that time here into what is now mission hospital in asheville. ring\ we are sitting at one of the most before places in north carolina, in my opinion. the cove is a place mother and that he felt years ago they had this vision where people could come and study the word of god. now, many adults cannot go to a bible school for six months. they cannot take six months off and did a bible school. but they can come for five days to the cove for an intense bible study. so that is their vision, to bring people here, to be able to study the word of god. the only book we use here at the cove is the bible. and every teacher that comes uses the bible as their textbook. we two hotels of the property, and we have the main conference center of there. we're we are sitting right now

is the chapel, and my mother was very influential in a lot of what happened around here. she loved the chapel and wanted to keep it simple. she said no state glass windows. you cannot beat what god has put outside these windows, so no state glass windows. she came out when they when they were putting the steeple on, and she was not pleased at all because it was not high enough. so she would say, it is not high go, howand they would high do you wanted to go? it kept going higher and higher, and as soon as it could not get any higher, she said that will be fine. i do not know if he had a goal. he knew what he wanted to do, to do anything he could to serve god in whatever way god wanted him to serve. so he began slowly and with used for crisis, all of a sudden, they realized there were meetings. he also realized when he gave an

invitation, the first time he gave an invitation, only 10 or 11 people came forward, and he realized there was a gift to their god had given him a gift that he could at the end of a message give an invitation for people to come forward and accept jesus christ as their savior. and they would come. he went to california to have a meeting. they called them crusades back then. , and a tent was set up, and they began to have a sawdust tent that you think of in those days, and he began to preach and crowds began to come slowly, not very big crowds at first, and they stayed a week longer and were asked to stay it would longer, and after a while, mr. hearst said to his people, go -- and that is how he got started.

did that.hing is god daddy never met mr. hearst. that is what started his fame, so people began to pour in had the time in a tense, and it lasted longer and longer. mr. graham: i'm glad to tell you tonight that jesus christ, the son of god, is crisis, the son of god, has an answer to every burden that you carry. break forget every sin, any coil or rope or chain that may be binding you at this moment. anything that may be bothering you because of your sins. yes, jesus has the answer to life's problems. >> he was invited to the white house by president truman. they met with the president, i do not all that -- i do not know all that was said, but he came

out and told some of the press and some of the people what had gone on in that eating and then he got on in his meeting in the white house and they fed -- they had a prayer. and he realized that he made a big mistake, that is not what you do, and then from president truman on, he met with every president. these are the presidents come and i think there is every president except our president trump, because at that time i do not think they had hung the one 95thking a daddy's birthday, because he did attend daddy's 95th birthday. one of the things they talked about most, because they had common together, was president reagan, who has great -- had great respect for him. that he was interested in the person, and interested in the

spiritual side. and president obama was the only one who came to our home. thatwas because he was ill he had to be visited. come to theddy to hotel, and that it was not well enough. so the president was gracious enough to come out there, and i was not in the room at the time, again,as told -- there the gracious is, but president obama had never met him and i would not use the word nervous, but he did not know what to expect. so he sits down beside data and and the restorin -- the very first thing he said, mr. president, we have some things in common. the president said, what is that? he said, we got both our starts in chicago. i started in western springs him and you got your start in chicago also. then he said the other thing we have in common is we both love

golf. i cannot play any longer, but you do, and you love golf. that sort of everybody just was at ease after that. the tension left the room, whatever tension there was, and they had a conversation. and that particular time ended in prayer. his relationship with the president was basically spiritual. obviously, they would try to get him involved in things in politics. if my mother happened to be in the table, she would kick him under the table to remind him to stay on focus, that his job was spiritual, not political. evangelist known at all corners of the world will not deliver a prayer, the reverend lee grant. the dawning of a new day with renewed trust in god that will lead to

please, justice, and prosperity. we pray this humbly in the name of the prince of peace him he shed his blood on the cross, that men might have eternal life. >> a couple of times he did get a little -- in a little bit of trouble, as people may have read, when he got close to president nixon. he did not have any idea that mr. nixon used the language he did later that came out on the tapes and so forth, and it was very hurtful to my daddy, because he loved him. he had known him for a long time, that is why it was a big surprise to him and hurtful when all that can out on those takes. he was also very close to the bushes. he enjoyed their company. he went to kennebunkport several times on vacation with them and enjoyed their family. he also enjoyed president johnson. quite at johnson was colorful character, and he was at the ranch quite often. so i would guess he was invited

probably more often to some of those events at the white house. mr. graham: i do not forget another thing. as muchlongs to africa as he does to europe and asia. he was born in that part of the world that touches africa and asia and europe, and jesus was not a white man like me, nor was he as black as some of you. we do not know what the color of his skin, that it must have been a dark color like the people of his day, because he was a man ask them. do not ever say it is a white man's religion or a black man's religion. it is a world religion. he belongs to the world. [applause] >> although daddy did not consider himself a political person and tried to stay out of politics as much as possible, there were certain issues.

