Grove Park Sunset Mountain Walking Tour - ⬇ Scroll Down ⬇

The entirety of our neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and has four sections: Grove Park, Proximity Park, Sunset Terrace and the Kimberly Amendment. The core of the Grove Park Sunset Mountain neighborhood was designed and developed by St. Louis entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove along with Chauncey Beadle, landscaper and superintendent of the Biltmore Estate. A superb example of early 20th century planned development, the homes and important architectural landmarks remain remarkably intact today. Unlike many early 20th century suburbs, Grove Park was thoughtfully designed and retains today picturesque homes, curved streets and a mature tree canopy. Asheville grew five-fold between 1900 and 1920 and early visionaries designed one of the first “planned” communities that remains largely intact more than 100 years later.

Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect at the Biltmore Estate, lived for many years in Asheville and influenced much of our neighborhood’s distinctive architectural style, English Derived Craftsman, which was inspired by both the American and English Arts and Crafts Movement. Throughout this walking tour, you’ll see many architectural styles. Determining architectural style can be tricky as many homes have elements of many styles, so here are some key features to help you spot some of the most common of those styles in the Grove Park neighborhood:

• American/ English Craftsman: Often called “bungalow”, this style moved away from ornate Victorian styles with simpler forms, use of natural materials, more open layouts. Very popular thanks to widely available patterns and “kit” homes, this architectural style can be found throughout the U.S. and homes of this style remain very desirable today.

• Colonial Revival: One of the most classic architectural styles which gained popularity during the 1876 U.S. Centennial celebrations and again between 1910 – 1930. Homes are symmetrical and incorporate classical Greek/Roman style columns, pilasters and early American details such as shutters and corner quoins (masonry blocks at the corner of a wall).

• Period Cottage: Cottage-style homes originated in England where farmers or “cotters” lived in this charming style of home. Homes feature stone or brick exteriors, rolled roof edges, decorative half-timbering and arched entryways. Also often called “Tudor Revival”, this style has A+++ curb-appeal!

• Mid-Century Modern: This clean minimalist aesthetic with an emphasis on bringing the outdoors in through an abundance of windows is very popular today. “MCM” homes have few decorative embellishments.

• Traditional Ranch: Q: Why do we love ranches? A: Simple floor plans and lines, attached garages and other features friendly to today’s lifestyles. Ranches and their split-level cousins are highly desirable as their designs are easy to upgrade with ground level additions and/or even 2nd stories.

• “The Hybrid”: While this isn’t an official architectural style, you’ll see many homes that incorporate elements of all of the above plus additional styles not listed here!

This tour has two easy-to-follow routes that will take you through the core part of our neighborhood. You may start this self-directed tour with either the Orange Route or the Blue Route as noted on the tour map; please use care while walking and use all sidewalks and crosswalks. If you only wish to do the Blue Route, start at point 6.