Asheville Museum of History

HISTORY HOUR

Monthly Lecture Series

2026 Speakers & Topics

Join us for History Hour, our monthly lecture series exploring the rich history of western North Carolina.
The hour long-program features a guest speaker and concludes with a brief Q&A session.
History Hour takes place on the last Tuesday evening of every month.

January 27th

Tuesday
6PM – 7 PM
Hybrid Event 

Ronnie Pepper

The Kingdom of the Happy Land

Ronnie Pepper will introduce attendees to the history of the Kingdom of the Happy Land and the individuals and families who resided there. In Henderson County on the border of North and South Carolina, there were a group of freed people who had a dream of a land. A land that could bring them peace, hope and a beginning of a dream. Their dream was rooted in an ancestral tribal memory and sustained by the hope for a promised land. The land on which they settled came to be known as the Kingdom of the Happy Land. Come hear the facts of the story as it has been researched and documented by the Black History Research Group of Henderson County. Hear about the documents that surround those families that resided on a Land Known as the Kingdom, presented by Ronnie Pepper.

Register

February 24th

Tuesday
6PM – 7 PM
In-Person Event 

Anne Callison Stokely

James Vester Miller: Asheville’s Artist in Brick

Anne Callison Stokely will introduce attendees to James Vester Miller (1860-1940), who built many of Asheville’s most remarkable historic brick buildings during its Golden Age of the late 19th and early 20th century, yet he remains largely unknown. Born into slavery and self-taught, his artistry and craftsmanship were sought out by Asheville’s leading architects, including Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect of the Biltmore House.  Come learn more about his life story, as well as about the James Vester Miller Walking Trail created by his granddaughter, Andrea Clark. 

Register