West Side Historic District – 5th Avenue West Walking or Driving Tour

Fifth Avenue was the main route going this direction before 64. There were a lot of Inns and Hotels.

Elizabeth Leigh Inn, originally built in 1893, is at 908 5th Ave West.
Melange Bed & Breakfast  is at 1230 5th Ave West. It was built in 1919.
Melange Bed & Breakfast is an Erle Stillwell house. He is a famous Hendersonville architect.

These are the contributing houses as you walk or drive along Fifth Avenue West. I’ve highlighted the ones not to miss.

• 426 Fifth Avenue West Collins House, ca. 1920
  One-and-one-half-story plus basement bungalow with a side gable roof, wide eaves
  William S. Collins was a painter.
• 430 Fifth Avenue West Kalin House ca. 1920
  One-and-one-half-story-plus-basement bungalow with a side gable roof, knee braces, and a shed roof dormer. Unusual four-light-over-two windows on porch.
  Kalin was president-manager of Kalin’s Boston Store on Main Street
• 508 Fifth Avenue West Elizabeth Bryant House ca. 1920
  One-and-one-half-story. Front gable roof with multi-light awning windows in gable end. Front porch with paired posts and shallow arch covering over central stairs. Exterior end and central chimneys. Four-over-four windows and multi-light double-leaf door with transom.
• 514 Fifth Avenue West Richard C. Clarke House ca. 1920
  Two-story Colonial Revival house with a hip roof, wide eaves, exposed rafter ends, an eyebrow dormer at front, and shed roof dormers on sides and rear.
  Richard C. Clarke was a developer. He only lived in this house a short time before moving to Druid Hills, near the log cabin. Clarke was busy. He was president of Bank & Trust Company, Hunter’s Pharmacy (where the Dummy Train station was) and Hendersonville Abstract & Title Company.
• 524 Fifth Avenue West Mary J. Green House ca. 1920
  One and one-half-story plus basement bungalow with a steep side gable roof, and a front gable dormer.
• 528 Fifth Avenue West Cordelia Bibee House ca. 1920.
  One-and-one-half-story-plus-basement bungalow with a side gable roof and shed roof dormers.
  Cordelia Bibee, a widow lived here to at least 1951. She rented out rooms.

