Look Homeward, Landmark!
Tucked into the heart of downtown Asheville at 48 Spruce Street stands a house that might look ordinary at first glance with its gabled roof, wraparound porch, two stories of clapboard siding, and Victorian charm. But this structure, affectionately known as “The Old Kentucky Home,” is far more than a relic of an older Asheville. In 1972, it was designated a National Historic Landmark- not just because it once housed literary great Thomas Wolfe, but because it is an exceptional example of early 20th-century boarding house architecture and an incredible case study in historic preservation.
Initially constructed in 1883 and purchased by Julia Wolfe in 1906, the house reflects the kind of turn-of-the-century domestic architecture that defined Southern urban life. Originally built as a seven-room, private family home, by the early 1890s the house transformed into an 18-room boardinghouse. At the time of Julia’s purchase, the established business was an ideal size for accommodating guests of Asheville’s booming tourism industry. In 1916, it expanded further under Julia’s watchful eye with additional rooms built onto the south and northwest corners, and a new sun parlor off the main porch. With 29 total rooms, remarkably, no significant structural changes have been made to the building since then.
This preservation of form and function made the Thomas Wolfe Memorial a strong candidate for National Historic Landmark status. According to the National Park Service’s 1971 nomination form, the home “retains its integrity to an unusual degree,” a rare and valuable trait when many historic buildings are lost to time, neglect, or modernization. (NRH Nomination Form, pg.15)
Let’s talk architecture. The house is a fine example of vernacular Victorian design, characterized by its two-story frame construction, gabled roof, and ornamental yet practical wraparound porch. The principal façade includes three bays, with a bay window that adds just enough flair without overwhelming the simple elegance of the structure. Clapboard siding, sash windows, and decorative brackets on the porch columns give it the warm, welcoming look of a well-loved home and business rolled into one.
But what truly sets “The Old Kentucky Home” apart is not just its preserved design, but how well the interior has been conserved to reflect its use as a boardinghouse in the early 1900s. In 1949, the home began operating as a museum under the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association, with Wolfe’s surviving family members helping ensure that many of the original furnishings remained. Today, walking through the Thomas Wolfe Memorial is less like visiting a traditional historic house and more like stepping into a time capsule. From wall and trim paint colors to parlor chairs, each room captures the layered domesticity of a bustling house where private family life once mixed with commercial hospitality.
In the decades following its acquisition by the city, the Memorial has been lovingly maintained. While some museums modernize to the point of abstraction, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial has taken a more thoughtful approach. The goal was never to over-interpret or rebuild history, but to let the space speak for itself. The result? A site that reflects not just the life of a famous author, but the material culture and architectural sensibility of early 20th-century Asheville.
Its designation as a National Historic Landmark helped ensure that protection. Under the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, NHL status safeguards against inappropriate alterations or federal undertakings that could compromise the site’s character. More importantly, it cements the home’s role as a site of national significance- not just literary, but architectural and cultural as well.
Preserving a boardinghouse might not seem glamorous, but we would argue that it is essential. Boardinghouses like ours once dotted the American landscape, offering folks more than just shelter, but also recreation, community, and in many cases, food and a home-like atmosphere. Few survive in such an intact condition. Fewer still are honored at a national level. In this case, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial stands as a symbol that not only commemorates a famous writer, but also a snapshot of time in a rapidly changing Southern city at the turn of the century.
As you stroll through downtown Asheville, past trendy cafés, boutique shops, and galleries, take a moment to look homeward, to the quiet yellow house with its sunlit porch and carefully preserved past. Thanks to the efforts of historians, preservationists, and a community that seeks to support and remember its stories and people, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial endures not just as a literary landmark but as a triumph of American preservation.
Sources:
National Park Service. “ ‘The Thomas Wolfe Memorial.’” National Register of Historic Places Inventory — Nomination Form, 1971.
Spiller, Robert E., et al. Literary History of the United States. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1960.
Walser, Richard G., Thomas Wolfe: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961.
Mcalester, Virginia. A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.
