Hendersonville – At the turn of the century, Hendersonville was a popular destination. Visitors flocked from all over the United States, especially after the first steam train arrived on July 4th, 1879. It was an ideal place to escape the stifling heat of the low country before the advent of air conditioning. Many families owned summer homes in the area, where fathers and husbands would join them on weekends. Throughout July, Mary Jo Padgett offers Guided History Walks that will enlighten you about the history of Hendersonville. You can learn about the buildings and the people who lived in the area, making history take on new meaning and come alive. In fact, this Saturday, July 5, she will conduct one of her most popular tours, the Historic Main Street Walk, starting at 10:00 a.m. The meeting place is the front steps of City Hall, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue E and King Street.
During the tour, you will discover all about the early founders of Hendersonville, the historic buildings, and their original purposes. Mary Jo will explain who donated the land for the new town, the age of the oldest block of buildings, what was on the third floor (and in the basement) of City Hall, who the town was named after, where the old Opera House was located, and participants will learn about Main Street’s bordellos, shoot-outs, trolley lines, and other stories of life in the old days on Chinquapin Hill. She discusses Col. Valentine Ripley, who built the Shepherd Building around 1847. Early uses of this building on North Main Street— which has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior— included a general store, post office, and Confederate commissary under Major Noe.
Then, on Friday, July 11, the walk through Historic Oakdale Cemetery will begin at 10 a.m. in the cemetery on U.S. 64 W. Oakdale is Hendersonville’s municipal cemetery, where most of the town’s early residents and colorful citizens are buried. You will learn how and why the cemetery was established in 1883, discover the names of those who helped build the town, and find out where they were laid to rest. Those who have participated in the Historic Main Street tour will recognize many of the names on the gravestones.
Of particular interest is the Italian marble angel that stands over 15 feet tall in the cemetery, holding a lily in her left hand while pointing upward with her right hand. The novelist Thomas Wolfe from Asheville was inspired by this sculpture for his famous book “Look Homeward Angel.” This marks the grave of Margaret Bates Johnson (1832-1905) and is situated in the Johnson family plot. The Johnson family mentioned here owned the land of the Historic Johnson Farm. Although not carved by W. O. Wolfe, the angel sat on the porch of Wolfe’s Pack Square marble workshop in Asheville as an advertisement for his business. Wolfe sold the monument to Johnson’s daughter for $1,000.
On Friday, July 18th, the walk around the 7th Avenue/Historic Train Depot district will start at 10 a.m. at the front steps of City Hall, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue E and King St. From there, participants will stroll toward the depot, where the first steam locomotive arrived filled with tourists from South Carolina and beyond. Large hotels, inns, and boarding houses catered to well-to-do tourists. The neighborhood around the depot evolved into a commercial district during an exciting era marked by big-band music, dancing, real estate trading, and agricultural growth. Hendersonville thrived from that moment until the financial crash of 1929.
On Friday, July 25th, Padgett will guide attendees to see and learn about murals, mosaics, and ghost signs. Among other sights, you’ll see the newest downtown mural—a mosaic made with 250,000 small pieces of glass—and several ghost signs that are subtly hidden in plain sight on old buildings. The walk begins again in front of the Historic Courthouse on Main Street at 10:00 a.m.
Padgett is a long-time resident of Hendersonville. She also offers private tours; for example, she recently hosted the Gianakos family when they returned to Hendersonville to explore their roots. Padgett served on Hendersonville City Council for eight years and is a journalist and public relations consultant. Additionally, she conducts programs and guided tours in Paris, France, focusing on the American Revolution. The cost of a guided tour is only $10 (cash only; no credit cards) per person with no reservation needed. Payment can be made on the day of the tour. For further information, call 828 545-3179.