Tempie Avery Montford Community Center is the centerpiece of a 17-acre recreation complex located in the historic Montford neighborhood.
Indoor Features
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outdoor Features
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Activities, Classes, and Events
- Current Programs
- Open Gym Hours (please call 828-253-3714)
Parties & Rentals
Looking for an affordable indoor location for your next party, reunion, baby shower, retreat, or celebration? Reserve the multipurpose room for $25 per hour (required $100 security deposit refunded after rental) online or by calling the center at 828-253-3714.
History
When it opened in 1978, Montford Recreation Center was only the first ever facility built by Asheville Parks & Recreation designed exclusively for recreational and arts programming (rather than converting an existing building). One of several projects championed by Mayor Richard Wood as part of the Model Cities antipoverty program, the center was part of a decade of rapid expansion and modernization for the City’s parks, pools, sports fields, and recreation centers. The center immediately became an important social and cultural hub for young people, families, and the entire neighborhood.
Tempie Avery was a young girl purchased in Charleston in 1840 by Nicholas Woodfin. During her time on his plantation, she became a midwife delivering both Black and white babies in Asheville. After the Civil War, Woodfin deeded an acre of land to Avery that is now the site of the community center. Prior to the expansion of Montford beyond West Chestnut Street, the area adjacent to Avery’s property was a thriving Black neighborhood known as Stumptown. While her life after emancipation was not easy, the widow used her skills as a nurse and midwife to support herself and her children.
In 2017, Asheville City Council unanimously approved a resolution to rename the center to Tempie Avery Montford Community Center. A series of bond-funded improvements were completed in 2019.