums and burning them down.
At the turn of the 20th century, Asheville had only one substantial luxury inn: The Battery Park Hotel. The original Battery Park hotel was constructed in 1885 on Battery Porter Hill by two northern land developers, Frank and Tench Coxe. Because of publicity generated by George Vanderbilt in 1895 when the Biltmore Estate was completed, Asheville began to draw interest from land and real estate developers, as well as visitors from around the country. Grove saw the potential to outpace the Battery Park Hotel with his own luxury hotel and began pursuing the idea in earnest during the summer of 1912.
The original Battery Park Hotel on Battery Porter Hill, downtown Asheville. Photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Grove and Seely’s time in the Atlanta real estate business had led to some connections they would bring to Asheville when they began construction of their own luxury hotel. During the development of Grove’s neighborhood Atkins Park in Atlanta Georgia, Grove hired a contractor named Oscar Mills. Mills oversaw the layout and grading of the roads in Atkins Park, as well as the installation of curbstones and construction of the granite pillars that marked the entrance to the neighborhood. Grove later engaged Mills to build several rental houses in Atkins Park and sent him to Chicago around 1909 to learn more about the design and construction of concrete houses. Grove and Seely also made the acquaintance of Groce Walton McKibbin, a structural engineer and architect for the Southern Ferro Concrete Company based in Atlanta.
Seeking inspiration for hotel designs, Grove and his son Edwin Grove Jr. took a trip across the country to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Noting the Old Faithful Inn’s design, Grove sent his real estate agent William Randolph to Yellowstone to inspect it. Grove was seeking a rustic design for his hotel that would fit Sunset Mountain. He put out requests for proposals from architects across the country. He received proposals from several Asheville architectural firms including the office of William Lord and Smith and Carrier. With proposals flooding his office, Grove was starting to realize how much he didn’t know. He may have had the fire, but he didn’t have the spark. Grove needed someone with vision and organizational ability to make this project reality.
He needed not to look any further than his own family. His son-in-law, Fred Seely, fresh out of the newspaper business, needed a way to earn a living. Seely was 41 years old, had three children at the time (5 later) and a wife to support. Grove and Seely discussed Seely’s return to the Paris Medicine Company, staying in Atlanta to manage Grove’s real estate development or entering another business with Grove’s financial backing. Seely caught wind of Grove’s new hotel project and was so inspired by it, that he did not pursue any of these other options.
Grove had settled on the architectural design of Henry Cobb Sr. for his inn. Cobb had designed a stone-faced rustic inn, with a red clay tile roof. Seely suggested to Grove that he, along with their Atlanta contractor, Oscar Mills, could be helpful to him on this project. Mills and Seely had worked together for several years on Grove’s Atlanta subdivision projects. Grove relented and Seely took over negotiations with Henry Cobb.
Cobb had designed many prominent commercial buildings in Chicago, St. Louis and New York City. His son, Henry Cobb Jr. would also go on to become a prominent American architect. Seely began negotiations with Cobb to lower his fees, as well as discuss the possibility of paying him with promissory notes from William Randolph Hearst, after the sale of Grove and Seely’s newspaper, the Atlanta Georgian to Hearst. When Cobb balked at this proposal, Seely notified him that Grove’s offer had been withdrawn. Seely then drafted his own design, presumably based on Cobb’s design based on the description and final design, which he then presented to Grove.
Fred Seely’s original concept for the Grove Park Inn, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Grove was surprisingly pleased with the design drafted by Seely and gave his approval to proceed with this plan. Seely had no prior experience in general contracting or architectural design, but he was about to get on the job training. To take Seely’s drawings from concept to reality, Groce Walton McKibbin, a structural engineer and architect was hired to make Seely’s drawing into a set of official blueprints. Seely went after the project with great gusto, setting an ambitious deadline for the following summer to complete this project.
Grove was concerned about Seely’s ambitious deadline and wrote the following letter:
“There is just one part of your letter to Mr. Cobb I wish to comment on, and that is I fear you want to hurry most too much in getting the hotel built. There is no reason for any special hurry and I do not want you to go into this and overtax yourself in trying to do too much in this short time. You know from past experience that this is something you must learn to control. Again, to exercise any undue haste in building the hotel, it might not be what we started out to build. I only mention this so that you can take time and not go ahead unless you know you are right.”
Seely knew he was right and began the project of constructing the hotel. He knew if he could get the inn completed for the summer tourist season, financial reward would follow. The Grove Park Inn was constructed of cast concrete and granite stone from the rock quarry on Sunset Mountain owned by Grove. From the approval of Seely’s drawing in May of 1912, to the completion of the Inn’s main construction in July of 1913, a lot happened in between. First, Mills had to hire a crew of workers. Around 400 men of Italian, Scottish Irish and Black heritage were hired for their master stone cutting ability. They worked 24 hours a day most of the year to complete the inn, just in time for the summer tourist season. The Grove Automobile Toll Road was also widened to transport rock and materials up and down the mountain.
Seely had a very specific vision for the appearance of the stones, wanting them to be in their raw state from the quarry, moss and lichen included, with no visible masonry seams. These enormous rocks were all laid by hand and lifted into place with block and tackle. Massive “Truck Trains” would haul wagon loads of material for this enormous project.
Hauling boulders and materials down the Grove Automobile Road – photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Although the Inn was mountain rustic in design, the interior was furnished with Arts and Crafts style furnishings and fixtures. The Inn was constructed in the heights of the American Craft Revival – a movement begun in England by an academic named Wallace Nutting, as a rebellion against the cruel working conditions of the Industrial Revolution. The movement advocated shunning machinery for production of traditional crafts like wood working, weaving, wrought iron metal working and pottery. Unfortunately, many of these craft companies could not sustain a profit without machines to enable sufficient economies of scale.
However, once the movement made its way to America, this all changed. Several early companies were able to take the ideas of the original Craft Revival movement, which included producing high quality affordable goods, providing healthy and pleasant work environments and combined them with machinery that could supplement the human produced items to produce a profit.
One such company was Roycroft of East Aurora, New York. Founded by Elbert Hubbard, Roycroft started as a small leather book binding company, publishing many of Hubbard’s writings. Eventually, Hubbard expanded the Roycroft production facility into a small village, which also included an inn. In later years, Hubbard added furniture and copper workshops to the Roycroft campus. As an enthusiast of the American Craft Revival, Seely had become acquainted with Elbert Hubbard and struck up a close friendship with his son, Elbert “Bert” Hubbard Jr.
To furnish the Inn, Seely chose Roycroft to provide all of their lighting, as well as the furniture for the great hall and guest rooms. For the grand lighting of the hotel, he contacted Victor Toothaker, who had just begun management of the copper shop at Roycroft. Toothaker had come from another arts and crafts company known as Stickley, run by Gustav Stickley in Morris Plains, New Jersey. While at Stickley, Toothaker designed and produced large, architectural light fixtures. During the planning of the inn, Toothaker made several visits down to Asheville, to design the large fixtures that would hang in the great hall of the Grove Park Inn.
Roycroft Chandeliers and lamps in the Grove Park Inn Lobby. Photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
The Inn was coming together quickly, but there were still many loose ends. Roycroft could not get all the furniture for the entire inn produced quickly enough for their summer of 1913 deadline, so Seely engaged the White Furniture Company of Mebane, North Carolina to supplement much of their furniture work for the hotel rooms. Slowly but surely, things were coming together in time for the grand opening.
The Completed Grove Park Inn, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
After the construction of the Inn was completed, there was still the question of who was going to run it. Seely and Grove drew up a new business agreement, which would appoint Fred Seely manager of the Inn. Grove did not give Seely any ownership of the Inn, but rather leased it to him on a year-by-year contract basis. While the inn was being completed, Seely went about hiring the best staff he could lure away from other renowned resorts in the country, as well as creating amenities, policies and procedures for the staff to follow that would make it one of the most popular resorts of the next decade. The Grove Park Inn would open to the public on July 12, 1913 with an opening ceremony presided over by secretary of state, William Jennings Bryant who proclaimed “it was an inn built for the ages!”
To further entice Seely to stay in Asheville and run the Grove Park Inn, Grove gifted him the 29-acre parcel of land at the top of Sunset Mountain that had formerly been Overlook Park. While the Inn was being constructed, Seely went about developing this piece of land for his personal home. Taking inspiration from the Biltmore Estate, he decided to create his own small animal sanctuary on the property where he would raise deer, elk and goats. He had originally announced plans to construct a small zoo on the property as early as 1913, but these plans never came to fruition.
Although Seely didn’t make a public zoo, he did create a nature habitat on the northern part of the Overlook property. He constructed an enclosed pen on this part of the property he referred to as “Deer Park”. In Seely’s Deer Park, his collection of 20 deer could run free, as well as a pair of elk and several goats. Seely would later donate this collection of animals to the Asheville Zoo at Recreation Park in east Asheville, as well as several game preserves.