• 616 Fifth Avenue West Ambassador Apartments ca. 1926.
  Three-story Neo-Classical Revival apartment building with a center hall. Parapet roof with limestone urns, brick facing over tile construction, and brick quoins. Broken pediment at front entry with “Ambassador” inscribed in the limestone. Classical details in limestone surround the door.
  The Ambassador Apartments may have been designed by Erle Stillwell. This was built as apartments, with eighteen units in the building.
• 623-629 Fifth Avenue West Maxwell Apartments ca. 1920.
  This is the Flower Market at 625 and whatever is currently sharing the building. I’ve been upstairs here. It is apartments now. You can see the old bones, but it’s kinda sad now.
  Four-story Neo-Classical Revival apartment building, built in two wings, with a courtyard between. Added onto a two-story Classical Revival brick house at the rear. This may also be a Erle Stillwell design.
  This may be the earliest apartment building in Hendersonville. It was built by Sylvester Maxwell. The front of the building was added in 1927 onto the Dickinson, a boarding house built ca. 1920.
  In the 1930s, this was the Great A & P Company Grocery Store.
• 640 Fifth Avenue West Allan Strickland House ca. 1920.
  One and one-half story Craftsman bungalow with a front gable roof and shed roof dormers. Diamond-pane windows and modern door. Cut stone foundation. Set up on a hill with notable cut granite retaining wall and corner steps. Designed by Erle Stillwell.
• 702 Fifth Avenue West Christian Science Society Bldg. ca. 1950.
  One-story-plus-basement modern building with stone veneer and weatherboard siding. Side gable roof, and an addition on the east side, six-over-six windows and modern doors. Notable stone retaining wall.
• 713 Fifth Avenue West Mark A. Kollack House ca. 1920.
  One-and-one-half-story bungalow with a front gable roof and shallow front gable roof over porch. Wraparound front porch with bungaloid details.
• 723 Fifth Avenue West Raymond C. Staton House 1913.
  One-and-one-half-story bungalow with a side gable roof, knee braces, and a shed roof dormer.
  729 Fifth Avenue West George A. Bessellieu House ca. 1920.
  Two-story Four Square style house with a hip roof and shed roof dormer. Original weatherboard siding. Attached wraparound porch with paired columns on brick piers.
• 735 Fifth Avenue West Mary Penland House ca. 1890.
  Two-story I-house with rear addition. Central hall plan with side gable roof. Original weatherboard siding. Attached front porch with square posts and 2×2 balustrade.
  Mrs. Mary Penland, a widow, lived here from 1937 till at least 1951. She grew herbs for the local hospital.
• 804 Fifth Avenue West William B. Hodges House ca. 1925.
  Two-story Colonial Revival house with one-story wing on west. Hip roof with wide eaves, brick veneer Front door has fanlight and sidelights. Entry stoop pediment supported by round columns and entablature.
• 805 Fifth Avenue West Clifford Chaney House ca. 1920.
  One-story Craftsman bungalow with a central “pop-up” second story. Multi-gable roof with knee braces, and yellow brick veneer walls. Stucco on second story. Wraparound porch with battered posts on brick piers. Large corner lot with notable stone wall.
• 813 Fifth Avenue West Columbus Mills Pace House 1860s
  Two and one-half story, classically-inspired, double-pile, central hall plan house with a side gable roof and front gable dormers. Scrollwork on two-story porch.
  Large lot and landscape with maples, mature boxwoods, hairpin fence, and a stone retaining wall.
  This is the oldest house in the neighborhood. It was a Rooming House in the 20s and then again in the 40s and 50s, when it was called Locust Lodge. More recently it was the Angelique Inn. I am pretty sure it has been closed for a while.
  The house was built by Columbus Mills Pace in the 1860s. Columbus Mills Pace was the first Justice of the Peace in Henderson County. He served as Clerk of Superior Court from 1868 to 1925, and also served as a county commissioner.
  Pace was a partner of W. A. Smith in the early development of Laurel Park.
• 833 Fifth Avenue West John C. Magness House 1950.
  One-story Minimal Traditional house with hip roof and brick veneer walls. Covered entry stoop. Six-over-six windows and original front door with three diagonal lights.
  John C. and Suzanne W. Magness built this house. Magness was a clerk at the post office, which used to be right down the road.
• 834 Fifth Avenue West Harold P. May House ca. 1920.
  One-story-plus-basement bungalow with a hip roof and Flemish bond brick veneer walls. Engaged front porch has battered posts on brick piers, Chinese latticework balustrade, and brickcheekwalls.
  Harold P. and Connie May lived here from 1937 to 1938. May was a mechanic at Chipman LaCrosse Hosiery Mill.
• 839 Fifth Avenue West Edwin H. Dickson House ca. 1920.
  One-story-plus-basement Craftsman bungalow with a hip roof and hip roof dormer. Notable stone foundation wall extends onto porch foundation and piers.
• 903 Fifth Avenue West Frank P. Yarborough House ca. 1920.
  One-story bungalow with a small addition at rear. Multi-gable roof with boxed returns. German siding on rear addition, brick veneer and shingles elsewhere. Wraparound porch has battered posts on stone piers. Cut stone foundation. Six-over-one windows; modern bay window at front. Door is multi-light-over-panel. Notable granite retaining wall at sidewalk level.
• 908 Fifth Avenue West Roberts House ca. 1893.
  Presently Elizabeth Leigh Inn.
  Two-story Colonial Revival house with a central hall plan, hip roof with wide eaves, hip roof dormer with diamond-pane casements. German siding. Wraparound porch with paired columns.
