A History Of Rabbit’s Motel

Rabbit’s Motel sat in the heart of Southside, a historically Black community that was connected to a network of other early Black-Asheville residential and business communities.

Southside held a vital business and entertainment sector as much as The Block downtown, a center of Black commercialism and one of the largest black-owned business districts in the South. The Block was adjacent to East End, home of Stephans-Lee High School, the only public African-American school in Western North Carolina, which was taught with University professors from around the country.

Southside was a mix of businesses ranging from funeral homes and drive-in diners, and held an entertainment hub of hotels and bar-clubs frequented by chitlin’ circuit touring groups as well as the thriving local music scene of Black musicians and bands.

Municipal neglect to these communities allowed widespread blight, which created the The practices of Urban Renewal upended these historic communities over a period of 30 years. Entire neighborhoods were removed, roads were redrawn. Communities and their sense of belonging and connection were dismantled. In just the East Riverside area alone: “we lost more than 1,100 homes, six beauty parlors, five barber shops, five filling stations, fourteen grocery stores, three laundromats, eight apartment houses, seven churches, three shoe shops, two cabinet shops, two auto body shops, one hotel, five funeral homes, one hospital, and three doctor’s offices.” (Reverend Wesley Grant)