Seely’s “deer Park” visible from Grove Automobile Road passing his home, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
In addition to his deer, elk and goats, Seely even experimented with creating a skunk farm at Overlook. The skunks, who had been deodorized were said to be very tame and intelligent. A reporter who interviewed Seely about his skunks mentioned “They were always on hand to greet Seely and always knew precisely when feeding time was.” One of his skunks was named John Henry and responded to being called by name. He didn’t start the skunk farm as a business proposition, but more as an experiment after learning about how they could be domesticated and trained.
When it came time to construct his home, Seely again became his own contractor. He drafted a design of a house that would use cast concrete construction and native stone from Grove’s Sunset Mountain quarry – like what had been done when building the Grove Park Inn. Working with architect Groce McKibbin again, they set about creating a residence that would embody all Seely’s world traveling experiences and knowledge of construction up to this point. Many of the master masons from the Grove Park Inn would be employed to create this residence as well. Along with McKibbin, a crew of 30 men were contracted to build Seely’s home.
Original Blueprints – Overlook Castle
The design was said to be modeled after a 16th century castle/monastery known as “Forde Abbey” in England, being English-Gothic in style. As was tradition for large manor homes of this period, Seely decided to name his home “Overlook,” paying homage to the history of the land it was built upon, as well as the spectacular view from the property. As far as citing the house, it was positioned facing the south, where an expansive view of downtown Asheville and Mt. Pisgah could be seen.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that ground for “Overlook” was broken on January 17,1913, putting its origins in the middle of the construction of the Grove Park Inn. The construction of Overlook would take several years more than the construction of the Grove Park Inn. While the Seely family was waiting for the construction of their new home, they lived in the former casino building of Overlook Park adjacent to the construction site. This building was redesigned for residential living by Richard Sharp Smith and later deconstructed to provide materials for their new home. Without needing his father-in-law’s approval for the design work on this project, Seely was free to be truly creative and imagine his own unique vision of a home.
Overlook Park Alterations to Pavillon for Dr. E. W. Grove Floor Plan and Elevation, 1911, rs0320, flat file 9, Richard Sharp Smith Collection, courtesy of the Asheville Art Museum
The exterior of Overlook was adorned with crenelated detailing at the top of the roofline. Along with the stone exterior, it truly embodied the vision of a castle. A serpentine, winding driveway and manicured grounds were created to lead visitors up to Overlook. The back of Overlook was home to large formal gardens, where Evelyn would let her talents for raising exotic roses shine.
Overlook Castle shortly after completion, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and archives
In addition to the construction of the home, several other outbuildings were constructed. These additional buildings included a small stone barn, 4 car garage/physical plant, green house and a two-story stone carriage house/stable for horses and additional equipment at the rear of the property. The large 4 car garage housed Seely’s stately Packard automobiles, laundry plant and a physical plant for heat/steam generation. When he submitted the building permit to the city of Asheville in 1913, Seely estimated the cost of constructing this home to be $20,000, but the Asheville Citizen reported what seems to be a more accurate number of $100,000 as the estimated costs to build Overlook.
Mrs. Seely’s greenhouse, photo by author
Seely’s automobile garage, photo by author
Stone two story carriage house and stables, photo by Tim Burchfield, Line of Sight Technologies
Small stone barn, photo by author
Building permit submitted by Fred Seely for Overlook
After Overlook’s initial construction in 1916 and a later addition in 1923, the home totaled 20,000 square feet, which included an informal living room, living room, Music Room, Library, Dining Room, kitchen, Butler’s and storage pantry, six bedrooms and four bathrooms (three bedrooms and two baths on each floor), and an upstairs Sitting Room.
The only road up to Overlook was the former Sunset Mountain line, now Grove’s Automobile Toll Road. From the site of Overlook to the Grove Park Inn, it was 2.5 miles. This was a convenient commute for Seely as the manager of the Inn, who would typically work 10-12 hours a day or more making sure the Grove Park Inn was operating efficiently.
The exterior of the home was constructed with native granite stone from Grove’s quarry on Sunset Mountain. Evelyn Seely noted in a later history that stone from the old Overlook Park Casino building that had been converted into a temporary residence for her and Fred was used to construct their new home. The red brick chimney from this building remains on the property, but there are no other traces of the former casino building.
Former “Casino” building at Overlook Park
Presumed chimney remaining on property from Casino building, photo by Author
In a later account of their home's construction, Evelyn noted many of the rocks used for Overlook were smaller offcuts not large enough for the Grove Park Inn. The stonework was said to be laid by Italian masons from the inn construction crew, placed in a “tapestry” like texture. Fred Seely Jr. remembered that an entire Italian family of masons were brought over from Italy for this project. Inset into all this beautiful stonework were handcrafted, leaded glass windows.
Tapestry effect of Italian masonry – photo by author
For the interior of the home, Seely blended styles from the American Craft Revival, along with the Medieval/Gothic styles that would be germane to the interior of a castle. The walls were constructed of cast concrete, with plaster and wooden wall coverings. The design of the wiring was said to have been consulted on by Thomas Edison, a friend and acquaintance Seely had made through his time at the Atlanta Georgian. Each of the closets were wired up with a pressure mounted switch – so that when the door opened the interior light would come on.
When it came time to purchase the interior light fixtures, Seely had several chandeliers and other items produced by the Roycroft company of East Aurora, New York. It is believed, but not confirmed that these chandeliers for his living room were produced by the manager of the copper shop at Roycroft, Victor Toothaker. Toothaker had been contracted to make all the copper light fixtures for the Grove Park Inn and would visit Asheville many times between 1912 and 1915 to consult with Fred Seely on both the Grove Park Inn and Overlook projects.
These chandeliers appear to have been modified after their initial production at Roycroft. In an early picture of the family room at Overlook, they are seen with hammered, patinated copper light shades. At the Grove Park Inn, there had been issues with the light fixtures from Roycroft being too dim due to these copper shades. These copper shades did not reflect or throw enough light in the cavernous great hall of the inn and many were replaced with glass or other types of shades that would reflect more light.
It appears that there must have been a similar issue with the fixtures at Overlook, as it also had a cavernous stone interior with dark wood paneled walls. It appears the copper shades were removed for the blown glass “flame” shades. An inner ring made of wood with carved wooden quotations were also added after the light shades had been changed. The style of the woodwork and carving seems to align with local woodcrafters, Biltmore Industries, rather than Roycroft. Roycroft did not do as much wood carving at this time and it seems logical that Seely may have had the chandeliers modified by local craftsmen, rather than sending them back to Roycroft.
Roycroft Chandeliers (pre-modification) hanging in the “Great Room” photo courtesy UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Roycroft Chandeliers after modifications and addition of quotations from a different view in the great room, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Seely loved quotations and phrasing, which are stenciled on the walls throughout the Grove Park Inn. These two Roycroft chandeliers have the following quotes on their inner rings:
“What thou wilt, thou shall rather enforce it with thy smile than hew to it with thy sword.” This is based on the work of William Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.
“If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and it shall be given him.” Bible (James 1:5)
Close up of Roycroft Chandeliers – photo by author
These chandeliers were removed from Overlook and put into storage after Seely received a pair of large, silver chandeliers as a gift from the Dutch government. This was reportedly for his work in cultivating the relationship with the Dutch Enka Rayon company that he helped bring to Asheville during the 1920s. Roycroft was also employed to create sconces and other light fixtures that line the hallways of the castle.
Replacement silver chandeliers in the great room, photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Silver Chandeliers as they appear today, decorated for Christmas. Notice the gold painted finish on the ceiling – this was a special type of paint that incorporated golf leaf. Photo courtesy of Keela Wells.
When it came to the design of his original library, Seely employed Asheville and former Biltmore Estate architect, Richard Sharp Smith to draft an interior blueprint for this room. Richard Sharp Smith was engaged in many other homes and buildings in Grove Park, which would have put him in contact with Grove and Seely.
Residence of F. L. Seely Library West Elevation and North Elevation, n.d, rs0819, flat file 1, Richard Sharp Smith Collection, courtesy of the Asheville Art Museum
Notice the Roycroft Fixtures hanging in this room and built in cabinets noted on Richard Sharp Smith’s blueprint above.
Seely incorporated many artifacts and design elements that had personal significance to him and his family in the construction of Overlook. The front door, weighing nearly 700 pounds, was said to have been constructed from the beams of an English/Scottish home of the 16th century, that was part of the Seely ancestral heritage, adorned with hand wrought iron hardware.
Surrounding the property are low stone walls, with robust ornamental iron fencing. The entrance to Overlook is marked by a large stone and iron gate that appear in much of the old-world style of the castle. Much of this iron work was manufactured by the Stewart Iron Works company of Cincinnati, Ohio who at the time was one of the largest iron work and fence making companies in the world. They had a representative in Asheville and even sold their products through the Sears and Roebuck Catalog. It is also believed that they manufactured the iron grates that cover the windows on the first floor. These were installed to help prevent intruders, which even in the 1920s and 1930s was a concern. In one instance, an intruder had to be shot by the grounds keeper, who also served as a night watchmen in the 1930s.
