Reynolds, Dr. Carl V., House
Also known as: Albemarle Inn
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 near the foot of Sunset Mountain, the house at 86 Edgemont Road in Asheville is a porticoed, two-story Neo-classical Revival residence with a monumental Corinthian portico, paneled corner posts and a detailed entablature. Inside, a closed-string, three-stage stair is the dominant feature. It was built for Dr. Carl V. Reynolds, an Asheville native who served as city health officer and later as state health officer, and who helped found the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina. Reynolds also organized the Proximity Park Company, the development that became Grove Park under E. W. Grove. The house later served as a private girls' school and then the Plonk School of Creative Arts, with a classroom building added in the 1920s. From 1941 it operated as the Albemarle Inn, a rooming house. Hungarian composer Bela Bartok stayed there in 1943 and completed his Third Piano Concerto, also called the Asheville Concerto.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the most prominent and fully developed Neo-classical Revival houses surviving in Asheville. It is tied to Dr. Reynolds, a leader in public health and an early developer of Proximity Park, which became Grove Park. It is also linked to the 1943 stay of composer Bela Bartok, who completed his Third Piano Concerto there.
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 82003436, listed August 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 86 Edgemont Rd., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | August 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003436 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Neo-classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Education, Architecture, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a rooming house (the Albemarle Inn); the classroom building was converted into apartments in the 1940s, and a substantial rehabilitation was under way at the time of the nomination. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.61463, -82.54197 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 82003436.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157226
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.