Laying the Groundwork

Work began at the construction site in January of 1890. Water lines were laid, rail spurs were constructed, and brick production began. Contractors contributed to this early infrastructure work by building workshops on the Esplanade, re-grading the site, and processing building materials arriving around the same time. The project required six months of work before crews could start constructing the main building.

One year later, in June of 1891, stonemasons laid the first stone in the west wall of the South Terrace. Starting there was a carefully calculated choice: it would provide a place to put debris removed from foundation trenches, and, with a retaining wall 18 feet wide and 40 feet high, the South Terrace tested whether the method used to dig footings would work for the rest of the project.

Work on the foundation progressed from the southwest corner of the South Terrace to the northeast corner of the Stable, concluding on December 28, 1891. The diagonal workflow allowed workers setting stones to come behind and start putting up walls as soon as one section of the foundation was complete.

Construction was subject to the climate of Western North Carolina. During the first two months of 1891, rain and low temperatures stopped work for thirteen non-consecutive days. When this occurred, not only did work grind to a halt, but workers were sent home without pay.