Entrance gate and fencing, photos by Author
In the great room are a set of stained-glass memorial windows that have meaning for the Seely family. These individual memorial windows are dedicated with a design to Fred Seely’s native state New Jersey, Evelyn Seely’s native state Tennessee, Yale University (where his three sons attended) and Smith College where his daughter attended. There is also a window with the Great Seal of the state of North Carolina, as well as a window with President Wilson’s declaration of war and the United States’ allies during World War I.
One set of stained-glass windows in the great room, photo courtesy of Keela Wells
In the library addition added during 1923-1924, there is an antique mantel that is hand carved and ornamented with the gold leaf crest of Sir Robert Peel on the left side. While on a trip to London, Seely found a pair of Sir Robert Peel mantels advertised in the London Graphic. The advertisement stated that Queen Victoria had many times been warmed by their fireside. Seely convinced the dealer to sell one of the pair. The dealer thought the mantel to be more than 100 years old and therefore it did not require any import tax to be paid. When he unpacked the mantel after it had been shipped to the United States, Seely found an aged piece of paper tacked to the back of the mantel that stated it was carved by John Ashton and that it was 91 years old. After learning that the age did not exclude the mantel from the import tax, he promptly sent payment to the US Government.
Overlook additions to east and west wings, under construction – Photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Cast plaster ceiling in library addition nearing completion – photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Fireplace in library addition that once reportedly warmed Queen Victoria – Photo Courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
The library addition after completion – photo courtesy UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
The stone fireplace in the great room is said to contain a piece of the Blarney Stone, as well as a piece of stone chipped off from an interior prison cell of the Tower of London, supposedly occupied by Sir Walter Raleigh when he was held captive in London and beheaded in 1618. Each of these stones were labeled with small copper plaques on the mantel. Seely acquired both special stones while on a trip to England.
The ceilings in the new library addition Overlook contain ornate, cast plaster designs that include the family crests of the Seely family and his mother’s family, the Moore family. Two large lion statues stand guard in front of the library addition, formerly located by the front door. These hand carved lions, said to be of Italian origin were a gift from Edwin Grove. The Lions were said to have been the only item that remained from Atlanta’s courthouse after Union General Sherman made his march to the sea, burning down and plundering anything in his path during the Civil War.
Lions flanking each side of the portico under the library addition to the west wing of Overlook – photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Lion statue detail – photo by author
One of the library addition’s most arresting features – a folding panoramic window by the Hope’s window company – photos courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
The first version of Overlook was completed from 1913-1916, with the additions of the east and west wings from 1923-1924. After completing construction, many visitors to Asheville were given a tour of this regal estate by the Seely Family. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs would visit the Grove Park Inn on one of their cross-country road trips during the summer of 1918. Each summer, these men would organize a car camping trip with staff, equipment and celebrities that would tour different regions of the country. They titled this group “The Vagabonds,” with most of these trips being led by Harvey Firestone. Seely took this group of men up to Overlook for a tour of his home and Deer Park while they were at the Inn. Any celebrities that were visiting would not only get VIP treatment at the Grove Park Inn but would be taken on an automobile tour of the city by Seely, as well as a tour of Overlook.
Front entrance and pond at Overlook Castle – photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
In 1917, Seely and Grove’s relationship was again under strain regarding how the Grove Park Inn should be managed. Wanting to distance himself more from Grove, he was able to make another business purchase. All the dairy products for the Grove Park Inn were purchased from the Biltmore Estate Dairy farm, putting Fred Seely in direct contact with Edith Vanderbilt. Her husband, George Vanderbilt had passed away just three years prior, due to complications from an appendectomy. This led her on an audit trail of the estate’s finances, which revealed Biltmore was in poor financial standing. To cut costs and strive towards making the estate self-sustaining, Edith floated the idea of selling some of the estates’ small businesses that had not produced a profit in many years. One of these was Biltmore Estate Industries, which produced fine homespun wool fabric, small wood carved items and furniture. Fred Seely became aware of this sale and immediately was interested in purchasing this business.
Biltmore Estate Industries was founded by Edith Vanderbilt, along with two other partners: Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. Eleanor Vance was a highly skilled woodcarver who had studied woodcarving under John Fry at the Cincinnati Art Academy. She met Charlotte Yale while studying to be a missionary at the Chicago Bible Institute, where they formed a lifelong friendship. Yale had studied music at Oberlin college and managed the business affairs of Biltmore Estate Industries. Eleanor’s mother suffered from several respiratory ailments, which led Eleanor, her mother and Charlotte all to Asheville’s ideal climate.
In the summer of 1901, Vance and Yale rented one of the newly constructed tenant houses in Biltmore Village.
The tapping of Vance’s hammer and chisel attracted the attention of children living in the village. Every day, more and more children showed up at Vance and Yale’s home, where Eleanor would be carving on the back porch. Eventually, this attracted the attention of the rector of All Souls Cathedral, Reverend Rodney Swope. He invited Vance and Yale to create a wood carving club for these children, who were the sons and daughters of Biltmore Estate workers.
Edith Vanderbilt was captivated by the idea of teaching mountain children a skilled trade through this burgeoning club. She was an enthusiast of the Settlement House Movement in England, where single mothers and their children were taught weaving and wood carving as a means of making a living or supplementing their income.
Edith became Vance and Yale’s patron, purchasing equipment and subsidizing their operations for the yet to be profitable Biltmore Estate Industries. Their operations started as primarily small, carved wood items like ornate bowls and fireplace brushes that could be sold by the children at the train station in Biltmore Village. As the children became more skilled, they started producing small pieces of furniture with wood procured from the estate. Edith eventually encouraged Vance and Yale to learn about weaving and sent them to Scotland, where they would learn about weaving wool fabric, which would grow into its own subsidiary: Biltmore Homespun Woven Fabrics.
Biltmore Estate Industries provided a wonderful opportunity for the children of the village and was envisioned as an industry that could provide sustainability to Biltmore Estate. However, the industries were not profitable and had to be subsidized yearly by the Vanderbilts. Edith faced several setbacks with Biltmore Estate Industries due to the death of George in 1914, as well as the flood of 1916. This devastating flood occurred when two back-to-back hurricanes hit Asheville with record levels of rainfall and over swelled the banks of the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers. Both rivers run on opposite sides of Biltmore Village, which destroyed the industries’ store and workshops in Biltmore Village.
By 1917 Edith was ready to move in a new direction and make the Biltmore Estate leaner.
When it was time to broker the deal between Fred Seely and Edith Vanderbilt, Estate superintendent Chauncey Beadle was brought in to negotiate the final price. Beadle and Seely argued over the price, finally reaching a deal of $10,000. Fred leased a 20-acre site from Grove adjacent to the Inn’s west side property, to house the Biltmore Estate Industries. Seely was able to use “Biltmore” in naming his new business and shortened it from Biltmore Estate Industries to Biltmore Industries.
To make the industries profitable, Seely knew he would need to scale the business to produce a higher quantity of fabric for greater sales. For the design of the buildings, Fred Seely had a vision of an English cottage style village to house his machinery and operations. He again engaged Groce McKibbin to draft the blueprints and final design for this village. Construction took him 6 years from 1917 to 1923. These buildings were constructed of ceramic block, finished in pebbledash stucco and curved roofs, clad in red asbestos shingles purchased from Brown’s Hardware in Asheville.
Biltmore Industries Campus in North Asheville – designed by Fred L. Seely and Groce W. Mckibbin, constructed 1917-1923. Current day home to historic Grovewood Village. Photo courtesy UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
After the completion of the construction of his village, Seely began to nurture and breathe new life into this business. It quickly became profitable, and sales were taking off. To run Biltmore Industries, Seely retained Bob Stevens as foreman. Stevens had begun his career in the industries at age 8 under the tutelage of Eleanor Vance, becoming one of her most skilled wood carvers. He would become Fred and Evelyn’s right-hand man for more than just the industries. He helped arrange maintenance of Overlook Castle, as well as helping with personal matters and travel arrangements for the Seely’s.
After Seely’s acquisition of Biltmore Industries, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale decided to move to Tryon, North Carolina to start the Tryon Toymakers company. Tryon Toymakers was a new enterprise for Vance and Yale that again employed children to make beautifully hand carved and painted wooden toys for children. Several of the most talented woodcarvers also left Biltmore Industries to join them, citing some disagreement with Seely’s management style. One of these was George Arthur, who started as a young boy under their tutelage. He left to open his own cabinet making shop in West Asheville, called the Artisan’s Shop. His brother, Frank Arthur also left to remain as a woodcarver working under Vance and Yale. Fred Seely maintained a friendship and cordial relationship with Vance and Yale, commissioning them for projects at Overlook as well as Grove Park Inn for many years.
Fred Seely would employ Vance and Yale for a very unique project for the 1923 addition to Overlook. He desired a very special curved wooden exterior door to his private study. This door was constructed and carved by Frank Arthur at the Tryon Toymakers, with some assistance from Eleanor Vance. The door was installed at the entrance of the curved turret, at the rear of the 1923 library addition. It was constructed in stave joinery from Spruce wood. The door details 10 biblical scenes, taken from a 15th century Bible in Fred’s expansive book collection, which he loaned to Vance and Arthur to reference for their carvings. After many months of work, the massive door was sent by train from Tryon directly to the Grove Park Inn. Seely was so taken by its beauty that he displayed it on a wooden stand in the lobby of the Inn, before bringing it to Overlook.
