Asheville – In the style of The Great Gatsby, the Grove Arcade held its second New Year’s Eve Speakeasy Soirée. Entry featured two sets from the Emerald Empire Band, including a traditional 1920’s set starting at 8 p.m. for flappers and dancers to move and shake!
The event also featured a Midnight Countdown and Champagne Toast, there was a full-service bar, various entertainments, and a flashback photo booth!
Built in the ‘20s and decorated with beautiful 1920s-era designs amongst the building’s incredible architecture, the arcade was the perfect venue, making you feel like you’d truly been transported through time. It was easy to imagine being back in the ’20s, with women in beaded flapper dresses, feather boas, and gorgeous jewelry, and men in dapper suits, hats, canes, and spats. The band played the old music for dancing the Charleston, and the second floor was open to attendees.
History of the Grove Arcade
The Grove Arcade has not always been the thriving hub it is today. The 1920s were a time of opulence and glamor, and the architecture exemplifies that with Tudor Revival and Late Gothic Revival style buildings, but like the rest of the country, the Arcade went through hard times during and after the Great Depression.
The arcade was the creation of E.W. Grove, who was also the creator of the Grove Park Inn. In early 1927, the construction of Grove Arcade was well on its way to completion, but at the beginning of the new year, Grove, unfortunately, passed away. The project screeched to a halt until 1928, when a businessman by the name of Walter P. Taylor bought Grove Arcade from Grove’s estate. Grove’s original plans called for a 15-story addition, and while work resumed and the building was finished in 1929, one thing was missing: the 15-story tower.
Hard Times
According to the Grove Arcade website, “1929 was a tumultuous year for many Americans, and Walter P. Taylor was no exception. With the stock market crash and the Great Depression looming, Taylor simply could not afford to build Grove Arcade to the glory that E.W. Grove and Charles N. Parker, the builders, had planned. Walter P. Taylor’s son said years later that his father lost several properties trying to keep Grove Arcade afloat. The 30s were a difficult time for the tenants of Grove Arcade, and many of them had trouble paying their rents.”
The War Provides Assistance
In 1942, during the era of World War II, the federal government offered Taylor $275,000 to house 1,000 federal employees. It saved Grove Arcade from complete shutdown, but at the cost of 140 small business owners losing their livelihood. There is speculation that it was used as a military base, but what is known is that it became the headquarters of the National Weather Records Center (later known as the National Climatic Data Center). Given its size and safe location, Grove Arcade was an ideal location to house the military and, later, millions of pages of weather records.
The City of Asheville Acquires the Arcade
For the next 50+ years, Grove Arcade would be occupied by the federal government. In 1976, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1995, the city of Asheville was granted the title to the Arcade and restoration began. Grove Arcade reopened its doors to the public in 2002.
The early days of Grove Arcade were rocky, to say the least, but nearly 100 years later, Grove Arcade is living up to the dreams of its founder and is a beloved landmark and destination—it has come to represent the heart and character of the town. Its rich history and ornate architecture, combined with its eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, offer patrons a full-day immersion into Asheville’s lifestyle and culture.
The Grove arcade is the home of a variety of wonderful and unique shops, restaurants, and an outdoor Maker’s Market for local artists and artisans. The arcade also houses office space and apartments on the upper floors, but at least once a year, the ghosts of the past and revelers of today take a step back in time to celebrate the era of the Great Gatsby in this incredible architectural masterpiece.