Richmond Hill Inn

Richmond Hill Inn was a historic lodging property on the Richmond Hill estate near Asheville, North Carolina. The inn occupied a Queen Anne-style mansion completed in 1889 for Richmond Pearson, an ambassador and congressman, and named after both Pearson and its designer, James G. Hill. During Pearson’s lifetime, the residence functioned as an important setting for social and political activity in the Asheville area. Its period features included running water, ten fireplaces, and a pulley-operated baggage elevator, amenities that made it unusually sophisticated for its era. The property’s preservation history was central to its identity. After Pearson’s heirs sold the estate in 1984, the mansion faced possible demolition. The Preservation Society intervened and arranged for the structure to be moved approximately 600 feet on the estate grounds. A restoration reported to have cost $3 million followed, and the building reopened in 1989 as a country-house-style inn. The first and principal building contained 12 guest rooms on its second and third floors, while the ground floor included Gabrielle’s restaurant, Oak Hall, a library, and a front parlor. The surrounding estate, beside the French Broad River, provided gardens, lawns, and a setting that supported the property’s positioning as a historic and destination-oriented retreat rather than a conventional urban hotel. The lodging operation expanded during the 1990s. In 1990, eight cottages and a manicured croquet court were added. In 1996, the Garden Pavilion opened with 16 additional guest rooms overlooking a Victorian parterre-style garden. These additions broadened the property’s accommodation capacity while retaining its emphasis on historic architecture, landscaped grounds, leisure, and events. At its mature pre-fire configuration, the inn therefore combined the restored mansion with cottages and a newer pavilion complex. On March 19, 2009, the historic mansion was destroyed by a fire officially treated as arson. The blaze also destroyed Gabrielle’s restaurant and fundamentally changed the property. Investigators examined the circumstances amid foreclosure proceedings and financial disputes involving the ownership entity. No criminal arrests were made. In December 2012, however, a federal jury found the ownership company, The Hammocks LLC, responsible for the fire in the context of an insurance dispute, and the insurance claim was denied. The property continued operating for a period under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, although the principal mansion and restaurant were gone. In August 2011, OM Sanctuary, also identified as Oshun Mountain Sanctuary, acquired the property. The organization intended to use the surviving estate, including cottages and approximately 54 acres, as a holistic education and wellness retreat center. The former inn therefore ceased to be primarily a conventional historic hotel, while the site continued to have a hospitality and retreat function. The surrounding landscape has also remained part of broader conservation efforts. By early 2025, Richmond Hill Park was reported as having expanded from about 180 acres to nearly 263 acres, protecting forested land along the French Broad River. The historic mansion itself remains destroyed, and the original Richmond Hill Inn is best classified as defunct, with successor retreat uses occupying parts of the estate.

The Richmond Hill Inn developed from a late-nineteenth-century estate associated with Richmond Pearson, an ambassador and congressman. Pearson commissioned a Queen Anne-style mansion that was completed in 1889. James G. Hill is identified as the building’s designer, and the property’s name reflects the combination of Pearson’s first name and Hill’s surname. The mansion stood on an estate beside the French Broad River, with rolling grounds and gardens. Contemporary descriptions emphasized its unusually advanced domestic facilities, including running water, ten fireplaces, and a mechanical baggage elevator. During Pearson’s residence, the house was a venue for social and political life in the Asheville region. The property became a preservation concern after Pearson’s heirs sold the Richmond Hill estate in 1984. The Preservation Society prevented demolition by arranging the relocation of the mansion roughly 600 feet from its original position. The move was followed by a major restoration reported at approximately $3 million. In 1989, the restored building reopened as the Richmond Hill Inn. Its second and third floors contained 12 guest rooms. Public areas on the first floor included Gabrielle’s restaurant, Oak Hall, a library, and a front parlor. The operating concept used the architectural character of the mansion as the foundation for destination lodging and dining. Expansion continued after reopening. In 1990, the estate added eight cottages and a formal croquet court. Architect Jim Samsel designed these additions, which extended the inn’s accommodation and leisure facilities beyond the mansion. In 1996, another Samsel-designed structure, the Garden Pavilion, was completed. It provided 16 guest rooms and overlooked a Victorian parterre-style garden. The resulting property combined a historic main house, detached cottages, garden-oriented rooms, restaurant facilities, and landscaped recreation areas. The inn’s most consequential event occurred on March 19, 2009, when a fire destroyed the historic mansion. Officials determined that the fire had been intentionally set, and the circumstances attracted scrutiny because foreclosure proceedings and financial disputes were already associated with the property. The ownership company had reportedly fallen behind on mortgage payments, and legal proceedings involving the inn were underway. The fire led to an insurance and bankruptcy dispute. Although no criminal arrests were made, a federal jury ruled in December 2012 that The Hammocks LLC was responsible for the fire for purposes of the civil insurance case, resulting in denial of the insurance claim. The inn reportedly continued operating for a period under Chapter 11 protection, but the destruction of the mansion and Gabrielle’s restaurant removed the core of its historic hotel identity. In August 2011, OM Sanctuary, also known as Oshun Mountain Sanctuary, purchased the property. Its plan was to convert the surviving estate into a holistic education and wellness retreat center. The cottages survived the fire and supported continued retreat use, even though the original mansion no longer existed. The later history of the site is therefore one of transition from historic inn to retreat and conservation property. The estate’s river-adjacent landscape remains important to its identity, while nearby Richmond Hill Park has been expanded through conservation work. By early 2025, the protected area was reported to cover nearly 263 acres, compared with approximately 180 acres previously. The original Richmond Hill Inn operation is defunct, but portions of the estate continue to be associated with retreat activities and landscape preservation.