Frank Arthur and Eleanor Vance carved door to the counting house, Overlook. Photo Courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Close up of the door, currently owned by a private collector.
In addition to this door, Seely decided to make several additions to Overlook in 1923 - 1924 (mentioned previously), which included two additional wings on opposite end of the house. One wing would be to house a much larger library and the other for more living space. The new library would measure over 2,200 square feet and contain a private study accessed behind one of the hand-crafted walnut bookshelves.
One of the most prominent features of the library was a series of retractable folding windows, which when opened revealed a breathtaking mountain view and small balcony. This window system was designed by the International Casement Company of Jamestown, New York. Founded in 1912, they are still in business today as Hopes Windows – one of the largest manufacturers of steel windows and doors in the world. Seely intended to install a pipe organ in this addition to Overlook, which included space for the organ’s mechanical equipment. Although the space for this instrument was completed, one was never installed.
Fred also embarked on adding a fourth-floor observatory, which was never completed. It appears as if it is part of an ancient ruin on an older castle at the rear of the building. At the time, local lore has it that there was a deferral for paying Buncombe County Property Tax if a building was under construction. It was rumored that the addition of the partial observatory/ruins may have been left unfinished to avoid paying property tax.
With Seely’s demanding schedule, he needed some hired help to maintain the grounds of Overlook. He hired two caretakers – Pink Massey and Columbus “Lum” Howington. Both men would maintain Overlook for close to 35 years. A grandson of Lum recalled that Seely employed more than a dozen men to help maintain the property. One of these men was hired to pick all the poison ivy from the property, as Seely was highly allergic. These men would work 10-12 hours a day for $2 a day, carrying their lunch in a pale all over the property with them. To manage and accurately track expenses related to managing Overlook, Seely formed a small corporation for paying contractors, with expenses being tracked on a ledger.
By the mid-1920s, the friction between Grove and Seely would reach its zenith. Seely, having been written out of Grove’s will, brought a suit against his father-in-law. Grove died in 1927 leaving a partial inheritance to his daughter Evelyn and nothing to his son-in-law. The majority of his inheritance would go to his second wife Gertrude and son by her, Edwin W. Grove Jr. Grove’s will stated that his estate could not sell his vast real estate holdings, until a vesting period of their ownership had taken place.
Edwin Jr. and Gertrude Grove would break the covenant of his will and begin selling off properties immediately. As soon as 1928, the Grove Estate sold much of the western acreage of Sunset Mountain, surrounding Seely’s Overlook castle for $210,000 to Eugenia Johnston Berger, an Asheville native who had moved to Paris and married a man in Monaco. She intended to develop these 300 acres into a residential development. Edwin Jr. and Gertrude also sold the Grove Park Inn in 1928 to another owner, marking the end of the Grove Asheville real estate dominance of this decade.
The decade of the 1930s and the onset of the Great Depression was difficult for Seely and the rest of Asheville. Demand stayed steady for Biltmore Homespun fabric, but Seely’s health began to decline through this period. In photos of the time, he looks noticeably older and thinner. He began to suffer more from headaches and would spend time resting or napping in his study at Overlook. Despite these difficulties of Seely’s health, much entertaining occurred at the castle.
In 1939, President Herbert Hoover came to visit, while his son was being treated for Tuberculosis in Asheville. Many of the Seely children hosted wedding receptions and parties related to the Rhododendron Festival. Evelyn and Fred hosted many musical performances by local ensembles in their music room as well. At one point, Seely even offered Overlook to Calvin Coolidge as a summer residence during his presidency, but it seems as though he did not accept the offer. Seely and Coolidge had formed a close friendship while Coolidge was president of Princeton University. He later even made a fabric colored named in honor of Grace Coolidge at his Biltmore Industries called “Coolidge Red,” which she had made into a suit and wore on her husband’s inauguration day.
By 1939, the land around Overlook was changing dramatically as well. Previously, the only route to access Overlook was the Grove Automobile Road. In November of 1939, construction of Town Mountain road was being constructed as a connection to the Blue Ridge Parkway. These were both projects under Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress administration program to lift those out of the Great Depression’s grasp by employing them to improve infrastructure. The toll roll would continue to operate under the ownership of landowner Eugenia Berger with a paid toll until 1950.
After decades of pushing his frayed nerves to the limit and setting a relentless pace, Fred Seely passed away from a heart attack at Overlook on March 14, 1942. The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote a multiple page spread about his many accomplishments in the city. He was said to be distraught prior to his passing, as he had not been able to reach Overlook for several weeks due to a severe snowstorm that winter. He had been marooned at the new Battery Park Hotel, which his wife Evelyn had inherited from Grove. He had taken over management of this hotel in 1940.
As the United States entered World War II, Fred Seely Jr. was building a promising career in the US Navy. After his father’s passing, he was being called on for more help in settling his father’s estate, envisioning a future for Biltmore Industries and maintaining Overlook. Between Bob Stevens and Fred Seely Jr. who was corresponding from a Navy ship in California, they were able to keep Biltmore Industries going on a shoestring. Quantities of wool were hard to come by, as well as qualified weavers, many of which had been sent off to war. Most of BI’s weavers throughout Seely’s management were male due to the rigors of operating the fly-shuttle looms.
Evelyn moved out of Overlook after Fred’s death and moved into an apartment at the Battery Park Hotel, citing the pain of missing Fred too much. Due to the overwhelming responsibility of maintaining Overlook, Evelyn and the rest of the Seely family began toying with the idea of selling their home. The family struggled greatly with this decision, given how much of it had Fred’s influence on its design and decoration.
After sitting empty for several years, the Seely family made the decision to sell Overlook in 1945. Evelyn hired real local estate agent Roy E. Burton, who produced a beautiful brochure to tout Overlook’s prestige. Evelyn and Fred Jr. began the process of selling or giving away much of the decorative contents of the home. Fred’s autograph collection, which contained the signatures of many famous classical music composers was sold to local Asheville residents Edith and Mark Reed after much back-and-forth letter writing. Much of the art and antiquities were sent to a Dr. Thompson in Washington D.C. Many of the decorative oil paintings were sold to Dr. J.H. Worley, while many of the antique rugs and tapestries were auctioned off at several auction houses in Buncombe and Henderson counties.
Sales brochure – photos courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Most of the prospective buyers of Overlook were mainly interested in a free tour of the home and not serious buyers. Growing frustrated with the lack of a sale, the Seely family explored the idea of donating or selling the castle at a deep discount. Evelyn decided to sell it to a local two-year junior college that was looking for a larger campus, Asheville-Biltmore College.
Asheville-Biltmore College was the dream of Buncombe County Schools superintendent, Alonzo Carlton Reynolds or as he was better known, A.C. Reynolds. Founded in 1927, Asheville-Biltmore College began accepting high school graduates pursuing a two-year associate degree. Students could then transfer to four-year colleges and universities. There was no charge for admission and funding was provided by both the city of Asheville and Buncombe County. Their first campus was at Biltmore High School, outside of Biltmore Village. In the 1930s, they moved to the basement of David Millard Junior high on Oak Street. As their enrollment grew in the 1940s, they moved again to the old Buncombe County Children’s Home on Merrimon avenue, across the street from the Douglas Ellington designed Merrimon Fire Station. Despite this move, their new building did not meet the needs of a changing student population.
After World War II, many men were returning home and able to attend college on the GI Bill, which increased enrollment. The board of trustees was able to obtain the deed of the Buncombe County Children’s Home, after they donated it to the school by the County. The college was then able to sell the building, which funded their new campus. Around this time, the Asheville-Biltmore College board learned that Overlook Castle was for sale. After some deliberation, it was thought that it could make a very suitable campus for their growing student population.
Evelyn Seely and Fred Jr. had still not sold the castle after four years of sitting on the market. It continued to be a drain on their finances, with year-round maintenance and upkeep. During the war, it was particularly difficult to maintain the grounds, as gasoline for their yard machinery and tractors was being rationed for the war effort. Somehow, long-time caretakers Pink Massey and Lum Howerton managed to keep the property in beautiful condition, with some prodding from Biltmore Industries foreman, Bob Stevens. Evelyn became aware of Asheville-Biltmore college’s predicament and contacted the board. Other large manor homes across the country with no family successors to their ownership were following a similar transition to college and institutional repurposing in great numbers at this time.
Photo from Asheville-Biltmore College yearbook, “The Summit” during their first year of inhabiting Overlook
After coming to an agreement, Evelyn and Asheville-Biltmore College arrived at a price of $125,000. Evelyn would donate $50,000 towards the acquisition, lowering the total cost to $75,000. The board estimated they would need another $100,000 to renovate the property, for a total debt of $175,000. Evelyn had a covenant in the deed that said the castle must be named Fred Seely Hall, in honor of her husband. Their new college would be coined “The College in the Sky.”
