6. 1815: Robert Henry purchased
770 acres along Hominy
Creek from John Jarrett
1827: Henry and his slave
discovered the sulphur
spring on his farm
1830: Reuben Deaver, Henry’s
son-in-law, built a wooden
hotel on the hill above the
springs and began taking
summer boarders. By the
1840s, nearly 500 visitors
were arriving each summer
7.
8. 1885: The Swannanoa Hunt
Club incorporated as the
Swannanoa Country Club
and built a 9 hole golf
course
1897: The club moved to
property on Merrimon
which was on the trolley
line and moved. It is now
the Country Club of
Asheville.
9.
10. 1885: Edwin Carrier buys
3000 acres including the
Henry property
1887: Carrier rebuilds the
Sulphur Springs Hotel
naming it the Belmont
1892: The “fireproof”
Belmont Hotel burns to
the ground
11.
12. 1906: Professor Otto
Schoenfeld, world
champion fencer purchased
220 acres around the springs
to build a physical training
school
Shoenfeld is believed to have
built the pavilion around
the springs
1913: Lawrance Fabacher
purchases the undeveloped
property
13.
14. 1920: Mayor Gallatin
Roberts announces that
the City of Asheville is
purchasing the property
from Fabacker for a park.
“I consider this property the
finest to be found
anywhere for park
purposes,” Mayor Roberts
declared
15. 1925: “A small but charming
club house will be built on
the golf course on the
north side of the School
Road and over the large
sulphur spring”
1927-28: Houses are built in
the Malvern Hills
community
1938: Malvern Hills Golf
Course is sold to Hilliard
Green
16.
17. 1944: Chester Cogburn buys
the Malvern Springs
tourist park, with 25 log
lodge units and including
the Malvern Springs golf
course and clubhouse
The property has remained
in the family since that
purchase
26. We could create a community
park with a greenway that
connects Patton and Sand Hill
The park would be modeled
after Bent Creek Community
Park and other similar projects
The property ideally would be
put into a conservation land
trust that would oversee its
creation and maintenance
27. A greenway through this tract
would connect the Malvern
Hills community to the river
parks and eventually to
downtown and Enka along the
greenways
The trail through the Goodwill
property will provide
connection to ART stop on
Patton Avenue
28. The Vrabel property is home
for many birds and animals
We can plant native plants
that provide food for wildlife
Monarch butterflies are in
crisis, the boggy areas would
be great for planting milkweed
We should appreciate and
enhance the diverse
ecosystems that exist here
29. Community work days could
clean the creek and redevelop
the riparian zone along creek
We could enhance the boggy
areas with a constructed
wetland which will add
diversity to the existing flora
and fauna
30. The property is beautifully
forested with diverse trees
A trust could manage the
forest to allow old growth and
diversity
Work parties could clear vines
out of trees
Native hardwoods could be
planted
31. Sulphur Springs is a historic
area with the earliest
settlements in West Asheville
The springs were important to
the Cherokee, and became a
popular destination in the 19th
century
The meadow is the site of
Asheville’s first golf course
32. The greenway will provide
recreational space for the
community
Cycling
Walking
Playing in the creek
Nature exploration
Gathering for neighborhood
potlucks
33. Teachers at Vance Elementary
and Francine Delany have
been developing curricula for
use in the Hominy Creek
Greenway which incorporates
Plant and tree identification
Experiencing the quiet of
woodlands
River ecology
Invasive plants identification
35. The Friends of Canie Creek
Greenway will organize under
the umbrella of the Friends of
Hominy Creek Greenway.
Both organizations celebrate
wetlands and public space.
The collaboration will help
assure this new park’s
creation.
36. To create and maintain a
community park as an
independent, resident funded
entity that provides a safe place
for children to play, as well as for
our adults and youth to enjoy
nature and community
To protect the creek and natural
wetlands that are a large part of
our park area
To connect Malvern Hills to the
French Broad and beyond on the
greenways
38. The Friends of Hominy Creek
Greenway is a group of
neighbors and other
stakeholders who are creating
a vision and working to create
special parks for our
community.
This group has had amazing
success.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44. Organize – we have a core
group to work as a steering
committee
Create our vision for the park
Involve the community
Create a managing entity
Raise money
Negotiate the purchase
Celebrate!
45. March 16 – A core group met
which will become our
steering committee
March 23 – A brief
presentation at Malvern Hills
Community meeting
April 8 (tentative) - Major
presentation for Malvern Hills
Community
46. We invite you to come tour
this beautiful property with us
I am available for tours most
any time
Email:
caniecreekgreenway@gmail.com
Group portrait of the Swannanoa Hunt Club (later known as the Swannanoa Country Club and Golf Links). Members are posed with golf equipment in front of the club house which dates to circa 1893-1896. Club originally organized in West Asheville as Swannanoa Hunt Club, with an interest in fox hunting. It was located near Sulphur Springs just south of Malvern Hills. It was purchased by Frank Coxe for the sole use of the club. Name changed 1/28/1895 to the Swannanoa Country Club; 2/21/1895 date of first "hunt ball" and 6/7/1895 date of official opening of the 1st golf links at the NE corner of what is now intersection of Sand Hill Road and Shelbourne Road. Moved to later location 1899 after George Pack donated a building and some land (for a golf course) at the end of Charlotte St. Name changed to Asheville Country Club 1909. Identified members: James Edwin Rumbough (in white cap to the left of post), Miss Sarah Keyes Rumbough (J.E.'s sister), Miss Elizabeth Fitzgerald Forbes, Miss Laura Carter, Miss Minnie Tucker, Miss Raidee Tucker, Miss Chism, Miss Sarah Mills (of Savannah, GA), Dr. Charles S. Jordan, William R. Porter (of Key West, FL), John Charles. "Jack" Rumbough (J.E.'s brother), Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Cheeseborough, Mr. Williams, and Joseph J. McCloskey. "Caddies and servant" too, three small black boys are sitting at the foot of the steps, and a young black man is standing on the far right side of the porch. Photo dated August, 1896. One print.
The springs pavilion, circa 1920. Most likely built by Otto Schoenfeld.
Six springs mapped out for the Sulphur Springs Park development plan
Over the past three years, the Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway cleared and developed the main trail and three side trails, removed hundreds of tires from the property, cleared massive vines from over two hundred trees, cleared the beach and picnic area of Japanese knotweed, planted 100+ trees, cleaned the creek bottom, all while having fun.
Over a hundred groups have participated in cleanups, school groups, church groups, summer camps, businesses, neighbors, inner-city teens and more.
The undeveloped park provides a peaceful break for many neighbors. Our park brings the sounds of the creek and the many birds to those who wander through.
