An anonymous creek that runs through West Asheville’s Falconhurst community has been claimed and could get a name in coming months. Residents are working with RiverLink and the City of Asheville on a formal process to name the creek that runs roughly parallel to Louisiana Avenue through to Patton Avenue.
Falconhurst is a community in West Asheville, bounded by Haywood Road and Louisiana, Mitchell and Patton avenues.
The creek begins along Dunwell Street, squarely between Pruitt and Tryon streets. It runs parallel to Dunwell, crossing Tanglewood as it flows through the neighborhood Smith Mill Creek, a tributary of the French Broad River.
While it doesn’t have a name, the creek has not escaped the notice of the people who live by it. For months, neighbors have been working with RiverLink and the City on the naming process, one that has now led to a survey. So help us “name that creek.”
Take the survey
Here are the three creek names under consideration and the history behind them.
- Hayes Creek – named after Rutherford P. Hayes, son of former president Rutherford B. Hayes. He purchased a 1,200-acre farm in West Asheville in 1897, including the Falconhurst farm. The property was used as an experimental agricultural station and the basis for many projects instrumental to the area’s and Asheville’s overall development. His home still stands in the heart of the Falconhurst neighborhood at 93 Blue Ridge Ave.
- Falcon Springs Creek – The creek itself is fed by a number of springs in the backyards of a few local residents. Falcon Springs Creek is a nod to the natural habitat of the creek path, a reference to the neighborhood’s name Falconhurst and a tribute to the big population of falcons that used to fly the skies of Western North Carolina.
- Fox Creek – The natural habitat surrounding the creek will soon be developed into Craggy Park, a tract of 45 houses. Many neighbors have spotted at least one fox who still lives in the woods around the creek and wanted a name that honors the animals that still live in our midst.
Which name do you favor? Take the RiverLink creek-naming survey.
Naming of creeks
After a name is chosen it must be approved by Asheville City Council; then it is submitted to the United States Geological Survey and eventually becomes the official name for the creek. Since the project’s inception, RiverLink has sponsored three successful creek name changes with the help of community volunteers:
- Buttermilk Creek, a tributary of Hominy Creek in West Asheville.
- Penland Creek, which runs along Waynesville Avenue in West Asheville, through the New Belgium Brewing site and into the French Broad River.
- Big Branch, a tributary of Reems Creek in Weaverville.
This map shows where the currently unnamed creek runs through West Asheville.
