ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville has completed debris removal at Riverside Cemetery as part of the ongoing restoration efforts following Hurricane Helene.
Riverside Cemetery will return to its regular hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, beginning Monday, Aug. 18.
City staff will continue to keep an eye on Riverside, providing additional restoration as needed, such as replanting grass in places where there were rootball disturbances.
Restoring Riverside
“We are grateful for the community’s patience and understanding during this final phase of debris removal, which began on July 22 and involved careful removal to protect gravesites and ensure safety,” wrote Jessica Hughes, city communications specialist, in a press release.
“Completing this work marks a critical milestone in restoring one of Asheville’s historic and culturally significant spaces,” added Asheville Parks & Recreation Director D. Tyrell McGirt. “We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we worked to preserve this landmark for generations to come.”
For more information about visiting Riverside Cemetery, visit www.ashevillenc.gov/locations/riverside-cemetery.
Want to learn about those buried at Riverside Cemetery? Check out our Tombstone Tales series.
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Tombstone Tales: Edward Lindsay Shuford, Asheville’s beloved veterinarian
At Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, the grave of Dr. Edward Lindsay Shuford, DVM, bears the words “He loved all creatures great and small,” honoring a life devoted to the care of animals.
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Tombstone Tales: Carrie Cone Long, Jewish community leader
Carrie Cone Long, sister of textile magnates Moses and Ceasar Cone, became a leader in Asheville’s Jewish community through her work with Beth Ha-Tephila and the North Carolina Association of Jewish Women.
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Tombstone Tales: The life and death of Ben Addison, Eagle Street merchant
Ben Addison, a respected Black merchant on Asheville’s historic Eagle Street, was gunned down in 1906 during a desperado’s rampage that also claimed two police officers. His grave at Riverside Cemetery bears a haunting inscription: “Killed by a Desperado.”
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Tombstone Tales: The gentlewoman and philosopher of Hendersonville
Henrietta “Hennie” Whitted Price (1864–1923) was a Hendersonville native, poet, and composer whose life took her from the Blue Ridge to Chicago before returning to rest in Oakdale Cemetery.
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Tombstone Tales: Before the Science Guy, there was Bill Nye the Humorist
Before there was “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” another Bill Nye made America laugh. Edgar Wilson Nye, a 19th-century humorist and journalist, found his final resting place in Fletcher. His memorial and grave at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard still draw visitors curious about the man once known as “Bill Nye the Humorist.”