Wheeler Hotel Collection [SC2023.02]
Summary Information
Collection ID: SC2023.02
Title: Wheeler Hotel Collection
Repository: Blue Ridge Community College Archive and Special Collections
Date Range: 1895-1922
Extent: 1 ½ linear feet (one box)
Languages and Scripts of Materials: English
Name of Creator(s): Unknown
Preferred Citation: [identification of item], [Name of Collection], Blue Ridge Community College Archive and Special Collections, Blue Ridge Community College
Scope and Content
The collection consists of a guest sign-in ledger from when the hotel was named Hotel Montclair, dated June 6, 1915-September 13, 1915. There is a key for room #57 from when the hotel was named The Wheeler, so it could be from 1895 to 1914. There are four sheets of stationary paper and one envelope with the Hotel Montclair header. One of the sheets of paper is filled out with a handwritten letter dated September 25, 1922 and written by Herschel H. Allison. Additionally, there is one invitation card, a hotel information booklet, and a large envelope, and the materials are labeled the Carolina Terrace, which was the hotel’s new name in 1916. Three miscellaneous items were found tucked into the ledger and are undated. One is a milk ordering sheet, one is a business card for Lyonore Metal, and one is a land auction sale advertisement from the Southern States Realty Company.
Biographical History
The Wheeler Hotel, also referred to as Hotel Wheeler, was built in 1895. It was built by D. H. Wheeler and initially managed by his son Sam Wheeler. There were 100 rooms, and it was constructed to have many modern functions, such as electricity and steam heating. There was a livery stable on Locust Street. Many guests from farther south often arrived at the train station on 7th Ave, which connected Hendersonville to Spartanburg and Charleston in South Carolina. The name of the hotel changed several times. Briefly, it was called Hotel Montclair before being relaunched in 1916 as the Carolina Terrace. It was renamed again in the early 1920s as The Terrace. The was a dance pavilion, and it was only open to guests or those with a personal invitation. The famous band of Hal Kemp played during the summer of 1927. One night that same year, the dance pavilion burned down. Only three years later, in December of 1930 when the hotel was closed for the winter, the entire building caught fire and was destroyed. The hotel was never rebuilt.
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Access: No restrictions. Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use: No restrictions for personal or academic research. The Archive is unaware of any copyright claims upon the materials in this collection. However, that does not mean it is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for identifying and contacting any copyright holders if they wish to use the materials in the collection for public display or publication.
Rights Statement for Archival Description: Blue Ridge Community College Archive and Special Collections finding aids and their metadata can be used by students, researchers, and other institutions as needed for personal or educational research.
Sensitive Materials Statement: Archival records may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected by federal or state privacy laws and regulations. When conducting research, please remember that the publication of information about identifiable living people without their consent could have legal ramifications, and Blue Ridge Community College holds no responsibility.
Processing Information: Originally processed by Rachel Quinn, August 2023.
Collection Inventory
Box 1
Series 1: The Wheeler Room Key, 1895-1914
Series 2: Hotel Montclair Ledger, June 6, 1915-September 13, 1915
Series 3: Hotel Paper Documents, 1916-1922
Folder 1: The Carolina Terrace, 1916-1920s
– Unused invitation card used to invite someone to the dance pavilion for that season
– Booklet with information on The Carolina Terrace and the surrounding area
– Large envelope with The Carolina Terrace emblem in the upper left corner
Folder 2: Hotel Montclair Letter and Envelope, September 25, 1922
– Herschel H. Allison’s letter, September 25, 1922
– Three loose sheets of stationary paper with the Hotel Montclair emblem at the top
– Small envelope with the Hotel Montclair emblem in the upper left corner
Folder 3: Miscellaneous Papers, undated
– Business card for Lyonore Metal; M. A. Cagle is stamped on it
– Order slip, predominantly for dairy, from company called Biltmore
– Grand Auction Sale of Orchard Park advertisement from Southern States Realty Co.