From the publisher: Cabins & Castles was first published in 1981, a joint effort of the Historic Resources Commission and the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. The book became enormously popular with natives, tourists, historians, and preservationists as a primary source of knowledge about this richly historic mountain county. Cabins & Castles contains two major sections: a historical overview and the specific record of individual properties built in this area, primarily those constructed prior to 1930. Historical sketches of Buncombe County and Asheville, written by John Ager and Talmage Powell, are followed by Douglas Swaim’s essay on local architectural history. Numerous historical photographs illustrate these essays and provide context for the individual properties featured in the second section. Abundant photographs by Mary Jo Brezny accompany many of the specific architectural entries and complement Swaim’s informative and well-documented notes for each listed property. Rapid development in the urban and rural areas of Buncombe County makes this record timely and valuable.