In 1950, Asheville Biltmore College made the move from their location on Merrimon avenue to the castle. Overlook Castle had been transformed into Seely Hall, which housed classrooms, administrative offices, the student union and library. Within a few years Asheville-Biltmore College had plans to transform the carriage house and a small stone barn on the campus of Overlook for academic purposes. They engaged Anthony Lord at local architectural firm, Six Associates to repurpose the two-story stone carriage house into their science and medical technology building. This remodel was drafted as early as 1949 and completed in 1950, when the campus of Asheville-Biltmore College opened.
Campus layout, prepared by Anthony Lord of Asheville architectural firm, Six Associates
Seely’s two story carriage house as the Medical and Science Technology building at AB-College
The servant’s quarters in the basement of Seely Hall were turned into the student union and snack bar for the university. Students would typically be leaning on the jukebox, eating snacks, playing games or making a phone call in the phone booth between classes. There were no dormitories or sports fields, other than the old tennis courts Fred Seely had constructed. For physical education, students had to travel down to the YMCA, located at 10 Woodfin Street where the old Clyde Savings Bank now Hometrust Bank is located. Football games were played at Memorial Stadium behind McCormick Field, while football practice was held at Weaver Park.
1953 A-B College graduation ceremony at Overlook
The former Seely library was used as the college library and Seely’s former study had been transformed into a private study room. Bedrooms were converted into classrooms and offices for many of the faculty. One of Seely’s staff was even included with the sale of the property: Lum Howington, who students referred to as “Doc.” He was the full-time maintenance man, caretaker and even provided security at night. In addition to maintaining Overlook, he was the facilities manager at Biltmore Industries. UNCA history lore says that Lum was brewing moonshine on the Overlook estate after Mrs. Seely moved out to an apartment at the Battery Park Hotel. At some point, several students became wise to his illegal operation and made a deal with him. These students agreed not to report him if he would share some of the moonshine with them. Lum worked out a deal with the students enrolled in the chemistry program to take items from the campus science lab he could use for making his special brew.
Students of Asheville-Biltmore College hard at work in the library. Note the addition of the “institutional” overhead lights above.
Columbus Howington, nicknamed “Lum” by friends and “Doc” by A-B students
A-B Students relaxing in the servants quarters turned classrooms and student union, as well as cleaning house.
As enrollment grew, Asheville Biltmore College began exploring options to either add buildings and improve the Overlook property or start looking for another campus. There were several legislature bills introduced that would give them the opportunity to become a legitimate four-year college, assuming they met certain requirements for facilities and student enrollment. Six Associates was again engaged in the late 1950s to draft a design using their existing campus at Overlook.
In their renderings, Seely Hall was surrounded by mid-century modern design buildings, as well as expanded parking for students. Asheville Biltmore College only had around 150 students enrolled when they made the move to the castle in 1949 and were approaching closer to 500 students by the end of the decade.
When the move to a new campus was proposed, students were upset about leaving the castle. They were particularly fond of the “Ivy League” aesthetic projected by the stone and ivy-covered buildings of Overlook. They believed these buildings were more unique and would attract more students than traditional “institutional” styled buildings. The Asheville Citizen-Times featured nearly 30 student responses to the paper voicing their despair over leaving this iconic campus.
Proposed Campus design by Six Associates for additions to Sunset Mountain.
Seeing the inherent limitations of the property of Overlook Castle due to the mountain topography, the board of trustees began investigating property with more land for parking and larger buildings. Land formerly owned by the Kimberly family off Merrimon avenue was deemed the perfect fit and was purchased for a new campus in 1959. Six Associates revised their drawings and designs for this new campus in 1959, while the college continued to operate at Overlook. In fall of 1961, the college moved to what is the current day campus of UNC-Asheville off WT Weaver boulevard. Asheville-Biltmore College then advertised the property for sale. Asheville-Biltmore would later become an accredited four-year university known as University of North Carolina – Asheville.
Overlook sat vacant for several years, until it was sold to an investment group from Memphis, Tennessee called W.O.B. Inc. W.O.B. Inc. included Kemmons Willson, Alfred Owings and William Bond, who were all business partners in the Holiday Inn franchise, founded by Wilson. They were interested in building a high-rise Holiday Inn Hotel at the top of Sunset Mountain, on the rear of the Overlook property. When they sought approval from Asheville’s city council, their proposal for a commercial hotel in a residential neighborhood was met with uproar and disapproval from the surrounding residential neighborhood. The council was not willing to grant commercial zoning for the project.
W.O.B. decided to pivot and make the building into the Tiara Luxury Apartments, which look very similar to a Holiday Inn design of the period. These later became the Sunset Ridge Condominiums in the 1970s. Not knowing what to do with the castle, they split the land parcel into two pieces: one for their apartment building and a 7-acre tract which included the castle. The castle and surrounding property were then advertised for sale. One of the original fountains from the Seely Castle property now is a flower bed at Sunset Ridge condominiums.
The castle lagged on the market from 1961 to 1964, with no serious buyers. Desperate for a buyer, W.O.B investment group floated turning it into a possible tourist attraction site past Asheville City Council. The City Council didn’t seem to understand the vision and denied their request. By 1965, the property was still for sale at a price of $50,000. W.O.B. was growing more frustrated and pressured local realtor, Rex Smathers to find a buyer quickly. Smathers, wracking his brain for a unique buyer, made a call to the only man in town he knew who might be crazy enough to buy it: Jerry Sternberg.
Sternberg, was one of Asheville’s most successful scrap metal and junk dealers. His father, Joe Sternberg, had built up a large scrap metal business that grew tremendously during and after World War II. In addition to selling scrap metal, Jerry also sold junk and antiquities of all kinds. He later introduced dumpster trash collection to Asheville, investing in the Dempster Dumpster Company – predecessor to Waste Management. Prior to Sternberg, Asheville only had trash pickup by small metal cans, which was inconvenient and messy for businesses and restaurants.
Although Jerry was intrigued by Smathers’ phone call about the sale of the castle, he was not enthusiastic about its purchase upon his first tour. He was 37 years old, with a young family to raise and a demanding business which was just becoming successful. With his background in being a junk dealer, he could see the potential of all the scrap metal in the house, if nothing else. Overlook was adorned with copper flashing on the roof, wrought iron railings, silver chandeliers and leaded glass windows which would fetch good scrap prices. Despite the potential, Sternberg decided to pass on the property.
A year later with no serious offers, Smathers called again. This time, Jerry made him an offer of $40,000 citing the further deteriorated condition of the property. Smathers balked at this offer, of which Jerry shrugged his shoulders and made one last spar, giving him until sundown that day to accept his offer. Jerry, not thinking any more of the deal, received a call close to supper time from Smathers. All Smathers said when Jerry picked up the phone was “Is the sun still up at your house? If so, we’ve got a deal.” Jerry hung up the phone – stunned. He decided to call his business partner Jack Doloboff and let him know they had just purchased a castle. Jack was not enthusiastic at all and needed Jerry to paint a picture of the potential of this place.
Jerry’s first concern after purchasing Overlook was getting the castle secure. Since Asheville-Biltmore College had moved out, the property had been broken into by curious onlookers and former students, who were hosting parties in the building. Jerry had a friend that was a police officer, who trained attack dogs. He called Jerry and mentioned that he was trying to find a home for a German Shepherd that hadn’t responded well to training. He offered “Wolf” to Jerry as a watchdog for the castle. Wolf weighed close to 100 pounds and could handle any potential intruders. He began his new duty as the Overlook Castle night watchman, roaming the halls for intruders. The first morning after Wolf’s arrival, Jerry found a trail of blood from the bedrooms, down the hall to the front door. After Wolf’s arrival, the vandalism stopped. The echo of his bark off the stone walls was enough to frighten an intruder into thinking a Hell Hound was in the building.
After securing the property, Jerry had to figure out what he was going to do with this property. He felt like it needed to be shared with the public, which could also help generate income to support its upkeep. In a chance encounter, he had met a man who went around the country with a traveling art display of paintings and artifacts, that would take up temporary residence in whatever region he was visiting. This got Jerry thinking: maybe he could live in one wing of the castle and turn the rest of the estate into a museum, with beautiful, landscaped grounds similar to the Biltmore Estate.
Jerry and Jack Doloboff had the option to purchase a salvaged ski-lift ride from a fair in Tennessee. Jerry had an idea to have a large parking area in Chunn’s Cove, where tourists could ride the ski-lift from Chunn’s Cove up to the castle. When he ran this idea past the neighborhood association and Asheville city council he became in his words “public enemy number one.” The neighborhood association hated the idea, in addition to violating local zoning. Jerry fought the city council and the neighborhood association, saying he would remove the idea of the ski-lift and concessions, but could not gain any traction.
He then began working with the Grove Park Inn management, to see if they would be willing to finance some of the maintenance and repairs at Overlook. In return for their financing, he would provide private tours and exclusive access for their guests. Unfortunately, management at the Grove Park Inn changed around this time and this idea died on the vine.
At the time, Jerry and his family were living in a small home off Red Oak Road, behind Beaver Lake. When Jerry announced to his children that the castle was going to become their new home, they were ecstatic. His wife on the other hand was less convinced, until he showed her an adjoining room to their bedroom that would serve as a 1,000 square foot walk in closet for her. Not long after acquiring the castle, Jerry had purchased a 1951 Daimler limousine at an auction that would serve as his transportation to and from the castle.
