Smith-McDowell House
Why it's listed
Said to be the oldest surviving house in Asheville, this two-story brick dwelling at 283 Victoria Road was built in the 1840s for James M. Smith, a wealthy local merchant, hotel keeper, ferry and bridge operator, and the county's leading slaveholder in 1850. Smith likely had it built for his son John Patton Smith, though no evidence shows that Smith himself lived there. The five-bay house has Flemish bond brickwork, a two-tier porch beneath the main roof, and slate roofing. The first floor was later remodeled in Neo-Classical style, and a sun room and side entrance were added in the early twentieth century. After the younger Smith's death, his brother-in-law William W. McDowell bought the property in 1858 and lived there until 1881. McDowell later served as a Confederate officer. The house later served as a Catholic high school site. At the time of listing a historical association planned to renovate it as a heritage center.
Significance in brief: Local tradition holds that it is the oldest surviving structure in Asheville, and no older ones have been recorded. It is a large, ambitious dwelling with Flemish bond brickwork and a two-tier porch under an extension of the main roof. It reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of the wealthy Smith family and the economic development of far western North Carolina.
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 75001243, listed August 1, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 283 Victoria Rd., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | August 1, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001243 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical interior remodeling over an earlier brick house with Federal-style elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied at the time of nomination; recently sold to a technical institute and leased to a historical association that plans to renovate it as a heritage center. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.57197, -82.55513 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 75001243.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7544924
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.