Flames burst from the roof of the Flat Iron Hotel in Asheville the night of Sept. 14.
A fire started in a metal exhaust vent around 10:45 p.m., according to the Asheville Fire Department, causing the hotel to be evacuated. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The blaze is the latest chapter in the Flat Iron’s century-long history. Here are five things to know about the building and its place in downtown Asheville.
An architectural icon
Finished in 1927, the Flat Iron Building is among Asheville’s finest examples of Roaring Twenties architecture. Architect Albert C. Wirth was inspired by the more famous Flatiron Building in his home of New York City.
The Flat Iron rose into Asheville’s skyline around the same time as other icons like the Jackson Building (1924), Battery Park Hotel (1924), and Asheville City Hall (1928). Wirth adorned the nine-story, 52,000-square-foot structure’s distinctive wedge shape with limestone mouldings, decorative carvings, terrazzo and marble flooring, and a copper parapet that rings the roof.
Due to its age and architectural merit, the Flat Iron is included in the Downtown Asheville Historic District, first listed by the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Break for the ‘Singing Brakeman’
One of the Flat Iron’s most notable early tenants was WWNC, Asheville’s first radio station. Funded by the Chamber of Commerce, the station built two 100-foot radio towers on top of the building, broadcasting the signal across Western North Carolina and beyond.
Live performers on the station included Jimmie Rodgers, who would later become known as “The Singing Brakeman” and the “Father of Country Music.” Rodgers had moved to Asheville in search of railroad work, but began singing and playing on WWNC as a volunteer.
Those broadcasts earned the attention of Victor Records, who signed Rodgers and brought him to national success, with over 12 million records sold. A state historical plaque downtown now memorializes the performer’s start in Asheville.
A controversial conversion
For its first 90 years, the Flat Iron’s many offices hosted a wide range of small businesses, from lawyers and physicians to therapists and graphic designers. That changed in 2019, after Asheville City Council voted to allow the building’s conversion into a hotel.
The move was highly controversial, with residents expressing concern over the displacement of local business for the tourism industry. But supporters — including current state Sen. Julie Mayfield, whose cast the pivotal Council vote for the project after initially opposing it — felt that hotel use was the only viable path toward preserving the building for the future.
The Flat Iron Hotel opened in 2024, following lengthy construction delays due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel features 71 rooms across six floors, along with a rooftop bar, speakeasy, and the Italian-Appalachian restaurant Luminosa.
Beacon of hope
In the months following Hurricane Helene, the hotel installed a 7-foot illuminated star on its rooftop as a symbol of Asheville’s resilience and goodwill.
The star echoed a similar installation in 1929, when WWNC placed a star on its radio tower to advertise for a Christmas charity campaign. Newspaper articles from the time recall how Mayor Gallatin Roberts lit the beacon shortly before the holiday after the community raised $3,500 — well over $65,000 in today’s dollars — to support those in need.
The 2024 star also advertised a charitable effort, the Saint Nicholas Project toy drive run by Eblen Charities. “It’s bringing back a tradition of hope in a time of uncertainty,” Shane Dawson, a leader of the creative team behind the star, told the Citizen Times.
Michelin recognition
The Flat Iron’s signature restaurant, Luminosa, earned national attention last year after receiving Bib Gourmand and Green Star awards. Those honors recognized the restaurant’s exceptional value and commitment to sustainable practices.
Luminosa features an Italian-inspired menu deeply influenced by Appalachian ingredients and seasonality. Signature dishes, according to executive chef Graham House, include bone marrow tator tots, lemon pizza, and gnochhi.
Luminosa was also named to USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list. It was one of three North Carolina establishments to get that nod, along with Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in Asheville and manna restaurant in Wilmington.
Reporting by Daniel Walton, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
