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

The Slow Years

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

Rebirth

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