Here we have another great find, on this Thursday, from our archives of early camp scenes. Again we think this photo dates from the 1930s. It shows several girls enjoying their free time on the porch of the Lakeview Lodge, one of the three stone meeting lodges dating from the earliest days of Rockbrook Camp. This lodge, like the others at camp, was built in the early 1920s using rock quarried from the mountain just above Rockbrook. It’s extraordinarily well preserved today and is still a hub of activity throughout every camp day. It would be so easy to find this exact scene any summer at camp!
Since it’s Thursday, here’s a photo to throw us back to an earlier time at camp. We think the photo was taken in the 1930s. It shows an authentic North Carolina log cabin, but from a viewpoint impossible to reproduce today given how much the surrounding trees have grown. And we’re sure the sunset view from that porch was fantastic. Take a look and see if you can tell which Rockbrook building this shows. Do you know?
The Rockbrook House, also known as The Clarke Carrier House, is located in the center of Rockbrook’s property. It was built in 1895 by Henry Peck Clarke, father of Rockbrook’s founder Nancy Carrier. Clarke hired Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect of The Biltmore House, to design his mountain home. The house was completed in 1895, just a few months after The Biltmore Estate was completed. At that time, Smith opened his own architecture firm and began designing homes and civic buildings around western NC. He is considered to be one of the most prolific and influential architects during the 1900’s in the Asheville area. He, along with his firm Smith and Carrier, designed over 700 structures throughout western NC. His work is known for its Craftsman and Colonial Revival Styles, such as the use of pebbledash stucco on the exterior, half timbering, and diamond pane windows. These features are all part of The Rockbrook House. (Note the diamond pane windows flanking the front door).
As you travel the back roads of western NC, you are sure to spot examples of his influence around every turn. We here at Rockbrook are proud to share a piece of the architectural history of our region. Here are some other examples of Smith’s work around NC.
Kanuga Conference Center Cottages, Hendersonville, NC
