The Brevard Aircraft Corporation Taking Off

In 1926 the Brevard Aircraft Corporation was created to engage in commercial flying, including aerial photography, surveys, maps, advertising and smoke writing.  They also planned to sell airplanes and operate a first class flying school. 

The corporation was organized by Lt. M.A.C. Johnson, U.S. Air Reserve, Walter Hart and Jerry Jerome.  Officers of the corporation were J.S. Bromfield, president; M.A.C. Johnson, vice-president; and Jerry Jerome, secretary-treasurer. The other directors were Walter Hart, A.H. Kizer, S.M. Macfie and C.S. Osborne.

M.A.C. Johnson in Brevard Aircraft Corporation's Waco Nine plane.
Notice the large camera for taking aerial photographs mounted behind
Johnson.

They purchased a three-passenger Waco Nine for $2740 and built a hangar and airfield near the Davidson River.  On Sunday, March 21, 1926 local residents were given an opportunity to learn about the aircraft and flying first hand.  Several hundred people turned out to watch as others took a short flight themselves. 

A March 16, 1926 special edition of the Asheville Citizen featured aerial photographs of Western North Carolina, including downtown Brevard, Carr Lumber Company in Pisgah Forest and Transylvania Camp for Boys.  Locations in Buncombe, Haywood and Henderson counties were also pictured.

The company contracted to take aerial views of Asheville’s south district water shed and several miles of railroad right of way for mapping purposes.  Aerial photographs were made for real estate development properties through Western North Carolina. 

In addition, Johnson regularly flew businessmen to and from the Asheville vicinity and conducted a general passenger business all over the country as requested.

Johnson had learned to fly during the war in 1917 and 1918.  He served as acrobatic and aerial combat instructor during his final year in the military.  After the war he worked in the air mail service and operated a flying school.  In addition he barnstormed—walking on wings and changing from one plane to another in mid-air.  He was the second pilot ever to fly below the rim of the Grand Canyon. 

In May 1927 Johnson was involved in a mishap when a tire blew out while landing in Greenwood, South Carolina causing the plane to swerve and tip, breaking the propeller.  Although the company was reported to be highly successful and earning good dividends no additional information could be located.

By the early 1930’s Johnson and his wife, the former Mabel Miller of Brevard, were living in Florida where he was a pilot with Eastern Airlines.  According to an October 24, 1938 Life magazine article Capt. Johnson, now living in New Jersey, often took photographs of unusual geographic shapes from his open cockpit window.

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.

Bromfield continued

Last week Picturing the Past featured the businesses of James Bromfield.  Bromfield was born on May 7, 1877 in Kentucky.  He came to Brevard as a young man and by 1906 had established Bromfield Fuel Company.

Bromfield married Marion Plaster of Virginia in 1907.  Mrs. Bromfield’s father was a prominent physician in Loudoun County, Virginia.  Her younger sister, Lucy married Brevard attorney, Robert L. Gash several years later.

Jim Bromfield (on right) with children, George and Sherrill, circa 1911.

A notice in the July 31, 1908 Sylvan Valley News read, “Certain warm hearted sympathizers with J.S. Bromfield Thursday morning performed the ancient and honorable ceremony of burning his hat at the depot.  This solemn rite was observed on the reception of intelligence of a birth in Mr. Bromfield’s family.”  The Bromfield’s daughter, Marion Sherrill was born on July 27, 1908.  A son, George Mason joined the family on February 18, 1910.

In 1909 Bromfield purchased a lot on the corner of Railroad Ave and Poor St. where he built a home for his growing family.  Poor Street, which was named for early Brevard shopkeeper Probart Poor, was renamed with the more appealing name of Probart later the same year.

Marion Bromfield, with children Sherrill and George,
April 1914.

Fifteen years later Bromfield purchased ten acres located between St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and Silvermont from Arthur Boardman.  The Bromfields built a large, one-story stone home with a walk-out basement.  Porches on each end of the home have arched openings and heavy square corner posts.  The north side forms a porte-cochere, while the south side is a sitting porch.

The house sat well back on the property and had a long driveway that is partially Woodside Drive today.  The stone pillars and entrance gate were added at a much later date.  The home and surrounding property was sold in the early 1960s.  The house was used as a nursing home for a short time until Cecil and Elizabeth Hill purchased it in 1964.  Today the Bromfield’s home is a bed-and-breakfast, the Bromfield Inn.

In 1950 Bromfield gifted St. Philip’s Episcopal Church a lot between the church and Old Town/King cemetery for a new rectory for the church.  The Bromfields were long time members of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and are buried at St.-Paul’s-in-the-Valley Cemetery.  James Bromfield died on October 16, 1952 and Mrs. Bromfield died April 13, 1960. 

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.

James Bromfield Served as Businessman and Civic Leader

James Bromfield moved to Brevard in 1906.  He purchased a lot near the depot to establish a coal and wood yard to supply fuel to local customers.  In 1908 he was given permission to extend a rail spur across Whitmire Street to his property allowing for delivery of materials and expansion.

