This 5-gabled free-classic Queen Anne Victorian home was built in 1892 by former Buncombe County Sheriff William McCame Worley
on 55 acres of land deeded from his father Wiley Jackson Worley, also a former Buncombe
County Sheriff. The 14 room 5 bedroom 2.5 bath home consists of 3,568 square
feet, 3 porches comprising of 750 total square feet, 7 fireplaces and sits on a
large park-like lot just 1.5 miles from Asheville and 1.5 miles from West
Asheville.
According to "A History of Buncombe County NC" by F.A. Sondley, LL.D. 1930,
T.F. Reeves, Cane Worley [as he is sometimes incorrectly referred to; but actually, he was nicknamed "Came"] and Bailey V. Jones were important tobacco men
in those days, being associated in the operation of one of the most important warehouses in the town. Major W.W. Rollins and
J.M. Smith rented the Farmer's Warehouse from the James Thomas estate after Mr.
Barnard had ceased operations there. The Buncombe Warehouse was operated by
Came Worley, Dr.
J.M. Stevens and L.L. Childs and a second market was operated by Mr. Barnard called the Banner Warehouse.
This was around 1892-1896.
According to "Cabins & Castles", a local architectural guide, the
house is a rambling two-story frame central-hallway house incorporating a
somewhat earlier one-story saddlebag-plan house as ell. Nice scrollwork brackets the posts on shed porch of earlier house. Porch of later section
has
paired Tuscan columns. Elaborately cut-out gable ornament, boxed and molded
cornice with returns. Some molded window cornices. Fine milled woodwork on
interior includes mantel composition (trabeated over mantel with beveled
mirror) from "Jones Lumber Co., Knoxville, Tenn., 1898." Closed
stringer stairway in hall. Worley made money in lumber and tobacco before going
into politics. [Factually, he became Sheriff after making money in the tobacco
business.]
Special thanks go to
Frank McCame Worley, grandson of William and son of Robert, for these extraordinary photographs.
Mr. Worley lived with his grandparents, Frank Winter and Dora
"Crisp" Russell (on his mother's side) for several years. They moved in
about 1930 after his grandmother Dora had a stroke.
Also,
thanks go to Mark Reese Sumner, grandson of William and son of Margaret
Katherine, for the many photographs, verification and invaluable stories
associated with Worley Place.
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