Publications and Helpful Links


Cabins & Castles

Cabins & Castles Book Cover

Cabins & Castles was first published 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 Buncombe County’s rich cultural history.

Cabins & Castles contains two major sections: a historical overview and the specific record of individual historic properties within the County, primarily those constructed prior to 1930. Historical sketches of Buncombe County and Asheville, written by John Ager and Talmadge Powell, are followed by Douglas Swaim’s essay on local architectural history. Numerous historic photographs illustrate these essays and provide context for the individual properties featured in the second section.  To purchase this book, please contact the Planning and Urban Design Department: 828-259-5830 or the Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society.


Images of America: Asheville’s Albemarle Park

Albemarle Park Book CoverThe Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today.

To purchase this book, please contact the Planning and Urban Design Department: 828-259-5830


Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Asheville Museum of History

Asheville Travel Itinerary (NPS)

Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

Conservation Trust for North Carolina

Cultural Landscape Foundation

Historic Preservation Month

National Park Service History and Culture

National Register of Historic Places

North Carolina Office of Archives and History

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation (NPS)

Preserve America

Preservation Briefs (NPS)

Preservation North Carolina

Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County

Technical Preservation Services (NPS)