When the Sternbergs arrived at the castle, they found that it had deteriorated dramatically and set about cleaning it, pruning back the grounds and making repairs. Sadly, before the WOB Investment Group sold the property to Jerry, Alfred Owings had removed the lovely carved Spruce door made for Fred Seely by Frank Arthur and Eleanor Vance to add to his home in Memphis, where it still resides today. The ornate door was replaced with one in a similar style, but lacking the detail and craftsmanship of the original.
Replica replacement door - photo by author
Although Jerry was becoming a very successful scrap dealer, he had limited means to furnish a 20,000 square foot house. He ended up furnishing the house with salvage finds from the demolished Asheville Langren Hotel, early Sears and Roebuck pieces and items from his junkyard. He had an employee working for him that was able to construct Queen Anne style furniture from reclaimed sofa frames, scrap foam pieces and fabric. Many of the former bedrooms still had blackboards in them from the college, which his children were delighted with. In addition to the remaining large clawfoot bathtubs, Jerry also installed showers in the bathrooms.
To offset some of the living costs of the castle like heating and electricity, Jerry experimented with having some tenants live at Overlook. The former servant’s quarters located in the basement were still in fair condition, with enough space to host a family or two. Several families moved into these quarters in exchange for helping with cleaning and upkeep of the property. This effort was met with mixed success according to Jerry.
When it came time to outfit the enormous kitchen, Jerry replaced the appliances with salvaged commercial kitchen appliances from the old Biltmore Hospital, which had been another salvage job of Jerry’s. When it came time to eat their food, another interesting salvage piece made it into the mix. When the Lazy Susan Restaurant was closed (this was a restaurant franchise that served family style meals on giant Lazy Susan revolving tables) Jerry took one of these home for the dining table in Overlook.
Overlook was host to numerous wild parties while Jerry lived there. Each December, he would host the company party for his scrap metal and trash collection business at Overlook. For one of the company parties he hosted, he had a brand-new dumpster lifted by crane in through the large retractable windows of the library. Inside of the dumpster was a barmaid who would open the door of the dumpster to serve drinks.
Many people have speculated if Seely Castle is haunted and Jerry addressed this as well in his accounts of the castle. He recalled that when you sat in the Great Room on a dark night, he would occasionally see “an eerie, sylphlike figure wisp through the room, never pausing and never threatening. The kids gleefully called it “Chippie” and squealed with delight in its presence.” Jerry later related that he thought maybe it was just a reflection of some kind of light from Tunnel Road.
Jerry would own the home for the next decade, until certain changes in his personal and business life would lead him to the eventual sale of Overlook in 1977. Jerry too would struggle to sell Overlook, finding no buyers during another difficult economic downturn in the United States. In addition to a tough economy, the country was facing an energy crisis. 20,000 square feet of heating an old cast concrete and stone residence would not be cheap with oil heat, which Jerry had installed.
Jerry, not one to be backed into a corner explored the possibility of donating Overlook to a charity with his business partner, Jack Doloboff, as a possible tax write off for their business. They received a generous appraisal and donated Overlook later that year. Sternberg and Doloboff ultimately came upon Christian Books Unlimited, a Christian book publisher and wholesaler run by Montreat College. Overlook was donated to CBU in 1977.
Christian Books Unlimited would lead to the next chapter in Overlook’s history.
CBU had several ambitious wholesale salespeople that had made quite a name for themselves: Vic and Pat Cassizzi. Their journey to acquiring Overlook would be one of many trials and tribulations. Vic, a native of Madison County, had left North Carolina in search of work, when he landed at a General Motors manufacturing plant in Detroit. He continually felt out of place at work until some of his coworkers invited him to be part of their bible study group. Vic became a Christian and had several divine interventions that would lead him to Overlook.
While working at the factory, Vic figured out that if he lifted heavy diesel engine flywheels by hand to set them in place, rather than using a powered hoist, he could get the job done faster. By doing this, he could get ahead of the manufacturing line and use the time to read his Bible while the line caught up to his pace. He and Pat were baptized and became part of a Detroit church. One day, when their preacher was absent unexpectedly, Vic was asked to stand up and give the sermon. He then started hearing the voice of the Lord on a regular basis. He wanted to go into the ministry but was deep in debt and felt like he needed to keep his job. He felt called to the Lord and began moonlighting as a cemetery plot salesman to make extra money. This job helped to pay down his debt and move back with his wife down to North Carolina to pursue a career in ministry.
Vic and Pat became involved with Montreat College, a small Christian college in Black Mountain, North Carolina. They had come down for a conference but couldn’t pay the registration fee and had to sell Christian books while at the conference to cover their fees. After one of these meetings, they were returning to their rented home in Marshall and pulled off the road at the Tunnel Road Shopping Center, now the Innsbruck Mall.
Feeling hopeless and dejected with little money, something caught Vic’s eye. It was winter and all the leaves were off the trees, making Overlook Castle completely visible from this vantage point on Tunnel Road. When he was interviewed, Vic said “We pulled into the parking lot at Tunnel Road Shopping Center and began talking about going back to Detroit. We prayed and in our prayer, I said “Father, we just claimed that building up there for your glory. We don’t care who gets it, just as long as Jesus Christ is lifted up.” After that, we never thought any more about the castle.”
The Cassizzis left North Carolina again, so that Vic could seek employment in construction on the site of a nuclear power plant in Virginia. They continued their ministry, giving away Christian books from Montreat’s publishing arm, Christian Books Unlimited. The demand for the books proved so great that they asked to buy the books wholesale.
One evening while Vic was relaxing at home, Pat called Christian Books Unlimited about ordering more books.
The president of CBU, Jim Jackson, answered and asked to speak with Vic. Pat seemed very excited by their phone call and handed the phone to Vic. When Vic picked up Jackson said “We’re glad to hear from you. We’ve been praying the Lord will send the right couple to oversee the ministry in an old castle we’ve acquired.” Pat overheard the call and was tugging at Vic’s arm saying “Remember, remember!” Vic tried to make sure he had heard the call correctly and asked, “Is this the castle you can see from Tunnel Road?” He was told that it was. CBU appointed the Cassizzi’s to oversee and start a new ministry at Overlook. Vic and Pat started making plans shortly after to return to Asheville.
After packing up their Chevy Vega station wagon, a U-Haul trailer and their son Nicky, the Cassizzi’s made their way back to Asheville from Virginia to move into their new castle. These two thirty-year-olds didn’t have any idea what they were getting into. Although Jerry Stermberg had done a lot of work on the castle prior to their ownership, there was still much to be done. Much of the plaster ceilings were crumbling and there were still leaks in the roof.
After inhabiting the castle for several months, Vic decided that he wanted to purchase the castle. He claimed that the Lord whispered an amount of $50,000 into his ear to purchase it. He began seeking council from friends about purchasing the castle and eventually sent a proposal to Jim Jackson at CBU about it. Jim was agreeable to this idea after Vic prepared a proposal and written offer. In his proposal, Vic even included the story about claiming the castle for the kingdom of God. CBU and the Cassizzis both agreed the price of $50,000 was fair.
However, there were some complications before Christian Books Unlimited could turn over the castle to Vic and Pat. CBU stated that Vic would need to form a tax-exempt corporation for his new Christian ministry, as well as obtain financing for the purchase of Overlook. Vic set out to find an attorney, who would prepare the filings for their corporate formation pro bono. They found a local attorney named Gary Dodd who was willing to do all of this for free. He had attended one of their first Christian meetings at the castle and was inspired by what he saw.
Christian Books Unlimited did not sell the castle to the Cassizzi’s but donated it to them in exchange for a donation back to CBU of $50,000. The entity Vic formed for his own ministry and for the ability to obtain a loan was called Overlook Christian Ministries. It was difficult for Cassizzi to obtain a loan at several local banks. At the time, the castle was appraised at $600,000 which helped their case, but they still needed more collateral. A friend of Cassizzi’s named Dave Cheadle put up some collateral to help obtain their loan of $50,000, plus another $3,000 to cover the closing costs after Overlook sold.
During their first winter at the castle, the Cassizzi’s didn’t have enough money to fill up the oil tanks for the home heating system. Christian Books Unlimited had left the oil tanks filled about 1/3 of the way, which was quickly depleted. Vic and pat recalled survived by wearing multiple sweaters and sleeping under electric blankets. Vic knew they couldn’t live comfortably like this forever, so he set about a new plan to heat the home. Once again, the voices in his head led him to the Buck Stove company on Riverside Drive, that made wood stoves for home heating. These had become especially popular when fuel oil had gotten so expensive during the second fuel crisis of the late 1970s. Vic was approached by a salesman, but knowing he couldn’t afford a Buck stove, he waved the salesman off and went back home.
A day later, he was on the roof doing some repairs when he heard the Buck Stoves salesman from the day before down on the ground shouting at him. This man had decided to gift several Buck Stoves to Overlook Ministries. They had manufactured a larger model for a customer that had never picked it up. This stove, along with 6 others were installed in the castle and provided warmth for the small congregation of church goers.
