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flat iron building postcard from the 1920's
an old wooden sign marking the entrance to the flat iron building

The Story

"What a century of love can do"
For nearly 100 years, the Flat Iron was an office building. Announced, built, and occupied in just a one-year period ending in 1926, at the peak of Asheville’s boom decade, the Flat Iron attracted the best and brightest in town. These halls played host to detectives, dancers, secretaries, therapists, architects, and hundreds of others. Come meet the folks.
Skyline of Asheville in 1926
Part One

Origins

or, how a quiet mountain town briefly become the next Miami

skyline of Asheville prior to the building boom of the 1920s
vintage image of Battery Park Hotel
Battery Park Hill being dug out, with the demolished hotel on top
an artful vintage map of Asheville for promotional purposes
a giant illuminated sign advertising "See LB — all branches of real estate" over a city street in Asheville
blueprints for the Flat Iron Building
a woman presses clothes with an old-fashioned flatiron
the Flat Iron Building under construction, with a temporary elevator on the exterior
the finishing Flat Iron Building in 1926
Albert Wirth with his two children
Part Two

Heyday

a stairway between streets in Asheville
The art deco chandelier at the Flat Iron Hotel, with a whimsical Blue Ridge mural in the background
A lighting fixture in Red Ribbon Society
A front desk associate at the Flat Iron offers a glass of prosecco
a man plays drums at pritchard park
A glass of prosecco and a postcard sit on a table in the Premier King Suite at the Flat Iron Hotel
Details of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville
Wedge Brewery, in the Radical Arts District of Asheville
a busker plays the trumpet by the Flat Iron Hotel
A chef places sliced radish on a dish of green noodels
The art deco S&W cafeteria in Asheville
Roasted half chicken with floral garnish
a vignette of sunrise on the blue ridge parkway
A view into the Premier King Suite's lounge
Detail of the bed and flooring in the Apex Suite
A chef tends to a steak grilling over an open flame
A Meet Cute cocktail with chickweed and a lemon garnish
A woman in a dress strides through the guest corridor past vintage signage
A couple eats breakfast on the rooftop
The L. B. Jackson Building in Asheville
The peak of the Flat Iron Hotel, with a red star attached
A brewery tour in the Radical Arts District
A view of Pritchard Park in Asheville as seen from the window of the Flat Iron hotel
The entrance to the Flat Iron Hotel on Battery Park Ave
trees and shops lining Haywood St by the Flat Iron Hotel
The Flat Iron Hotel in the center of downtown Asheville, as seen from the hills
A chef grates cheese onto a lemon pizza
A bowl of green pasta with parmesan, by a glass of red wine
The art deco Asheville City Hall
A woman walks through the lobby of the Flat Iron Hotel, under a marble staircase
A pink cocktail with a raspberry garnish
a statue of an angel outside the Asheville art musem
The bar at Red Ribbon Society
A grilled eggplant with floral garnish
A view into a King room in the Flat Iron Hotel
The clouds over Asheville
Women clink cocktail glasses on the rooftop
A woman drops a postcard down the chute at the Flat Iron Hotel
The Flat Iron, as seen from College St in Asheville
The entrance to the New Belgium Brewery in Asheville
The entrance to Luminosa
Peach panna cotta
A golden iron token with a red ribbon sits atop the bedspread at the Flat Iron Hotel
Part three

