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

The Slow Years

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

Rebirth

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