Original Ad for Buck Stoves at Seely Castle in Appaloosa Magazine
Many people came and went during the day at Overlook, who were fed by Pat and her crock pot stews and soups. She was kept constantly busy writing the church newsletter, dusting and cleaning the castle, as well as taking care of her growing family. Pat gave birth to two children in the castle as well. There were generally 2-3 church services on Sunday, as well as meetings held at the castle during the week.
Overlook Christian Ministries Newsletter
In addition to his ministry work, Vic also did many things to preserve the history of the home. Overlook was a stop on the annual Asheville Garden tour, as well as home to the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County’s 1983 harvest ball, the culmination of their heritage week celebration. At this celebration, AB-Tech created a giant model of Overlook in cake form, for the guests of the Harvest Ball. That particular year, the Harvest Ball had a renaissance theme.
Vic nominated Overlook for the National Register of Historic Places, where it was eventually listed. Vic had dreamed of eventually turning Overlook into a Christian retreat center. During his ownership, Vic wrote a self-published autobiography and chronicle of his journey to found the ministries called “Overlook : A Castle In The Kingdom,” which gave background on his life and acquisition of the castle.
Victor Cassizzi’s Self-Published Autobiography about his faith journey and acquisition of the castle
After 7 years of struggle, Overlook Ministries was bankrupt. The ministry and the upkeep of Overlook had taken a toll on the foundations of their ministry and the Cassizzi’s marriage. Overlook went on the market in the summer of 1983 and was sold to Keela and Loren Wells in December of the same year. Loren Wells, a Hendersonville native had made a fortune in the textile business selling polyester women’s comfort clothing through his company, Bon Worth. Wells purchased Overlook for $275,000, which would be the highest sales price achieved by Overlook in its history.
Although the purchase is often attributed to Loren, it was Keela who had a passion and strong immediate connection to the castle. Her connection and love for the castle started many years before their purchase. When she was in high school, she had a boyfriend who wanted to impress her with a visit to the castle. He took her racing up Town Mountain road in his Corvette convertible, which was a rite of passage for many teenagers who believed the castle was haunted or something to do on a dare. She was immediately struck by the beauty of the castle, which took her breath away. She never forgot the sight of it coming into view from the passenger seat of the Corvette.
Keela always had a love for history and antiques, which led her to one of her favorite antique dealers in Hendersonville regularly. Robert Bunn, an antiques dealer in Hendersonville had sold her a desk that had once furnished Overlook and was said to have been owned by Thomas Edison, which was given to Fred Seely as a gift. While shopping, Bunn mentioned that the current owner was trying to remove a set of ornate stained-glass windows from the home and sell them to him. This was Vic Cassizzi, who was attempting to remove architectural features from Overlook for extra money as he was preparing to sell the home, following the dissolution of Overlook Ministries. Luckily, he was stopped by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County and the windows remain in the home to this day. Keela’s mother then saw an advertisement in the paper for the Renaissance ball that the Preservation Society was holding at the castle for their annual Harvest Ball and encouraged her to attend.
After learning Overlook had come up for sale, Keela urged her husband Loren to accompany her on a visit to the castle. Loren reluctantly agreed and they drove up to Overlook, where they found that the gates were wide open. They proceeded cautiously, to find that no one was home and parked close to the entrance gate. Keely burst from the car and immediately started to make her way to the front of the home. Loren called out to her “Come back before you get shot!” but she ignored him and kept going. Loren, a strict follower of rules, did not want to get in trouble for trespassing. She was eventually able to coax him out of the car to ascend the driveway towards the house.
Loren and Keela fell in love with Overlook immediately and decided to purchase it. Agreeing on a price and generally dealing with Cassizzi was difficult, as he was somewhat unruly. Real estate agent Steven Bowman of Beverly-Hanks helped them broker the deal for Overlook. Loren, a highly motivated individual, began assessing what restoration work would need to be done as soon as they had purchased the castle. Overlook Christian Ministries had left the home and grounds in poor condition after moving out. Keela and Loren hired an army of workmen to begin repairs on the home. They lived in the home amid the restoration work, resting in sleeping bags and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches off the floor. It took over a year to get much of the house back in livable condition.
In their quest to restore Overlook as accurately as possible, Loren and Keela began tracking down some of the storied fixtures that had gone missing through multiple owners. Loren tracked down Alfred Owings in Memphis, Tennessee, to purchase the Frank Arthur hand carved spruce door removed when W.O.B. Inc. sold the castle to Jerry Sternberg. Owings was not willing to sell the door, which is still attached to his house today. The Wells then began searching for the ornate Roycroft Chandeliers.
The Roycroft Chandeliers were stored for decades in the wool dying and processing building referred to as the “Dye House” on the campus of Biltmore Industries. After World War II, the industries struggled to sustain a profit and stopped weaving by 1952 and declaring bankruptcy in 1953. Days away from being turned into a waste rag processing facility, saving grace was offered by Asheville native and businessman, Harry Blomberg.
Harry Blomberg at Biltmore Industries – Photo courtesy of UNCA Special Collections and University Archives
Blomberg, a local automotive dealer, owned Harry’s Cadillac and Pontiac. He saw an ad in the paper advertising the sale of equipment and antiques at Biltmore Industries. Harry had been an honorary pallbearer at Fred Seely’s funeral and valued his historical contributions to the city. When he entered one of the buildings at Biltmore Industries seeking a table for his home at Lake Lure, he was approached by Fred Seely’s business partner, Alec Govern. Harry noticed a moonshine still in the corner of the building and asked Govern about purchasing it. Govern mentioned that the still had been seized by Seely when he served as a deputy sheriff in the early teens and that it was government property. If Blomberg wanted the moonshine still, he would need to buy the property.
Within several hours, Harry Blomberg and Alec Govern settled on a price of $50,000 for everything on the property of Biltmore Industries. After purchasing Biltmore Industries, Blomberg scaled down the weaving enterprise, rehired the many displaced workers and redeveloped it into more of a living museum. Harry’s marketing acumen and energy helped reinvigorate the Industries on a much more manageable scale. After consolidating much of the equipment into other buildings, the former weaving building became vacant. Harry transformed this building into the Estes-Winn Antique car museum, which has housed his personal car collection since 1966.
After locating the chandeliers at Biltmore Industries, Loren Wells approached Blomberg’s right-hand man and son-in-law, Buddy Patton about acquiring them. Patton, who had become involved in managing Harry’s dealer and now Biltmore Industries mentioned that he and Harry felt it would be fair to receive a storage fee for housing the chandeliers for many years. Wells and Patton argued over the price, ultimately reaching no-deal. After Wells left, Buddy Patton and Harry Blomberg removed the chandeliers from storage and hung them in the North Carolina Homespun Museum in the former woodworking shop (now Eldr restaurant) and later moved them into the Estes-Winn Antique car museum in the late 1980s, where they remain today.
The original Roycroft chandeliers hanging in the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum in Grovewood Village
Back at the castle, one of the biggest areas that needed attention was the flat roof, which had been leaking for years. Asheville-Biltmore College had the roof refurbished during their ownership, but had to do the work piecemeal, rather than all at once due to budgetary restraint. It was leaking by the time Jerry Sternberg moved in and continued to be patched while Overlook Ministries was there. Loren hired a construction crew working at the Grove Park Inn, who were adding the Vanderbilt wing to entirely replace the roof at a cost of $150,000.
Sadly, the water that leaked in from the roof had damaged much of the ornate plaster work inside of the house. The Wells hired Brown’s Pottery of Arden to cast what remained of the original plaster ceiling in the library, which contained family crests of both maternal and paternal sides of Fred Seely’s family. They were able to restore the ceiling with these molds and furnished much of the house with period antiques they had collected. To be as accurate as possible during their restoration, period wallpaper was recreated and installed. When Keela and Loren moved in, many items remained from Asheville-Biltmore College, including signage and blackboards in each bedroom. Seeking the best work that could be done, Keela consulted restoration experts from the Biltmore Estate’s conservation department to help procure period finishes, as well as recreating stencils and period correct construction techniques.
The Wells even explored the option of completing Fred Seely’s unfinished fourth floor observatory, which remains looking like an old ruin to this day. When the stone masons reached the top of the roof, it was realized that the work to do this would be extremely cost prohibitive and they decided to forgo this addition. The view from this part of the castle is especially spectacular.
The renovation was difficult, as many teenagers would come up to the house and try to break in as a rite of passage, defacing different parts of the property. Early in their inhabitation of the house, an intruder shot one of their dogs through the fence. In another instance, two teenage boys broke into the property and climbed up to the roof of the castle with a rope that had a board tied to the end of it, that could be hooked into the crenelated detail of the roof for them to scale the exterior walls. When they reached the roof, they were discovered peeping in the windows. The noise of their footsteps woke Loren, who then called the police.
