Asheville through my eyes: Rich in Black history
A DNA discovery led Letisha Bereola (aka 'Coach Tish") to Asheville, N.C.—and a legacy that includes one of the city's most prominent builders.
For most of my life, everything I knew about Asheville, North Carolina was through the lens of someone else. At most, it felt like there was some kind of unofficial pipeline from my native Florida to Asheville because so many people I knew would take trips there for the mountains, the hiking, bars, and overall chill vibe. But the city came alive to me in a way I never expected in the summer of 2019 when a distant cousin, Allison Rivera found me on Facebook after she’d done DNA testing through ancestry.com.
What she shared with me has filled in the gaps in my complicated family tree and has given me roots in an unexpected city.
What she discovered, after interviews with her DNA matches and a genealogist, is our ancestors have a rich history in Asheville, starting with my great-great-great-grandparents. One ancestor, in particular, James Vester Miller, is celebrated and acknowledged today for his achievements as a renowned chief brick mason, civic leader, contractor, and businessman. As soon as she shared this with me, I became a googling machine.
I confirmed I’m the great-great granddaughter of a man once known as one of the most important Black builders in Western North Carolina. His works include some of the oldest prominent Black churches that still stand today in Asheville, including Hopkins Chapel, Mount Zion Baptist Church, and Saint Matthias. His work also includes the municipal building that houses Asheville’s police and fire departments, the old U.S post office, private residences (including his own 12 to 14-room brick home in the Asheville community of Emma) and a cultural center in Asheville. Even more remarkable, he accomplished all of this during Reconstruction and Jim Crow; a man one generation from slavery was winning competitive contracts in a white-dominated construction industry. What a legacy!
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Photo: Courtesy of Letisha Bereola
Unearthing this history was quite a paradigm shift for me. I only know a few relatives on my father’s side. He wasn’t in my life after my parents divorced as a child and, like most of us who grew up without a father in the home, I had a lot of questions about where I came from. Plenty of stories and pictures from my mom’s side, barely anything from my dad’s.
I’m so glad my cousin found me. Now it was up to me to follow the trail she set before me—and that’s exactly what I did.
In 2021, I took my family to Asheville to see the Miller legacy for myself and to show my two children what’s possible for them. I was instantly welcomed by my family member Andrea Clark, Miller’s granddaughter, an esteemed photographer and someone I now consider the unofficial mayor of Black Asheville (she would laugh at this). She knows everybody and everybody knows her. She was the perfect guide because Clark is also the force behind the newly established James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail.
Together, we walked the streets of Asheville and touched Miller’s bricks At Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and read the plaque hanging in his honor at the Fire Station. As we walked into these places, Clark would introduce me as Miller’s great-great-granddaughter. The locals knew exactly who he was and shook my hand. I stood a little taller in awe of the fact that my ancestor had helped build one of America’s greatest cities—and the city doesn’t hide who helped make it what it is today, no doubt thanks to the tireless work of Andrea Clark.
For me, Asheville is now much more than the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and its laid-back eclectic vibes. It’s also a city rich in Black history. After Emancipation, James’ mother, Louisa Miller, moved from Rutherfordton, N.C. to Asheville. I know she wasn’t the only one. We have history in a city that’s grown to be one of America’ favorite getaways. So if you go, stop by one of Miller’s buildings; they’re not hard to miss. Touch the bricks. Be reminded of the beauty and excellence our ancestors contributed to society, despite the odds. If you’re like me, you’ll walk away believing if they can build a legacy their great-great-great grandchildren can be proud of, we can too.
I may have been on a quest to unearth my family history when I visited in the summer of 2021, starting my tour of the city through the eyes of a curious descendant—but by day two, the city came alive to me in a different way. It felt like a cool vacation spot, pure and simple. If you Google Asheville, North Carolina, one of the most commonly searched questions that invariably pops up is: “Is Asheville worth visiting?” The answer is a resounding yes. Asheville is absolutely worth visiting.
Here are 7 reasons to add Asheville to your travel bucket list:
- The surrounding terrain is gorgeous, so be sure to go on a hike! We took the whole family on a hike to Catawba Falls. I chose this hike because it seemed the most family-friendly. We put our one-and-a-half-year-old in her carrier and my five-year-old did the trek with us. He did get a little tired on the way back, but he made it! I’d suggest you pack a lunch and some snacks so when you get to the falls, you can stop and take it all in over lunch.
- We stayed in a vacation rental and had a great booking experience using Greybeard Rentals. I liked that they had a variety of options and had a local team with extensive local knowledge. We ended up staying in the nearby town of Old Fort, in the mountains. I liked getting that outdoorsy experience in the morning and evenings and spending our days in the city of Asheville proper, which was a short 20-minute drive away.
- Even if you stay somewhere else, go walk the grounds of the Omni Grove Park Inn. The views are incredible and you’ll want to take tons of pictures. My favorite part was seeing the pictures of all the presidents who visited the grounds. The chimney in the lobby is breathtaking and I have a little bit of FOMO about the spa. Just look at the pictures. My girlfriends and I plan to make a return trip just for this!
- Speaking of spas, we visited during my birthday so I wanted to do something special for myself. I went to Asheville Massage & Bodywork, Sauna & Foot Soak for a little self-indulgence. It was located off of the vibrant thoroughfare of Merrimon Avenue, so I got to see a busy section of the city with restaurants and shops. The spa was affordable, quaint, and just what I needed to bring in my 37th birthday.
- It’s also worth taking a brief road trip to Lake Lure. Less than an hour from Asheville, it’s the perfect little cove of mountains and a sandy beach around the lake. My brother and sister-in-law said it reminded them of the famed Lake Como, Italy with the mountains, lake, shops, and overall breathtaking vibes. The drive over was especially fun. The winding roads through the mountain made for a stunning and occasionally heart-stopping drive, all at once.
- Of course, the highlight of my trip was going on the free, self-guided walking tour of the buildings crafted by my great-great-grandfather, James Vester Miller. As I explained above, Miller was an African-American master brick mason who built churches, commercial buildings, and homes all across Asheville. Self-taught and the son of a slave, it was incredible to touch and feel the bricks that still stand today. His work was widely regarded as the best in the area. If you really want to get a taste of historic Asheville, I suggest you grab a brochure and walk a few blocks. It’s just another layer of what makes the city so great.
- Finally, if you need some inspiration or some local advice on where to go and what to do, I suggest you stop by Asheville’s Visitor Center in downtown Asheville. We stopped here to pick up our walking trail brochures and I was impressed right away—the center is huge! The staff there was friendly and helpful; also, the website says you can pick up some coupons for some of the city’s top tourist spots.
Cheers to exploring a new city tucked away near the mountains!
Letisha Bereola is a life coach who helps ambitious women overcome burnout and reach their career goals so they feel great at work and happy at home. She’s a former Emmy-nominated TV news anchor, Podcast host of AUDACITY and speaker. Learn more: www.coachtish.co
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