“Nicht grosser vorteil wusst’ich zu nennen Als des feindes verdienst erkennen. No greater gain for the human spirit Than a sense of our foeman’s merit” -Goethe On April 6th, 1917 the United States declared war on Germany and entered in what would come to be called “The Great War.” Up to this point, the 54 … More Honoring the Enemy
Just when you think you know a story it has a habit of changing on you. A great example of this for me is the untold story behind the Journeymen Stonecutters Association of North America monument here in Riverside. For years, conventional wisdom held that the monument was erected by the Biltmore Estate as a memorial to … More Biltmore Estate Stone Cutters
Much has been made of the relationship between Thomas Wolfe and his editor, Maxwell Perkins. And rightfully so. But there is perhaps another relationship that sculpted Wolfe as a writer more. This was his relationship with his older brother, Ben. Benjamin Harrison Wolfe was in many ways an unremarkable man. He was unmarried, had no … More The Funeral of Benjamin Harrison Wolfe
W.S. Cornell – Cemetery Superintendent 1885 – 1917 William Stephen Cornell was Riverside’s first employee and making the first graves. Before becoming the cemetery superintendent, Cornell managed the Elk Mountain cheese factory in conjunction with Nicholas Woodfin and T.W. Patton. When the Asheville Cemetery Company was established in 1885, Patton picked Cornell as the natural … More The Caretakers of Riverside Cemetery
Zebulon Vance is undoubtedly North Carolina’s most prolific politician, with three terms as governor and four in the United States Senate (though he was only allowed to sit three.) He earned the nickname of “Mister North Carolina” and has monuments and statues dedicated to him in Washington D.C., Raleigh, and Asheville. His birthplace is tourist … More Five Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Zebulon Vance
The first thing anyone visiting the grave of William Sydney Porter (O. Henry) in Riverside Cemetery will notice are the pennies placed on the top of his headstone. Which always begs the question, why? Though no one is sure of exactly when the tradition was started or by who, we know that for the past … More O. Henry’s Pennies
No. Name Location LHA Character 1 Thomas Wolfe Q-1 Eugene Gant 2 William Oliver Wolfe Q-1 Oliver Gant 3 Julia E. Westall Wolfe Q-1 Eliza Pentland Gant 4 Leslie Wolfe (infant) Q-1 infant Gant 5 Frank Cecil Wolfe Q-1 Steve Gant 6 Mabel E. Wolfe Wheaton Q-1 Helen Gant 7 Grover Cleveland Wolfe Q-1 Grover … More Thomas Wolfe’s Asheville – A Map of Look Homeward Angel in Riverside Cemetery
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Historic Riverside Cemetery 