• 2025

  Conservation area reported at nearly 263 acres

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  Conservation efforts were reported to have expanded Richmond Hill Park from approximately 180 acres to nearly 263 acres.

• 2012

  Civil jury rules against ownership company

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  A federal jury found The Hammocks LLC responsible for the fire in the insurance dispute, and the claim was denied.

• 2011

  OM Sanctuary purchases the property

  [2]OM Sanctuary official websiteomsanctuary.org

  OM Sanctuary acquired the estate with plans for a holistic education and wellness retreat center.

• 2009

  Historic mansion destroyed by arson fire

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  The principal mansion and Gabrielle’s restaurant were destroyed in a fire officially ruled arson.

• 1996

  Garden Pavilion opens

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  A new pavilion designed by Jim Samsel added 16 guest rooms overlooking a Victorian parterre-style garden.

• 1990

  Cottages and croquet court added

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  Eight cottages and a manicured croquet court expanded the estate’s lodging and leisure offer.

• 1989

  Restored mansion reopens as an inn

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  Following relocation and a major restoration, the mansion opened as the Richmond Hill Inn with 12 guest rooms and public dining and reception areas.

• 1984

  Estate sold and threatened with demolition

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  Pearson heirs sold the Richmond Hill estate, after which preservation advocates intervened to save the mansion.

• 1889

  Queen Anne mansion completed

  [1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  The mansion later associated with Richmond Hill Inn was completed for Richmond Pearson, with James G. Hill identified as its designer.

A preservation-led country inn and estate retreat combining historic architecture, landscaped grounds, destination lodging, dining, and leisure programming.

• Accommodation · 1989

  Historic mansion guest rooms

  The restored Queen Anne mansion contained 12 guest rooms on its second and third floors when the inn opened in 1989. The rooms formed the architectural and experiential center of the property, which marketed the preserved nineteenth-century residence as destination lodging. The mansion was destroyed by fire in 2009.

• Accommodation · 1990

  Estate cottages

  Eight cottages were added to the estate in 1990. Positioned near the croquet grounds, they expanded the property beyond the mansion and later survived the 2009 fire. The cottages subsequently supported the site’s retreat-oriented use.

• Accommodation · 1996

  Garden Pavilion

  Opened in 1996, the Garden Pavilion was a separate building designed by Jim Samsel. It contained 16 guest rooms and overlooked a Victorian parterre-style garden, adding newer accommodations while maintaining the estate’s emphasis on gardens and historic character.

• Dining · 1989

  Gabrielle’s restaurant

  Gabrielle’s was the restaurant located on the first floor of the restored mansion. It was part of the inn’s lodging, dining, and events proposition until the mansion and restaurant were destroyed in the 2009 fire.

• Hospitality services · 1989

  Estate leisure and events

  The property offered estate-based leisure and event experiences supported by Oak Hall, a library, a front parlor, formal gardens, river-adjacent grounds, and a croquet court. These facilities complemented the inn’s positioning as a destination country estate rather than a standard roadside hotel.

• 2012

  Insurance litigation over responsibility for the fire

  A federal jury found The Hammocks LLC responsible for the fire in the civil insurance dispute, and the insurer’s claim denial prevailed. The ruling did not result in reported criminal charges.

  Source

• 2009

  Arson fire and foreclosure-related scrutiny

  The mansion was destroyed by a fire officially ruled arson while foreclosure and financial disputes involving the property were underway. No criminal arrests were made, but the circumstances prompted investigation and extensive civil litigation.

  Source

Read more

• 2011

  Transfer the estate to OM SanctuaryM&A

  Background

  After the 2009 fire and the property’s bankruptcy and insurance disputes, a new use was sought for the surviving estate.

  Action taken

  OM Sanctuary purchased the property and planned to operate it as a holistic education and wellness retreat center.

  Aftermath

  The site moved away from its former historic-hotel model, with surviving cottages supporting retreat activities.

  Source

• 1996

  Open the Garden PavilionProduct launch

  Background

  The inn continued expanding its room inventory and garden-oriented facilities.

  Action taken

  A Jim Samsel-designed Garden Pavilion opened with 16 guest rooms overlooking a Victorian parterre-style garden.

  Aftermath

  The property added a modern accommodation building while retaining its historic and landscaped-estate character.

  Source

• 1990

  Expand accommodation and leisure facilitiesStrategy

  Background

  The operating estate required additional lodging and amenities beyond the restored mansion.

  Action taken

  Eight cottages and a manicured croquet court were added to the grounds.

  Aftermath

  The inn broadened its capacity and strengthened its country-estate positioning.

  Source

• 1989

  Convert the preserved mansion into a destination innStrategy

  Background

  After the mansion was saved from demolition, relocated, and restored, the estate was repositioned as historic lodging with dining and event spaces.

  Action taken

  The restored building opened as Richmond Hill Inn with guest rooms, Gabrielle’s restaurant, Oak Hall, a library, and a front parlor.

  Aftermath

  The property established its identity as a preservation-led country inn and later expanded with cottages and a garden pavilion.

  Reported restoration cost. $3 million (Before the 1989 reopening)

  Source

• 2025

  Richmond Hill Park conservation area expands[1]Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  By early 2025, conservation efforts had expanded Richmond Hill Park from approximately 180 acres to nearly 263 acres, preserving forested land along the French Broad River.

• 2011

  OM Sanctuary acquires the estate for retreat use[2]OM Sanctuary official websiteomsanctuary.org

  M&A

  OM Sanctuary purchased the property and announced plans to develop it as a holistic education and wellness retreat center. Surviving cottages remained part of the site.

1. 1Richmond Hill Innen.wikipedia.org
2. 2OM Sanctuary official websiteomsanctuary.org