14 1/2 Watauga St

Wedged between the University of North Carolina at Asheville on its northeast side and Downtown Asheville on its southeast side, Historic Montford sits along the French Broad River, boasting elegant historic architecture along its hilly streets. The neighborhood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, contains more than 600 historic buildings, most built between 1890 and 1920. Many of the homes were built by the same architect who designed the Biltmore, Richard Sharp Smith. The homes range from Victorians to Arts and Crafts to Colonial Revival -- with a castle here and there for a unique style.

Montford developed around 1890 as a small village, but it was annexed by the city in 1905. The oldest home in the neighborhood, the Rankin House, was built in 1846. The Riverside Cemetery, which dates back to 1885, is the burial place of authors Thomas Wolfe and William Sidney Porter (O. Henry). Today, many of the historic homes have been converted into elegant bed and breakfasts.