  This is one of the historic houses that was probably built by Charleston families escaping the heat and humidity.
  It later belonged to Charles E. and Verona Rogers, of Rogers Hosiery Mills.
  From 1941 to 1942 it was the Fifth Avenue Guest House.
• 909 Fifth Avenue West Homer H. Pattishall House ca. 1920.
  One-story bungalow with a small one-story wing at the northwest corner. Notable granite block retaining wall at street, probably part of original subdivision layout.
• 913 Fifth Avenue West John O. Covin House ca. 1920.
  One-story bungalow with a cross gable roof, knee braces, and German siding. Attached full-width front porch has battered posts on stone piers. Small side addition. Exterior end stone chimney with beaded mortar. Notable stone wall at sidewalk and stair cheekwalls. Unusual angled trim, battered like porch posts.
  Lawrence H. and Louise Bright lived here from 1943 to 1944. He was a flight instructor at Meyer Flying School.
• 919 Fifth Avenue West Lillian P. DeLong House ca. 1920.
  Two-story Colonial Revival house with hip roof, weatherboard siding, flat-roof entry portico, and addition at northwest corner. Entry portico has square posts on granite piers. Notable dry stack stone retaining wall and planters at street level.
  This was the Summer Home of Mrs. Lillian P. DeLong, of Coral Gables, Florida.
• 923 Fifth Avenue West Walter Fesperman House ca. 1925.
  One-story bungalow with a front gable roof and projecting front gable, attached bungaloid porch at southwest corner.
• 924 Fifth Avenue West J. Alexis Lemort House 1917.
  One-and-one-half-story bungalow with a pyramidal roof and porch which wraps around two sides of the house. Front gable dormers, original weatherboard siding. Porch details include paired square columns on solid balustrade, and stone cheekwalls on entry steps.
• 1011 Fifth Avenue West Jane Hamilton House ca. 1920.
  Two-story I-house which retains its original form and massing.
• 1014 Fifth Avenue West A. Yates Arledge House ca. 1920.
  One-story-plus-basement bungalow with a hip roof and original weatherboard siding. Engaged front porch with paired columns on solid balustrade.
  This was the Summer Home of James S. and Clauriese Mann of Palm Beach, Florida.
• 1103 Fifth Avenue West 1920s
  One-story-plus-basement side gable, L-plan cottage with front gable bay at southwest corner; weatherboard siding. Notable front exterior tapered stone chimney with beaded mortar joints.
• 1105 Fifth Avenue West Bushrod C. Washington House ca. 1925.
  One-story bungalow with a hip roof and exposed rafter ends. Wing at rear. Stucco walls, attached entry stoop with hip roof.
• 1106 Fifth Avenue West Oates House 1922.
  One-story-plus-basement Craftsman bungalow with a cross gable roof, knee braces, and exposed rafter ends. Brick veneer, with stucco in front gable end. Engaged porch with brick piers supporting a “bow tie” arch, stone balustrade and cheek walls, and a beaded board ceiling.
• 1109 Fifth Avenue West Dr. John Parker House ca. 1925.
  One-story bungalow with cross-gable roof and brick veneer walls. Rear wing. Engaged entry stoop. Exterior end and central chimneys. Eight-over-one windows; eight-light-over-panel front door.
  Dr. John Parker, a physician, and wife Adrina lived here part of the year from 1937 to 1938. They were from Greenville, South Carolina.
• 1111 Fifth Avenue West Lillian V. Young House ca. 1950.
  One-story Minimal Traditional house with a front gable roof and shed roof porch to side. Multi-light casement windows.
  Lillian V. Young, a widow, was the first occupant of this house.
• 1112 Fifth Avenue West Raoul G. Mayer House ca. 1950.
  One-story Minimal Traditional house with a side gable roof and an entry stoop. Front exterior brick chimney, and one interior stuccoed chimney.
• 1203 Fifth Avenue West O. B. Witt House ca. 1920.
  One-story bungalow with a hip roof and front gable dormer. Weatherboard siding. Engaged front porch with single and paired posts, no balustrade.
• 1204 Fifth Avenue West Lee Buchanan House ca. 1925.
  Two-story Colonial Revival house with a clipped gable roof and a one-story wing on the west Entry stoop with heavy brackets supporting an arched covering. Six-over-one and multi-light casement windows, and multi-light-over-panel front door.
  Lee Buchanan, an auctioneer, and Canie Ledbetter, a landscape gardener, lived here from 1937 to 1938.
• 1230 Fifth Avenue West Charles A. Hobbs House 1922
  Presently Melange Bed & Breakfast.
  Two and one-half-story Colonial Revival house with a central hall plan, side gable roof with boxed returns, and round-arched dormers. One-story wings on the east and west, both originally porches. Two-story, rear ell and rear porch. Shingle siding. Porches have molded cornices and solid balustrade and are supported by columns and shingled piers. Classical detailing of front doorway with full architrave supported by round columns, and sidelights. Windows are six-over-six, with Palladian windows in gable ends.
  Notable lawn to front of house, with semi-circular drive. Pergola leads from drive to rear garden, also notable, with several flower gardens, a patio, and an open lawn.
  House was designed by Erle Stillwell.
• 1235 Fifth Avenue West Jason K. Livingston House ca. 1900.
  Two-story Neo-Classical Revival house with a flat-roof monumental portico and Classical detailing. One-story porte cochere on the west, one-story sunroom wing on the east, and several one-story wings at rear. Low hip roof with dormers, stucco walls.

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