The Slow Years

a statue of an angel outside the Asheville art musem
trees and shops lining Haywood St by the Flat Iron Hotel
The Flat Iron Hotel in the center of downtown Asheville, as seen from the hills
The Flat Iron, as seen from College St in Asheville
A brewery tour in the Radical Arts District
A view into a King room in the Flat Iron Hotel
a busker plays the trumpet by the Flat Iron Hotel
A lighting fixture in Red Ribbon Society
The peak of the Flat Iron Hotel, with a red star attached
The bar at Red Ribbon Society
A bowl of green pasta with parmesan, by a glass of red wine
A woman drops a postcard down the chute at the Flat Iron Hotel
a stairway between streets in Asheville
A glass of prosecco and a postcard sit on a table in the Premier King Suite at the Flat Iron Hotel
The clouds over Asheville
Detail of the bed and flooring in the Apex Suite
A woman walks through the lobby of the Flat Iron Hotel, under a marble staircase
A Meet Cute cocktail with chickweed and a lemon garnish
A chef places sliced radish on a dish of green noodels
The art deco chandelier at the Flat Iron Hotel, with a whimsical Blue Ridge mural in the background
A grilled eggplant with floral garnish
A chef tends to a steak grilling over an open flame
The art deco S&W cafeteria in Asheville
Peach panna cotta
A pink cocktail with a raspberry garnish
A view into the Premier King Suite's lounge
Details of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville
The art deco Asheville City Hall
A couple eats breakfast on the rooftop
The entrance to Luminosa
The entrance to the Flat Iron Hotel on Battery Park Ave
A golden iron token with a red ribbon sits atop the bedspread at the Flat Iron Hotel
The entrance to the New Belgium Brewery in Asheville
A chef grates cheese onto a lemon pizza
The L. B. Jackson Building in Asheville
Roasted half chicken with floral garnish
A view of Pritchard Park in Asheville as seen from the window of the Flat Iron hotel
Wedge Brewery, in the Radical Arts District of Asheville
a man plays drums at pritchard park
Women clink cocktail glasses on the rooftop
A woman in a dress strides through the guest corridor past vintage signage
a vignette of sunrise on the blue ridge parkway
A front desk associate at the Flat Iron offers a glass of prosecco
Part four

Rebirth

The art deco chandelier at the Flat Iron Hotel, with a whimsical Blue Ridge mural in the background
A view into a King room in the Flat Iron Hotel
a statue of an angel outside the Asheville art musem
A front desk associate at the Flat Iron offers a glass of prosecco
a stairway between streets in Asheville
A woman drops a postcard down the chute at the Flat Iron Hotel
The entrance to the New Belgium Brewery in Asheville
A glass of prosecco and a postcard sit on a table in the Premier King Suite at the Flat Iron Hotel
Wedge Brewery, in the Radical Arts District of Asheville
A brewery tour in the Radical Arts District
a busker plays the trumpet by the Flat Iron Hotel
The art deco S&W cafeteria in Asheville
Details of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville
a man plays drums at pritchard park
The Flat Iron Hotel in the center of downtown Asheville, as seen from the hills
A chef tends to a steak grilling over an open flame
A woman in a dress strides through the guest corridor past vintage signage
A pink cocktail with a raspberry garnish
The Flat Iron, as seen from College St in Asheville
A woman walks through the lobby of the Flat Iron Hotel, under a marble staircase
Detail of the bed and flooring in the Apex Suite
The entrance to the Flat Iron Hotel on Battery Park Ave
A Meet Cute cocktail with chickweed and a lemon garnish
The L. B. Jackson Building in Asheville
Women clink cocktail glasses on the rooftop
A view of Pritchard Park in Asheville as seen from the window of the Flat Iron hotel
A lighting fixture in Red Ribbon Society
The entrance to Luminosa
The bar at Red Ribbon Society
A grilled eggplant with floral garnish
trees and shops lining Haywood St by the Flat Iron Hotel
A chef grates cheese onto a lemon pizza
a vignette of sunrise on the blue ridge parkway
Roasted half chicken with floral garnish
A bowl of green pasta with parmesan, by a glass of red wine
Peach panna cotta
A chef places sliced radish on a dish of green noodels
The peak of the Flat Iron Hotel, with a red star attached
A golden iron token with a red ribbon sits atop the bedspread at the Flat Iron Hotel
A couple eats breakfast on the rooftop
The clouds over Asheville
The art deco Asheville City Hall
A view into the Premier King Suite's lounge