The Charles Parker Papers consist of architectural drawings, notes, and correspondence. All of the architectural drawings (except for a select few) are Parker’s designs, 1924-1929, of the Grove Arcade. The few that are not of the Grove Arcade are Parker’s designs of area homes in the 1920s. The Grove Arcade architectural drawings fall into several different types of architectural drawings. These are: sketches, design development drawings, working drawings, and presentation drawings. The subjects of these drawings are the completed building, the exterior façade, floor plans, exterior detail elements (such as engravings), and structural engineering. In terms of material composition, the Grove Arcade architectural drawings are either graphite on tracing paper, brown prints, or watercolor on heavier paper. Besides architectural drawings, there are handwritten notes by Parker and architectural supply lists. There are also several letters written by one of Parker’s clients, and a newspaper clipping advertising a Grove subdivision. From 1924 to 1929 Charles Parker (1885-1961) worked as an architect in the construction of the Grove Arcade, a shopping center in Asheville, North Carolina. The Grove Arcade was commissioned by local multi-millionaire E. W. Grove in the beginning of Asheville’s Golden Age. It spans a city block, is five stories high, and is decorated with engravings and other detail work. Parker was a well-known architect in Asheville for his work on residential homes. The Grove Arcade thrived as a shopping center in the 1930s, but spent the rest of the 20th century as an office building. In 2002, the structure was restored to its original glory as a shopping center.
