Hendersonville

Hendersonville, North Carolina is a charming, 2,200-foot elevation mountain community steeped in history and cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains. With a population of 13,000, it is a quarter the size of Asheville, its "uptown" neighbor to the north. The area offers a healthy economic base and attracts visitors to its plentiful outdoor recreational opportunities such as hiking, golf, fishing and horseback riding. Its history has been preserved through its many museums and historic properties, and the area is also host to numerous cultural events, an active arts scene, and more. With so many unique features, it's easy to see why Hendersonville in a popular choice for those looking to retire or relocate in the Southeast.

Hendersonville is home to two full-service medical facilities. The Pardee Hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds and has 238 physicians and dentists on its staff, as well as 175 physicians with full admitting privileges. Pardee has a nationally recognized Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Center for Joint Replacement. It is the second largest employer in Henderson County and has 1,200 employees.

Park Ridge Health, part of the Adventist Health System, offers audiology and cardiology services and a 24/7 emergency room. The Laurel Park Medical Center is staffed with internal medicine and family practice physicians who specialize in treating the adult population.

In Asheville, about 20 miles to the north, is Mission Hospital, nationally recognized for its excellence in cardiology and heart services at the Owen Heart Center. It has also been ranked in the "Top 50 Orthopedic Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report. Memorial Mission also has a Level II Trauma Center.

Hendersonville golf offerings consist of five public courses located in and around the area.

  • Hendersonville has two 18-hole layouts: Crooked Creek Golf Course and Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club. Orchard Trace Golf Club, also in Hendersonville, offers an 18-hole, par-3 executive course that is fully lighted for night play.
  • Neighboring Fletcher has Broadmoor Golf Links and Southern Tee Golf Course, another 18-hole, par-3 executive course. Nearby is the 27-hole Etowah Valley Country Club and Golf Lodge.
  • Just south of Hendersonville in Flat Rock is the nine-hole Highland Lake Golf Club.
  • Hendersonville is replete with historic, natural, educational, and just plain intriguing places to visit.
  • In 1988, Hendersonville's downtown was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Some 35 structures in commercial and neoclassical building style line Main Street, in the typical pattern of commercial districts where buildings adjoin each other in district rows.
  • The Henderson County Historical Museum has a collection of artifacts displaying the history of the area's early settlers, and The Mineral and Lapidary Museum exhibits native minerals, Indian artifacts, and gems.
  • The historic Hendersonville Courthouse is now a second home for the Flat Rock Playhouse live performances.
  • Other historic districts in the city are Druid Hills, Hyman Heights, Seventh Avenue, Westside, Lenox Park and Cold Spring.
  • The Western North Carolina Air Museum at Hendersonville Airport houses a collection of restored and replica aircraft.
  • Nearby Flat Rock, just a few minutes south of Hendersonville, is home to Connemara, the estate of poet, historian and author Carl Sandburg, who spent the final 22 years of his life here (and where his wife raised prize-winning goats). Built in the 1830's, the home is filled with a collection of his books and notes.
  • Also in Flat Rock is St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church, originally built as a private chapel in 1833 and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Many well-known Southern aristocrats are buried in the adjoining graveyard, including members of the families of three signers of the Declaration of Independence.
  • In nearby Asheville, you can enjoy The North Carolina Arboretum, which offers more than 400 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits and 65 acres of cultivated gardens.
  • North on the Blue Ridge Parkway is The Folk-Art Center. This popular attraction has a wonderful gallery of locally made fine arts and crafts to view and purchase, and offers demonstrations and fairs throughout the year.