History@Hand was founded by Jan Schochet and Sharon Fahrer in 2002 to document the previously unrevealed history of Asheville’s Jewish community. This led to an exhibit and two books. “The Man who Lived on Main St: Stories By and about Sol Schulman” focused on a man who owned and ran a retail business for 70 years in Sylva, North Carolina. “The Family Store: A History of Jewish Businesses in Downtown Asheville, 1880-1990” was a book, but also featured an exhibit, formed the basis of an archive and produced a walking tour still in existence today.
Sharon continued to carry on as History@Hand, as Jan decided to work on other projects. Sharon created more walking tours, lectured on topics of interest and produced more than 40 interpretive history panels on varied subjects. And she wrote another book, “A Home in Shalomville: A History of Asheville’s Jewish Community.”
As History@Hand evolved, Sharon realized linking history to location was a valuable learning tool, one that “brings history to the streets” so people can relate their location to an actual story, person or event. This melding of story and location brings the past alive for both residents and visitors.
History@Hand exhibit panels can be found in many locations around Asheville. They spotlight different topics ranging from Asheville’s Jewish history to Montford, a local Asheville historic district, as well as Asheville’s Black history, history about the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and notable Ashevillians.
Some panels are inside buildings, as are many at UNC-A where they provide a biography of the building’s namesake. Other panels are on bus shelters, in museums, in parks and along city sidewalks.
History@Hand also gives five walking tours: Montford, downtown Asheville, The Family Store, Riverside Cemetery and Biltmore Village. Some of these tours are available as videos on this website.
History@Hand makes history enjoyable and accessible by bringing the past alive through the locations it honors. History@Hand was founded by Jan Schochet and Sharon Fahrer in 2002 to document the previously unrevealed history of Asheville’s Jewish community. This led to an exhibit and two books: The Man Who Lived on Main Street: Stories By and About Sol Schulman, who ran a business in Sylva, North Carolina, for 70 years, and The Family Store: A History of Jewish Businesses in Downtown Asheville from 1880-1990, which also included an exhibit, an archive and a walking tour. After Jan moved from Asheville, Sharon continued to carry on as History@Hand by creating a walking tour, lecturing and producing over 40 interpretive history panels, as well as a book: A Home in Shalom’ville: A History of Asheville’s Jewish Community.
As History@Hand evolved, it became clear to Sharon that linking history to location was a valuable learning tool, in effect bringing history to the streets so people can relate their location to a story, person or event. Also enabling locals and tourists access to history. The panels are in various locations around Asheville, highlighting not just Asheville’s Jewish history, but also the history of Montford, a local historic district within Asheville, North Carolina, Black history, UNC Asheville history and biographical panels about notable Ashevillians. Some of the panels are installed in buildings (e.g., at UNC Asheville), where they provide a brief biography of the building’s namesakes, on bus shelters, in museums, in parks and along sidewalks.
History@Hand also gives walking tours of Montford, downtown Asheville and The Family Store, Riverside Cemetery and Biltmore Village. Some of these are available as videos on this website.
History@Hand enjoys making history more accessible by bringing it to the locations it honors.
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50.6 kBLooking north on Haywood Street between Patton Avenue and College Street. The Federal building on the left is now the location of Pritchard Park.