Photo by Tim Burchfield, Line of Sight Technologies post hurricane Helene tree damage
Photo by author
Despite these trials and tribulations, the love for the history and heritage of this special home endured. Keela, who is a lover of nature and animals cultivated much of the natural foliage on the property. The fish in the pond located in the front driveway are said to have come from generations of fish that Mr. Seely brought in. Some of Mrs. Seely’s exotic rosebushes planted during her life at the castle still survive as well. Keela knows the history of the home well and has tried to track down original antique pieces from the castle, including a pair of wrought iron andirons for the fireplace.
The castle still retains many original fixtures, including Roycroft light fixtures all through the hallways to the bedrooms. There is even an original circuit board, that displays calls for servants. Much of the original boiler equipment and radiators also remain in the home.
The Wells family have used this as a primary residence and even raised their daughter in the home. She also shares a great passion for the history of the house and plans to keep the history going whenever it is her turn to take the helm of this house. All the Wells family are North Carolina natives who grew up in Hendersonville and truly appreciate the history of this house.
At the time of this writing, the property sustained much damage from hurricane Helene's strong winds. These winds damaged many of the historic trees, but the buildings fared well with no exterior or interior damage. Many trees were lost, as well as some of the native plants added by the Seely’s. Because of the damage to the surrounding mountainside, many displaced animals have been spotted on the property, including a large family of bears.
Photo by Tim Burchfield of Line of Sight Technologies
Seely Castle leaves behind a legacy of a life well lived by Fred Seely. It is a monument to innovation and craftsmanship in Asheville. Compared with other homes in Asheville, its only rival for prominence may be the Biltmore Estate. Through a chain of varied owners and changing times, it is still as striking 110 years later.
Overlook today is still a private residence, owned and used regularly by the Wells family. It is not open to the public. Overlook is secured and police will be called for anyone trespassing or loitering by the front gate. Please be respectful as a fellow human being and history lover.
A special thanks to Ashley McGhee Whittle, lead archivist at the UNC Asheville Special Collections and University Archives, all of the staff at Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Library, Sarah Downing at the Western Regional Archives of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Bruce Johnson, David Kornacki, Historic Grovewood Village, George Lentz, Elizabeth Brauneis of the Asheville Art Museum, Ralph Sexton and especially Keela Wells for their help on this article.
Sources:
Books:
-Johnson, Bruce
Built For the Ages: A History of the Grove Park Inn
2018 Revised Addition, Omni Grove Park Inn
-Johnson, Bruce
Tales of the Grove Park Inn
Knock On Wood Publications
2014
-Johnson, Bruce
Built Without an Architect: Architectural Inspirations for the Grove Park Inn – p. 214-227
Article in May We all Remember Well Vol. by Robert S. Brunk
Robert S. Brunk Auction Services Inc.
1997
-Highsmith, William Edward
The University of North Carolina at Asheville: The first Sixty Years
The University of North Carolina at Asheville
1991
-Via, Marie
Searl, Marjorie B.
Head, Heart and Hand: Elbert Hubbard and the Roycrofters
University of Rochester Press
1994
-Johnson, Bruce
Biltmore Industries Tryon Toy-Makers
The Lives and Works of Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale
Knock on Wood Publications
2023
-Cassizzi, Victor
Overlook: A Castle In The Kingdom
A Story of the Miraculous Power of the Holy Spirit at Work Today
Self Published by Vic Cassizzi
1981
Newspaper Articles:
Asheville Citizen-Times. (June 24, 1911). Removal of overlook park line - Seely/Grove. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-removal-of-overl/157234094/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (September 3, 1911). Grove/Seely Overlook park - Seely living in Casino. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-groveseely-over/157186336/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (October 31, 1912). Roycroft-Grove Park furniture. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-roycroft-grove-p/157185501/
News and Record. (December 6, 1912). White Furniture Company - Grove Park Inn, Mebane NC. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-white-furniture-company/157185030/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (January 17, 1913). Fred L. Seely Will Build Modern Home. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-fred-l-seely-wi/155393968/
The Asheville Times. (February 3, 1913). Victor Toothaker Roycroft AVL. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-victor-toothaker-roy/158059461/
The Virginian-Pilot. (April 26, 1913). Fred Seely - Zoo on Sunset Mountain. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-virginian-pilot-fred-seely-zoo-on/156035866/
The Charlotte Observer. (May 24, 1914). Seely's Stone Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-seelys-stone-cas/155220925/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (April 11, 1916). Fred Seely - Skunk Farm seely castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-fred-seely-sku/156035669/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (November 21, 1916). Fred Seely Moves to Overlook. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-fred-seely-moves/154700545/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (April 11, 1917). Sale of Biltmore Industries - Fred Seely. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-sale-of-biltmore/142676484/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (April 14, 1917). Biltmore Industries Advertisement - FL Seely. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-biltmore-industr/53235918/
The Asheville Times. (December 30, 1925). E.W. Grove Sued by Son-in-law Fred seely. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-ew-grove-sued-by-s/148424970/
The Asheville Times. (January 28, 1927). EW Grove Obituary and Growth in Asheville, Fred Seely. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-ew-grove-obituary-an/156036399/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (February 6, 1927). Fred Seely Deer Park - Seely Castle . Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-fred-seely-deer/156036595/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (November 27, 1927). The Artisan's Shop, George Arthur. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-the-artisans-sh/58248025/
The Asheville Times. (August 8, 1927). Obituary for G.W. McKibbin. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-obituary-for-gw-mc/155394038/
The Asheville Times. (March 9, 1928). Berger acquisition of Sunset Mountain. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-berger-acquisition-o/157434208/
The Asheville Times. (June 11, 1928). Seely fawns given to Asheville Zoo. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-seely-fawns-given-to/156038744/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (December 29, 1929). Fred Seely Deer Transfer to Yancey County - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-fred-seely-deer/156036521/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (March 2, 1930). Frank Arthur - Carved door at Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-frank-arthur-c/155224067/
The Asheville Times. (June 16, 1930). Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-seely-castle/151909921/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (May 24, 1935). Garden tour - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-garden-tour-se/155223872/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (June 4, 1939). Herbert Hoover visits Seely Castle 1939. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-herbert-hoover-v/156037455/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (November 8, 1939). Town mountain road seely castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-town-mountain-ro/155224391/
The Charlotte Observer. (September 6, 1940). Evelyn Seely takes ownership of Battery Park Hotel. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-evelyn-seely-take/156037548/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (March 15, 1942). Seely Highlights. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seely-highlights/87542735/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (February 6, 1949). Seely's Castle/Asheville Biltmore College. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seelys-castlea/84894187/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (June 5, 1949). Seely Castle - Asheville Biltmore College. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seely-castle-a/158363148/
The Asheville Times. (September 8, 1949). Transfer of Overlook to Asheville-Biltmore College; per Evelyn Grove Seely; complete.. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-transfer-of-overlook/158363512/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (February 24, 1952). Asheville-Biltmore College, Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-asheville-biltmo/154699308/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (November 16, 1952). Science Building, Asheville-Biltmore College Seely Castle . Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-science-building/155223511/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (November 15, 1953). Asheville Biltmore College - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-asheville-biltmo/158363347/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (January 5, 1958). Six Associates design for Asheville-Biltmore College. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-six-associates-d/158362928/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (March 15, 1959). 1959 Castles of Asheville Including Zealandia and Seeley's Castle Mar 15 1959. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-1959-castles-of/155222191/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (February 5, 1961). Seely Castle . Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seely-castle/155221705/
The Asheville Times. (September 18, 1961). Obituary for C H Howington - Seely Castle Caretaker. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-obituary-for-c-h-how/155612432/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (January 15, 1964). Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seely-castle/84894504/
The Asheville Times. (May 3, 1966). Sternberg/Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-sternbergseely-cast/151910074/
The Asheville Times. (May 5, 1966). Seely Castle Zoning proposal turned down. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-seely-castle-zoning/155222908/
The Asheville Times. (August 4, 1966). Seely Castle/Sunset Mountain. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-seely-castlesunset/155222317/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (August 4, 1966). Tiara Apartments - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-tiara-apartments/155074997/
The Asheville Times. (February 2, 1978). Overlook Ministries - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-overlook-ministries/153103240/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (April 30, 1978). PSABC Heritage Week/Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-psabc-heritage-w/155222724/
The Asheville Times. (May 10, 1980). Overlook ministry - Seely Castle. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-overlook-ministry/153102451/
Asheville Citizen-Times. (May 10, 1983). Seely Castle Cake PSABC heritage ball. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-seely-castle-cak/155223167/
The Asheville Times. (March 1, 1984). Seely Castle Asheville/Restorations of buildings. Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times-seely-castle-ashevil/155222641/
Websites:
“Overlook”-Fred Seely’s Stone Castle: Forde Abbey Transposed on Overlook Mountain | The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County (psabc.org)
Town of Sunset Park; Proximity Park; Prairie-Style; and Soda Pop! | The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County (psabc.org)
Richard Sharp Smith & The “Biltmore-style” | The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County (psabc.org)
Videos:
Interviews:
-Conversation with Jerry Sternberg, September 10, 2024
-Conversation with David Kornacki, October 29, 2024
-Conversation with Keela Wells, November 18, 2024
-Conversations with Fred Seely III
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