© 2006 UNC Asheville One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina  28804    828-251-6600
Created By, D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections Staff 2006

Cody Bradford, Jessica Wallace, and Andrew Fedynak
360° Sepia Panoramic Photograph of UNCA — James Phelps

The move to Seely’s Castle in 1949 was a major milestone in the development of the

institution.  Asheville-Bitmore College became known as “The College in the Sky,” and students were proud of their new campus.  There were problems with the new campus, though; access was difficult in bad weather, and the steep terrain left little space for either parking or

expansion.  Space soon became an issue.  In 1949, it appeared that the move would

provide  the school with plenty of room for many years to come.  However, the college quickly outgrew the Overlook property.  In 1958, residents of Buncombe County voted three-to-one in favor of a bond issue to expand and improve Asheville-Biltmore College.  The architectural firm of Six Associates offered, free of charge, a plan for enlarging the Sunset Mountain campus.   However, the mountain location was severely limited, therefore Board members began to consider moving the college to a more accessible and convenient location.

The History of the University of North Carolina at Asheville