Larry (a Buncombe County/Asheville native of six generations) and Nancy (a native of Kansas and a Registered Nurse) are your hosts and owners along with Mr. Monty and Miss Maggie (Austrailian Silky Terriers) of this cedar shingled turn of the century two-story house.

Nancy was born in Kansas, went to grade school in Lima, Peru; high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts; University of Kansas; and Beth Israel School of Nursing in New York City. She is a certified Critical Care Registered Nurse, having left the Cardiac Cath Lab at High Point Regional Hospital to join with Larry in their new owner/innkeeper endeavor at the Manor.

Larry’s ancestry in North Carolina dates back to his Great…Great Grandfather, Captain Benjamin Merrill, a North Carolina Regulator who was executed in Hillsborough (now Hillsboro), North Carolina under the auspices of the British Province Governor Tryon on June 19, 1771 for anarchy against the Troy government. The death decree asserted:

"That the prisoner should be carried to the place from whence he came; that he should be drawn from thence to the place of execution and hanged by the neck; that he should be cut down while yet alive; that his bowels should be taken out and burned before his face; that his head should be cut off, and that his body should be divided into four quarters, which were to be placed at the King's disposal, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul." (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 643.)

Please be assured that EXECUTIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT THE MANOR!!!

The Applewood Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast has been one of Asheville’s longest continuous operating Bed & Breakfast Inns. The house will be eligible for application to the National Historic Register in 2012 when it has reached its centennial age.

In 1908 Army Captain John Adams Perry (a great nephew of brothers Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the Naval hero who defeated the British Navy in the War of 1812 and Commodore Matthew Galbraith Perry who opened trade with Japan in 1853) purchased the acre and half on Cumberland Circle in the northern edge of the now Historic Montford District which lies adjacent to downtown Asheville. The cleared knoll overlooked the rolling agricultural lands stretching north along the old Buncombe Turnpike and offered a wonderful view and site for Perry’s new home. Captain Perry hired the versatile Asheville architect William Henry Lord to design the residence. Those over 100 year old architectural house plans with changes and notations in pencil still are in the possession of the current owners of Applewood Manor Inn, the Merrill's.

The house was completed in 1912 and served as Captain Perry’s home until his death in 1939. In the parlor hang two pictures (circa 1912), one showing the newly completed house and the second is a panoramic picture from the northern second floor balcony looking over the vast farmland and mountains from the north to the east, even displaying a sign advertising Cumberland Circle lots for sale. Captain Perry’s deed restriction stated that his new home must cost at least $2,500 to build, he spent $8,000.

The New England Style Colonial Revival two story structure is frame construction with a stone masonry foundation, cedar shake siding featuring a pedimented entrance supported on Doric columns and flanking porches. The main level of the Manor consists of a large entry hall from front to back, parlor, living room, formal dining room, butler’s pantry, half bath, kitchen and main, servant and basement stairs. Large porches are located off of the dining room and living room. There are fireplaces in the parlor, living room and dining room. The second level consists of a large hallway, four bedrooms (Granny Smith, Northern Spy, York Imperial and MacIntosh) each with its private bathroom, built-in storage, and stairs to the third level. There are fireplaces and balconies for all rooms except the Northern Spy on the second level. The third level consists of a large one room suite (the recently renovated romantic Winesap Suite) with luxury bathroom and sitting area. The house is approximately 6,000 square feet in size.

The Cortland Cottage was constructed as a garage around 1950. This newly renovated one room romantic cottage is approximately 500 square feet in size and is located 30 feet from the main house with it's own parking space and across a gravel (historically original) driveway.

More than adequate parking for all registered guests’ cars (bicycles and motorcycles) is located onsite with off street parking in front of the manor, well off the quiet street, shielded by large pines.

Walk the grounds, try out the porch swings,tree swing, Larry's personally designed arbor with North Carolina Jasmine vines, relax under a number of umbrella covered wrought iron tables on the patio and in the backyard. Put up your tired feet on Amish made Adirondack furniture on each private porch. Enjoy and imagine the bygone days when these magnificent surrounding mansions and cottages were constructed.

 

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Photography by Jon Leidel Photography