24 Kimberly Avenue, Kells Castle – Courtesy Tim Burchfield, Line of Sight Technology For a more reader friendly experience, download a PDF of this article here: Architect Douglas Ellington was simultaneously a figure of design excellence and a casualty of the vigorous pace of development in Asheville during the 1920s. A native of Clayton, North Carolina, Ellington open his first architectural office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after accepting a teaching position at the Drexel Institute. He...

The Motor Mile Car show brought Asheville locals together to celebrate Asheville's Early Auto History on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Photo by Cami Calnan On Saturday, May 30, downtown Asheville’s South Slope neighborhood brought history back to life with the Motor Mile Car Show on Coxe Avenue. Coxe Avenue, originally home to Asheville’s first “Motor Mile” or zoned automobile district was THE place to buy a new or used car back in the day. In addition to car sales, the side streets of Buxton and...

Image courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Library Asheville NC, A156-8M. Buncombe County Court House (left) designed by Milburn & Heister of Washington, D.C. and Durham, N.C. Asheville City Hall (right) designed by Douglas Ellington of Pittsburgh, PA and Asheville, NC. The story of Asheville's City Hall and County Court House design is one that has become part of local legend for decades. While on school field trips, I always heard tell that the county commissioners during...