The Toxaway Inn was Demolished in 1947

Toxaway Inn in its heyday.

Last week Picturing the Past looked back at Transylvania County in 1912, 1927, and 1937.  This week the journey to yesterday’s news by decade continues with events of 1947, 1957, and 1967.

The once luxurious Toxaway Inn sat empty as Transylvania’s “ghost resort” until being demolished in 1947.  Prior to being torn down all usable material was sold.  Locals, antique dealers, and scrap dealers purchased items from hand-painted china to hardwood flooring.  Items up for sale included electrical wiring, plumbing fixtures, bathtubs, windows, furniture, mirrors, and more.

The Tinsley Building on West Main was built in the early 1920s.

The first drive-in bank arrived in Brevard in 1957.  Transylvania Trust located on the corner of Main and Caldwell streets purchased the Tinsley Building next door and tore it down in order to offer customers this “modern and convenient” service.  In June a merger of Transylvania Trust with banks in Asheville, Hendersonville, and Waynesville created First National Bank and Trust Company.

Construction of Jones Library at Brevard College.

In May 1967 Brevard College opened its new James Addison Jones Library.  The facility had room for three times the number of books as the old library.  It also had seminar rooms, typing rooms, group study rooms and a faculty research area.  Jones operated a large Charlotte based construction company.  He was a strong supporter of Brevard College and built its first library in 1948. 

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Tannery, Camp Opened in Early 1900s

A look back at the headlines of yesteryear offers a glimpses at what was occurring in Transylvania County 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 years ago.  This week Picturing the Past will focus on one news story from each of the years of 1917, 1927, and 1937.

Transylvania Tanning guilt in 1917.

In 1917 Joseph Silversteen opened Transylvania Tanning in Brevard.  The population of Brevard was expected to nearly double due to the demand for skilled labor in operating the plant.  Up to 150 men were employed just to construct the complex of buildings.  The main building was a 2-story structure measuring 750 x 70 feet.  It could house seven hundred 4,000 gallon vats on the main floor.  It was noted that there was a need for additional housing for the workforce at Silversteen’s industries in both Brevard and Rosman.

Stone fireplace in the original lodge at Eagle's Nest Camp.

1927 saw the addition of another summer camp in Transylvania County.  Eagles Nest Camp for Girls relocated to Brevard after five years in Waynesville.  The camp was owned and operated by Miss Carol Oppenheimer.  Located on 40 acres bordering the Little River, the camp included a swimming lake, clay tennis courts, and hiking and riding trails. R.H. Morrow supervised construction.  Buildings included a recreation hall and a dining hall surrounded by cabins within the natural setting.  Eagles Nest Camp accepted girls from 5 to 15 years-old.  The camp filled a need for younger campers and those who were less physically active.

The NYA building beside Brevard was constructed of logs.

In 1937 the National Youth Administration, part of Roosevelt’s New Deal focusing on work and education for 16 to 25 year olds, constructed a training and recreational building on school property on Broad St. in Brevard.  The cross shaped building was 60 feet long one direction and 70 feet long the other and was a total of 2600 square feet.  It included an auditorium, a shop for boys, and a home economics room for girls.  From the beginning the plan was to turn the building over to the school system when the NYA was discontinued.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

X-ray Machines Used to Help Fit Shoes

Plummer's Department Store x-ray shoe fitter.

The x-ray shoe fitter was a fluoroscope machine used to aid in the fitting of shoes.  Three different individuals, all from Milwaukee, claimed to have invented the machine in the early 1920s.  The X-Ray Shoe Fitter Corporation of Milwaukee was one of the two largest shoe-fitting fluoroscope manufacturers in the world.

To use the x-ray shoe fitter the customer would stand on a step at the base of the machine with their feet in two openings.  They could view the bones of their feet inside their shoes by looking into a viewing porthole. Shoe stores advertised the x-ray shoe fitter as a method of getting the best fit and therefore, the longest lasting shoes.  Although it did not actually help in properly fitting shoes it was popular with kids. 

By the late 1940s studies began warning of the long-term effect of radiation.  The amount of radiation varied greatly among the machines.  Most customers tried on several pairs of shoes before selecting a pair adding to the amount of exposure.  Children, who are more sensitive to radiation, particularly enjoyed viewing their feet even if they were not buying shoes.  Salesmen were also at a high risk from frequent exposure as the machines leaked a great amount of radiation.

