B & B Motor Company Building
Why it's listed
Two stories of reinforced concrete and clay tile, faced in stretcher bond brick and trimmed with tan limestone, make up the B and B Motor Company Building on the northeast corner of Coxe Avenue and Hilliard Street in Asheville. Completed in 1925 for a Chevrolet dealer, it stands on the corner with display windows on the first floor, triple six-over-six sash windows on the second, and a high parapet with limestone coping and knobby finials. A north section along Coxe Avenue repeats these features with bracketed eaves and recessed panels, while the Hilliard Street section is plainer, with two garage door entrances and metal factory sash. The building is regarded as the earliest of the auto showrooms and service facilities on Coxe Avenue and one of the first structures erected after the avenue opened. Its two-story height is unusual among later dealerships on the street, and its layout, with showroom and service work on the ground floor, follows the pattern of modern car dealerships.
Significance in brief: The building is described as the earliest of the auto showroom and service facilities on Coxe Avenue and one of the first structures built on the avenue after it opened. Its corner location, street-level display windows and ornamented facade are presented as typical of modern dealership design, with display and servicing on the first floor.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001666, listed April 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 84-94 Coxe Ave., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | April 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001666 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Asheville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.59130, -82.55466 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001666.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17985703
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.