Description:

The Rumbough House, located in the historic district of Asheville, North Carolina, sits alone on a hill on Zillicoa Street. Few looking at it would guess the history of this fine home. Architecturally, it possesses variant elements of design all uniquely conjoined to create this beauty. Queen Anne Revival and also Neoclassical designs are noted. James H. Rumbough built this home in 1892. Though architecture in Montford is a supremely valuable commodity as many of the lovely old homes in this community, including the bed and breakfast we own, stand as illustrations of the best of construction known in those times- it is generally accepted that the Rumbough House stands alone. Impressive immediately featuring expansive porches and a stone work fence surrounding the property, all the elegant design elements supported to such perfection culminate in an impressive sight.

Before it was indexed by Asheville as the historic district, Montford was a separate entity. The first and, as history would have it, only mayor of Montford, James E. Rumbough (son of James H.) and his bride, Martha, occupied this home. Montford was annexed and hence never had another mayor. In 1911 this same fellow was the first person to make the journey across the Appalachian Mountains in a motorized vehicle.

Years later, this stately home would repurpose itself into the Administrative Building for Highland Hospital, a local mental hospital. This hospital enjoyed such a fine reputation in mental health at a time in our country when the treatment of mental illness took on draconian therapies.  Highland Hospital turned this around developing a deserved reputation for humane care as well as more effective patient treatment plans. This was responsible for patients and hopeful families from all over the United States seeking treatment there.

More recently, Rumbough House was a diagnostic lab. Currently, this fine yellow home is looking for the next chapter to its impressive past.