Additional viewing portholes allowed the salesman and a parent
to also view the fit of a child's shoes.

In the early 1950s Plummer’s Department Store in downtown Brevard had such a machine.  Locals who were children at the time tell of the fun they had viewing the green images of their wiggling toes inside their shoes.  It provided entertainment for restless youngster while their mother’s shopped.

As the dangers of radiation exposure grew and regulations increased x-ray shoe fitters disappeared from shoe stores.  The fluorscope machine from Plummer’s Department Store is now part of the Transylvania Heritage museum collection.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.

Whitmires Developed Area Near Railroad

Many of the Whitmire St. homes had low rock walls at the front of the lot.

Whitmire Street was laid out by W.P. and J.C. Whitmire through their property on the north side of Brevard in 1894.  With the arrival of the railroad in Transylvania County and the Brevard Depot being constructed the road benefited the town by providing additional access in that area.  The Whitmires sold lots on both sides of the street from Caldwell Street, which was the main route into Brevard from the north, to Railroad Avenue.   Moderate size homes, mostly built in the early 1900s, lined the street.  They included small cottages, one-and-one-half story bungalows, and a couple of larger late-Victorian homes.

A 1907 Sylvan Valley News editorial written by J.C. Whitmire states that the street was nicknamed “Maple Street”, presumably because there were numerous maples along it.  He added that once the town acquired the title to the street they could name it whatever they choose, however there was already one Maple Street in Brevard.  Whitmire did not believe the name of Maple would stick.  Time has proven him correct as the street is known as Whitmire today.

This Victorian on Whitmire has recently been renovated.

Flanked on the east end by the large home of Major William Breese and Brevard Lumber on the west end Whitmire St. was convenient to town but offered large backyards for gardens.   From 1945-1965 the Wesleyan Church was located on the south side of Whitmire St. just west of this group of homes.  Continuing west on Whitmire beyond the depot was Pisgah Cotton Mill and additional small homes for mill workers.

By 1990 the steeple had been removed and the former
Brevard Wesleyan Church was boarded up

Today the Breese house, the depot, and Pisgah Cotton Mill all are gone. Brevard Lumber has been transferred into an arts district.  Several of the smaller houses on Whitmire St. have also been torn down, while others have been renovated helping to revitalize the area.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.

Artist, Writer spent Summers Near Brevard

Some of Verner's pencil sketches were made into postcards depicting
mid-20th century Charleston from its streets.

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner was a well-known artist and writer, as well as a popular lecturer.  She was awarded honorary degrees "for her artistic and literary achievements that have enriched the cultural heritage" by both the University of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina. 

Born Elizabeth O'Neill in Charleston, South Carolina in 1883 she studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.  In 1907 she married Pettigrew Verner.  The Verner family had a strong connection to Transylvania County.  They had purchased property south of Brevard in 1890 where the family spent much of each summer. 

As a wife and mother of two children her art work consisted mainly of oil painting.  After learning etching in 1922 she began producing more works.  When Pettigrew Verner died in 1925 she became a professional artist and created a large body of etchings.  Later she made drypoint plates and worked with pastels.

Verner was also an accomplished writer.  Her first book, "Prints and Impressions of Charleston" published in 1939 featured etchings from 1925 through the 1930s.  This volume, as well as Mrs. Verner's other two books are in the North Carolina reference collection at the Transylvania County Library.  "Mellowed by Time" explores life in Charleston and includes 16 pencil sketches.  "Other Places" includes drawings and prints from after World War II and an autobiographical essay showing Verner's travels and life beyond the Carolinas.

As her career grew, Verner, her children, and later grandchildren would continue to spend several months each summer at their mountain home.  This, she claimed, "is the only place I can rest."  She spend many hours designing and working on the property's landscaping.  Verner's descendants still maintain the family's mountain home outside of Brevard.

Verner's talents were in great demand for commissions as well.  Her artwork has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston Art Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and many other institutions.  In addition, Elizabeth Verner was a leading force and founding member of the Preservation Society of Charleston.  Elizabeth Verner died on April 17, 1979 in Charleston.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.