He also purchased additional lots in the area around the depot that he leased to other businesses.  One lot was used to store dogwood for the Fontaine Block Factory where shuttle blocks for textile mills were made. 

Bromfield was involved with numerous other businesses, including building supplies, delivery service, a brick factory, an ice factory and a laundry.  Ice was shipped from Charlotte and distributed by Bromfield until 1912 when he built an ice factory in Brevard.  The town of Brevard provided up to 10,000 gallons of water a day for making ice to meet the demand in communities from Penrose to Lake Toxaway. 

Bromfield’s fuel, ice and laundry business employed 15 people by 1922.  In 1934 Bromfield sold his ice business but continued to operate his wood, coal, laundry and transfer business until 1945.

In 1921 a group of local men organized Citizen’s Telephone Company.  They purchased the former Brevard Telephone Company and expanded it into Pisgah Forest and other areas of the county.  Bromfield was the President and general manager until 1937 when he sold his interest in the company.

In 1922 he built one of the first filling stations in Transylvania County on Caldwell St.  He built additional filling stations in Brevard over the next several years.  Charles Patton leased the station on the corner of S. Broad and Morgan for many years.  The Bromfield family still owned it in 1960 when Mrs. Bromfield died. 

As a businessman and civic leader, Bromfield was a stockholder with the Brevard Building and Loan Association, a member of the Brevard Club and the Transylvania Merchants Association.  The Brevard Club, located on the third floor of the Auditorium, was a gentleman’s club with a lounge, reading room, card and pool rooms and a dining room.  It provided businessman with a place to relax, read newspapers and magazines and meet with friends.  They also promoted Brevard and Transylvania County for businesses and tourism.

James S. Bromfield, pictured at the far left, was an active community leader
in Brevard.  He served as Chief of the Brevard Fire Dept. for about 25 years.
Bromfield resigned as fire chief in 1939.

In 1923 the Chamber of Commerce was created for the purpose of the advancement of the commercial, industrial, agricultural, economic and civic interest of Brevard and Transylvania County.  Bromfield was a founding member of the Chamber of Commerce and the president in 1927-1928.

He had also been the building inspector for town of Brevard, was a member of the Board of Aldermen and served on the Board of Education.  In addition, Bromfield belong to the Knights of Pythias, Dunn’s Rock Masonic Lodge and Woodmen of the World.

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.

History of the Land that Silversteen Built On

In 1888, Thomas and Wait Gash sold 21.3 acres from the estate of their parents, Leander Sams and Margaret Avery Gash, to Mrs. Reba W. Boardman for $1500.  The property was located east of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church which had been constructed a few years earlier.  It extended to present day Wilson Dr. on the south, bordered the road from Brevard to Wilson’s Bridge on the east and present day Maple St. to the west.

The Boardman House.

Mr. Boardman was a prominent engineer from Macon, Georgia.  The Boardmans built a large home that was considered the most attractive home in Brevard.  In 1897, the granite gateposts at the entrance were erected by stonecutter, Charles Kilpatrick.  The Boardmans spent considerable time abroad, wintering in Europe and later living there permanently. 

In 1912 they sold the property.  Newspaper accounts of the sale list R.G. and J.B. Stone as the purchasers of the property for $18,000.  However, the deed is to Fannie P. Stone, younger sister of Richard and Jefferson Stone, for $15,500. 

The Stone brothers planned to use the stately home as a men’s recreational club surrounded by an expansive lawn area for outdoor amusement, including tennis.  The Club House was to be equipped with pool tables, bowling alleys, shower baths and rooms for lounging, reading and smoking. 

A four-and-one-half acre lake would be stocked with game fish, have bathing piers, boat houses and boats.  A dance pavilion near the lake was to have a stage for theatricals, vaudeville shows and public speaking.

A September 6, 1912 article describing plans for the property stated, “Almost ten acres will be turned into a park, and walks and driveways will be built.  Benches will be placed at convenient places throughout the park and along the driveway around the lake, where the tired tourist may sit in the moonlight with his (or some other fellow’s) best girl and thoroughly enjoy the mountain scenery and the fresh breezes from the lake.”

The additional property was to be divided into lots for sale.  Property owners may have been granted Club privileges. 

Development on the property, including clearing the bed for the proposed lake and drives through the grounds was well underway by November 1912.  The intention was to be ready by the following year. 

The families of Richard and Jefferson Stone were both living in the Boardman House when it was totally destroyed by fire on February 21, 1913.  This disaster appears to have ended the Stone’s plans for the Boardman Heights Club.

The entire property plus several additional tracts were sold to Joseph Silversteen in October 1913 for $10 and “other good and valuable considerations.”  The Sylvan Valley News reported that Silversteen bought “about thirty acres of the best land to be found in the town. The purchase price was about $15,000.  The new owner has not announced what disposition he will make of the property, but doubtless it will be improved in a short time.”  Silversteen soon constructed his family’s new home, Silvermont, on the property. 

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.