The Black Mountain Depot has been the heart of Black Mountain for 99 years. When passenger service stopped in 1975, a far-sighted group turned the building into a local artist’s gallery. The Old Depot Association (ODA) has not only maintained the building for 32 years but has nourished local talent by providing scholarships, giving craft classes and giving money for arts in the schools. Last year our grants totaled over $7,000. The architect who worked on the DOT’s refurbishing of the Marion and Old Fort depots remarked that this was the best maintained and least altered of all the train depots that remain standing in western NC.
The Board of Directors is improving the area between the depot
and caboose with a patio garden. The
patio garden which will be paved with bricks, will have planter boxes,
benches, a shade tree, a water feature including the historic drinking fountain
and a decorative iron arch which will mark the entrance. In order to complete
the project the ODA intends to have the exterior of the caboose painted, its
roof sealed, the interior renovated and artifacts and pictures archived and
remounted. This will complete the
beautification of the block, incorporating it with the Centennial Park and the
Grey Eagle Monument. This project
will serve to remind the community of the importance of the railroad in opening
up and developing the Swannanoa Valley. It will also increase visitors’
appreciation of the area.
How can you help?
The ODA is seeking people and
organizations that would like to show their support for the community in a
commemorative way by buying a brick that will form a permanent part of the patio
garden. A name or personal
inscription can be engraved in each brick.
Everyone is invited to buy a brick, either for themselves or for someone
else, to commemorate a special occasion, i.e. (birth, wedding, anniversary,
graduation) or to honor or remember someone special. Local organizations and
businesses are encouraged to show their support.
The specially engraved decorative brick will become a permanent legacy. Your 4"X8"X2 ¼ brick will be engraved using state
of the art laser technology. Each
brick is limited to three lines of 20 characters per line (include spaces and
punctuation). Each brick costs
$100. This will be
an on-going fundraiser. Applications for commemorative bricks can be
printed from the link below. What a wonderful thing it will be for our visitors to see a beautiful
patio garden as they come down Cherry Street and how great it will be to know
that you had a part in it.
The Old Depot Association is a 501-c3 organization. It is an organization dedicated to protecting and maintaining Black Mountain’s historic train depot and to discover, nurture and preserve the Arts and Crafts of the Swannanoa Valley.
To Order Bricks go to the Brick Form at this link and return with your check to :
The Old Depot
Association, 207 Sutton Ave, Black Mountain, NC 28711