Take a walk through the past
in downtown Hendersonville, NC. This
vibrant mountain community, nestled in the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, celebrates
its rich cultural and artistic heritage
both past and present.
Known as "The City of
Four Seasons," Hendersonville was chartered
in 1847. Today as then the town is
known for its agriculture and tourism.
Henderson County is the seventh largest
producer of apples in the U.S. and tourists
visit year 'round as they have for over
a hundred and fifty years, to take advantage
of the cool summers and mild winters.
Considered one of the ten
best seasonal theatres in the United States,
Flat Rock Playhouse has presented more than
300 productions in the past 50 years.
This is the state theatre of NC, open from
late-May through Mid-October, and worth
the drive from anywhere.
Writer/poet Carl Sandburg
spent his last years here and, more recently,
golfing legend Tom Fazio moved to town.
Artist Marian Fall moved here 13 years ago
and when her husband retired from his job,
they decided to stay put. "Hendersonville
is simply a special community," she
says. "The four seasons, the
mountains, and the people make it a charming
place to live."
Long before its current rush
of popularity, Hendersonville and Flat Rock
were magnets for coastal families seeking
an escape from the summer heat. Their
summer estates were magnificent examples
of "proper" housing for those
with money and connections to Charleston,
South Carolina and England. Now, those
magnificent old homes are sprinkled among
newer developments. And today, all
ages are moving here, preferring to enjoy
the good life before they reach retirement
age. Recent business expansions include
UPM-Raflatac, a forestry company, and Continental
Teves, producer of brake components for
Daimler Chrysler.
In addition to the magnificent
natural scenery, shopping includes everything
from antiques to high-tech gadgets.
The Henderson County Club Market is a unique
farmers' market that requires products to
be either handmade or locally grown.
many vendors are third and fourth-generation,
with ties stretching back to Hendersonville's
earliest days.
