Biltmore Shoe Store
Why it's listed
At 8 Lodge Street in Biltmore Village stands a small one-and-one-half story commercial building from about 1900, apparently designed by architect Richard Sharp Smith. Its clipped gable-end facade is two bays wide and carries the original pebbledash walls and vertical half-timbering, which continues into the gable beneath a molded overhanging cornice. An exterior brick chimney rises at the ridgeline, and the east bay has four sash windows with diamond-pattern glazing in the upper sections. The east side also has a shed dormer and an interior brick chimney. The building matters as one of the few surviving commercial examples of Smith's work for George W. Vanderbilt's planned village, where he designed all of the residential and most of the commercial structures. It shows how he adapted his standard motifs, especially pebbledash and half-timbering, to a small shop. It also reflects Frederick Law Olmsted's town plan, which separated residential and commercial areas yet tied them together with shared architectural character.
Significance in brief: It is apparently an isolated remnant of Richard Sharp Smith's work in Biltmore Village and shows how he applied his basic design motifs to a small commercial structure. It also recalls Frederick Law Olmsted's original town plan, which joined residential and commercial areas through common architectural characteristics.
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 79001669, listed November 15, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 8 Lodge St., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | November 15, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001669 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Richard Sharp Smith (apparently) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.56765, -82.54273 (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 79001669.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17985907
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.