The late Harold Thoms chose to rent for the first 15 years of his marriage because he had no interest in simply owning some house, somewhere. Instead, he held out for his dream, found land to match his aspirations, built a charmingly un-stuffy estate, and left it as a cherished legacy for two succeeding generations. His actions accrue to our benefit. Were you starting today, there’s no way you could find so much unspoiled land just three miles from Pack Square in downtown Asheville. Such land had to pass intact from the family who first had the vision, to a group with a vision for what it can be. To the great good fortune of those who will live here, it has.
The original Thoms Estate was as much built by Harold Thoms as for him. Spurred by love for his wife Meredith, daughter Matilann, and granddaughter Selene (all seen in the photo frame above), Harold raised a cabin (also in photos above) using trees he cleared from the dream house site. He built forms for the huge foundation of this dream house (above), and ran the bulldozer to build the dam to save the great maple (above) that still stands on these grounds. Harold’s hands-on involvement held a certain logic, as his career began in construction, and he never ducked a challenge. But more amazingly, he built all this while also building a communications empire – newspapers, radio stations, and Asheville’s first cable TV system – and transforming Thoms Rehabilitation Hospital (which did not yet bear his name) into a great institution, and serving on numerous boards and doing sundry good works... all while being a loving and attentive patriarch, vigorous ethical advocate, and tireless practical joker.
No wonder the emerging evolution of The Thoms Estate vibrates with lively warmth. The animating spirit here runs true to its beginnings. And its beginner.
This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy where prohibited by law.