Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty is honored to announce that our office at 46 Orchard St. in Asheville, N.C., has received a prestigious Griffin Award for Rehabilitation from the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County (PSABC).
Presented during the 46th Annual Griffin Awards on May 21, the award recognizes outstanding efforts to preserve and rehabilitate historic properties throughout Buncombe County. The Griffin Awards celebrate projects and individuals whose work demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship, respect for historic character and materials, and a meaningful contribution to the community.
Breathing new life into historic Asheville landmark
Constructed in 1923, the building at 46 Orchard St. (just north of downtown Asheville) was originally a residence built for Harriet and Claude Edwards. In the early 20th century, the Edwards family operated several apartment units from the property; the building continued serving as apartments until the 1990s.
When Mosaic purchased the property, the team was excited by the opportunity to rehabilitate a centrally located building filled with architectural character and abundant natural light. “Since the end of the pandemic we had been looking for a bigger home for Mosaic to provide more space for our growing team and a greater sense of community,” says Mosaic building manager Rachel Figura, who coordinated the renovation. “46 Orchard had great bones, ample parking, energy efficiency upgrades, and tons of natural light, so we knew at once it was the right fit for us.”
Equally intriguing were some of its mysteries, including the dual front doors and an unusual floor plan. “We learned that 46 Orchard St. was built with dual front doors – one for the [Edwards] family, and one for the tenants housed upstairs,” says Figura. “We discovered that an upstairs open-air sleeping porch had originally been part of the back of the house, partially enclosed in the 1940s, and fully enclosed during the 1970s. Harriet’s father, Jethro Miller, was a local carpenter, so it’s not hard to imagine that he had a large role in the construction.”
Honoring the past through skilled craftsmanship at 46 Orchard Street
The property had endured decades of deferred maintenance and required extensive rehabilitation work. The rehabilitation warranted careful attention to both historic preservation and modern functionality. For example, when the original siding proved too deteriorated to restore, the project team invested in custom-milled 10-inch German lap siding that precisely matched the profile of the original material.
Another major issue was preserving the foundation. “Our largest renovation challenge was leveling the first floor without damaging the original brick foundation,” says Figura. “Repairing the mortar in the foundation was no small feat and required bringing in sand from Virginia Beach to match the color.”
A priority during the renovation was retaining as much of the home’s historic details while bringing the property into the 21st century. “We prioritized keeping the original trim and upstairs floors, sourcing historic heart of pine narrow plank floorboards to repair a damaged area of the upstairs floor and making trim to match the existing one for some places it was missing,” says Figura. “We installed historic crystal doorknobs, drawer pulls, hinges and mother of pearl push button light switches. We were able to keep two existing built-ins including retrofitting the grain bin in the kitchen to be a regular cabinet.”
A collaborative achievement
The Griffin Award recognizes the many talented professionals who contributed to the successful rehabilitation of 46 Orchard St. Honorees include Asheville Flooring LLC, Astralwerks Architectural Finishes, CJE Roofing and Exterior, Greg Podlesney, JAG Construction, Jonathan Cervantes, Kacia Jurdi, Michael and Rachel Figura, Mr. Rooter Plumbing, Ryan Morin of Luxgrain, Volt Electric USA, and Willis Home Improvements.
The Griffin Awards recognize excellence across several categories, including adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, stewardship, research, education and compatible infill construction within historic districts.
Curious to see Mosaic’s new office in person? We invite clients, neighbors and community members to stop by and experience this beautifully restored piece of Asheville history for themselves. And for more information on real estate in Asheville or Western N.C., please contact us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call us anytime at 828-707-9556.
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