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Albemarle Park is an historic district in Asheville, North Carolina. Originally a mountain resort, it is now primarily a residential area of homes and apartments with retail and office spaces. Much of its significance is due to the founder, railroad magnate William Greene Raoul, and his selection of three New York City-based men to design his resort. Architect Bradford Lee Gilbert designed the core buildings, including The Manor Inn, the Lodge Gate, and several cottages. Landscape architect and author Samuel Parsons, Jr. planned the roads and romantic, naturalistic landscape. Parsons had been the head landscape architect for the city of New York after working with 
William Greene Raoul's large family was involved in various parts of building Albemarle Park, but son Thomas Wadley Raoul took the lead role of overseeing the development and served as the first manager of the Albemarle Park Company. Thomas built and lived in both Manzanita and Milfoil Cottages, and later was one of the founders of the Biltmore Estate Company that developed Biltmore Forest.
English-born
Albemarle Park is a National Register Historic District, a Local Historic District, and has received recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects. ''Cottage Living Magazine'' named Albemarle Park one of its Top 10 Cottage Communities.
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
William Greene Raoul papers 1878-1897
Albemarle Park
Asheville, North Carolina
Albemarle Park is an historic district in Asheville, North Carolina. Originally a mountain resort, it is now primarily a residential area of homes and apartments with retail and office spaces. Much of its significance is due to the founder, railroad magnate William Greene Raoul, and his selection of three New York City-based men to design his resort. Architect Bradford Lee Gilbert designed the core buildings, including The Manor Inn, the Lodge Gate, and several cottages. Landscape architect and author Samuel Parsons, Jr. planned the roads and romantic, naturalistic landscape. Parsons had been the head landscape architect for the city of New York after working with Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co ...
on Central Park. A drainage and sewage plan was done by leading engineer George E. Waring Jr.
William Greene Raoul's large family was involved in various parts of building Albemarle Park, but son Thomas Wadley Raoul took the lead role of overseeing the development and served as the first manager of the Albemarle Park Company. Thomas built and lived in both Manzanita and Milfoil Cottages, and later was one of the founders of the Biltmore Estate Company that developed Biltmore Forest.
English-born Richard Sharp Smith
Richard Sharp Smith (July 7, 1853 – February 8, 1924) was an English-born American architect, associated with Biltmore Estate and Asheville, North Carolina. Clay Griffith with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office says, "The inf ...
, supervising architect of Biltmore Estate, and Atlantan J. Neel Reid also contributed to Albemarle Park's architecture. Cottage styles are varied and range from Tudoresque and Shingle-Style to Appalachian Rustic and Colonial Revival.
In the early years, The Manor was one of the main centers of social life in Asheville. Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
and Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
Kelly ...
stayed in The Manor during the 1950s. Writer Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century.
Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly origin ...
performed in a Shakespeare play in The Circle Park and Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...
(then Eunice Waymon) studied classical music in Milfoil Cottage. Later, the Manor would become a retirement home, before housing the Stone Soup restaurant. Once vacant, The Manor served as a set for ''The Last of the Mohicans''. It was saved from demolition by The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe CountAlbemarle Park is a National Register Historic District, a Local Historic District, and has received recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects. ''Cottage Living Magazine'' named Albemarle Park one of its Top 10 Cottage Communities.
References
{{reflistExternal links
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
William Greene Raoul papers 1878-1897
Albemarle Park
Asheville, North Carolina