Biltmore Hardware Building
Why it's listed
This two-story brick building at 28-32 Hendersonville Road in Biltmore Village, south of downtown Asheville, dates to about 1923, with a one-story wing added about 1927 and later joined to it. Joseph C. Cole appears to have built it after buying the lots in 1921, when the village had left Biltmore Estate ownership and was becoming a commercial center. Upstairs rooms housed boarders, many tied to the railroad, and the building operated as the Biltmore Inn until about 1930. Biltmore Hardware occupied it from about 1936 until 2000. The building is a freestanding example of the Commercial Style, with plain brick walls, a stepped parapet, tile pent roofs over the storefronts, and an arched central doorway with a concrete keystone. The original storefronts, copper-framed display windows, pressed tin ceiling and second-floor plan remain largely intact. It was listed for its architecture and for its role in the village's 1920s commercial development.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a highly intact, representative example of an early 1920s Commercial Style building (Criterion C). It also reflects Biltmore Village's growth into an independent commercial center after the Vanderbilt era (Criterion A). Its early use as a boarding house/hotel for railroad-related workers and its long association with Biltmore Hardware (ca. 1936-2000) add to its importance.
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 03000800, listed August 21, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 28-32 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | August 21, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000800 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1923 - 1953 |
| Architect / builder | unknown (Joseph C. Cole appears to have been the builder) |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current functions listed as specialty store, restaurant and business; Biltmore Hardware closed in 2000. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.56773, -82.54361 (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 03000800.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17985904
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.