Cabins & Castles: The History & Architecture of Buncombe County, North Carolina

Cabins & Castles was first completed in 1981, a joint effort of the Historic Resources Commission and the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. The book became enormously popular with natives, tourists, historians, and preservationists as a primary source of knowledge about the richly historic Buncombe County. Cabins & Castles contains a historical overview, as well as the specific record of individual properties built in the area, primarily those constructed prior to 1930. Historical sketches of Buncombe County and Asheville written by John Ager and Talmage Powell are followed by editor Douglas Swaim's essay on local architectural history. Rapid development in the urban and rural areas of Buncombe County makes this record timely and valuable.