From the Black Mountain News, Nov. 28, 2007

Nearly two years ago, the Swannanoa Valley Museum completed comprehensive plans for the renovation and expansion of the historic Black Mountain Fire House, home to the museum’s collection of artifacts and photographs.

In the early planning process for a Capital Campaign, however, museum board members learned that the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry was also planning a major fundraising campaign.

“We wanted to do everything we could to insure that both campaigns were successful,” said Wendell Begley, Chairman of the museum’s Board of Directors. “So our board decided to postpone our campaign for a year or more to give the Christian Ministry time to finish its important work.”

Before making this decision, the museum had received a $200,000 grant award from the Janirve Foundation, a grant that remains in place today. In addition, Buncombe County awarded a $15,000 grant to the museum and a number of private contributions gave the upcoming campaign a strong start.

Because of the age of the building—85 years—the museum board decided to hire a structural engineering firm to examine the condition of the building to insure that it was still sound enough to warrant saving.

Sutton-Kennerly Structural Engineers performed the survey in early spring 2006 and found that the original brick building was definitely worth the effort to shore up and restore, although the cement block addition behind the original structure is not.

With permission from the Janirve Foundation to use monies from that grant, the museum board is moving to take emergency measures to shore up the historic part of the building, and work is expected to commence in early spring 2008.

“We will be tuckpointing all the bricks, repairing the parapets, and adding new flashing, some support beams in the ceiling, and a new roof,” Begley explained. “This will shore up the building and stabilize it enough to give us time to raise the money we need to complete our full plan.”

Part of that plan calls for the complete interior renovation of the historic building and removal and replacement of the rear addition. The exhibits will be redesigned and reinterpreted in the updated structure.

“We have grown dramatically in the last six years and are serving a larger community than ever before,” Begley continued. “We desperately need safe, well-lighted space to continue to be able to fulfill our mission.”

As one of the only museums of general history in Buncombe County, the Swannanoa Valley Museum aims to be a cultural point of pride for the entire county. The upcoming campaign will allow the museum to expand its community outreach and allow for more intensive, hands-on educational experiences for children. It will also create space for traveling exhibits, allow for expanded museum hours, and enhance the museum’s permanent exhibits.

Bob McMurray, Executive Director of the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’re excited to see this historic building being restored and believe both the building upgrades and the redesigned exhibits will attract many visitors to our valley.”

According to McMurray, the Chamber will undertake a fundraising campaign to build a new visitor center and passenger rail depot at some time in the future. “Our project is still in the planning stages,” he said, “and we’d like to see the museum’s campaign completed successfully before embarking on ours.”

SIDEBAR:
The museum board considers the historic building to be its most important artifact. It was designed by Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect on Biltmore Estate, and served as the Black Mountain Fire House from its construction in 1921 until 1984, when the fire department relocated to its present quarters.

In 1989, the Town of Black Mountain leased the building to the Swannanoa Valley Historic & Preservation Association, Inc., the museum’s governing board, and in 2000 deeded them the property