when it came to a moral issue which he considered on segregation, a moral issue, and he was not going to put up with that. so he would not have a segregated meeting, whether in the united states even in south africa. he refused to preach at a segregated meeting. and in the united states, when they did try to have segregated meetings, they put the ropes up in the black people were on one side and the way people on the other, and he went to the head usher, and said, what is going on here? he said this is not allowed. he said will you please take those ropes. he said i will not do that. so daddy thing down and took them out himself. the head usher resign. color is not an issue. god loves all people. white, he black, not is for all people and all colors. a god does not on the outward appearance. he looks on the heart. and daddy was on "time" magazine

several times, and we would tease and the family would tease and say this is daddy and that was mother behind, a family joke. you never thought anything of it. some people would be all proud and collect these things. obviously, people have kept to them. emily members and so forth but daddy, that did not impress them so much. and he was then called -- you know what he was thankful for? he was vital because that got the publicity out, not about knowsut about the lord, what he wanted, that anything that can get the post was the -- publicity of the lord and god's grace and got gorsuch, so if it takes "time" magazine or whatever, he would accept that because of the same reason. i was invited to be daddy's update for the 75th anniversary of "time" magazine in new york. mother cannot go.

anybody who has been on the cover was invited. it was quite an interesting group of people. daddy is sitting at the president's table and i was sitting behind him a couple tables. this was during president clinton's administration. and they had just found the blue dress. and so it was a very tense time for the president and his wife. i remember thinking how difficult it must have been for him to sit there, with all of that just coming out, and going home in a taxi that they, i said, daddy, tell me, how do we as christians deal with things like that? he said, honey, according to the a nt, our job is to love. it is the holy spirit's job to convict him and it is god's job to forgive.

daddy was asked what was the greatest surprise of his life, and he said the brevity of it. mr. graham: it has been a difficult time, but there were two times i thought i was dying. i remember one night in the hospital, two nights in the hospital, i thought i was dying. and my whole life came before me. and i did not say to the lord, i am a preacher, i have preached to many people. i said o, lord, i'm a sinner. i still need your forgiveness. he cross.eed to c [applause] lordraham: and i asked the to give peace in my head, and he did, a wonderful piece that has not -- peace that has not left me to this day. >> we were absolutely overwhelmed.

it was extraordinarily touching, drive from even here, asheville, to charlotte. there were not hundreds. there were thousands of people, lining the road on every overpass, hanging over. we had to go down the middle of the freeway because the cars were even parked on the side of the freeway. it was overwhelming to us. it was such a blessing to have that type of support and to realize the love that people had for daddy. and most of his people have a love for daddy because of something in their lives that was touched by something that daddy said, and usually their lives had been changed because of what god did through daddy's work and they would come with tears streaming down her cheeks. they were on the side of the road, on their knees. signs,ld up bibles, some had flags.

it was an overwhelming experience. and then of course, to go to washington. onlyave that honor, of four people being laid in honor their at the capitol. we were just overwhelmed by that on her. and the honor that the congress gave us and the president and the vice president. president trump: everywhere he went, reverend graham delivered the same beautiful message -- god loves you. that was his message. god loves you. we can only imagine the number of lives touched by the preacher and the prayers of billy graham, parts he changed, the sorrows he

eased, and the joy he brought to so many. the testimony is endless. today we give thanks for this , and it isry life very fitting that we do so right of the the rotunda united states capitol, where the memory of the american people is enshrined. >> it is a real blessing to our family and a wonderful support, but more than that, we realized -- getsd it's the the honor. , for beingdaddy available. nope, it is all have. he would not take any compliments.

he would always be giving honor to god. mr. graham: he said i am the truth and life. he said no man comes to the father except through me. that is the way to god, is through jesus. and that is fourth chapter, he says, there is no other name under heaven given among men where we can be saved. buddha said at the end of his life i'm still searching for truth. jesus is the truth. he is the life. [applause] >> c-span is out more, the largest home in america. come with us and we will take you inside and then tour this 8000 acre estate. >> welcome to biltmore.

we are america largest home, and it is my welcome -- my honor to welcome you. >> is a wonderful place to visit a beautiful estate with an incredibly expensive home. >> it is my pleasure to tour you with the house. we can go ahead and head in. >> this house was constructed in the late 1880's and finished in 1895. george vanderbilt, the owner of the home, really and visions this as a getaway for his family and friends and opens up to his guests in 1895. george vendor but was the

youngest son of henry vanderbilt and commoner vanderbilt. this is an incredible family that had been building railroads and shipping industries in new york and across the world. he was the youngest son. he was interested in intellectual present -- pursuits. he was a book collector, print collector, from artists and writers, and a collector of art and beautiful objects. george washington vendor but came to asheville -- vanderbilt came to asheville in the late 1880's. there were many doctors in this area, so he was a company his mother for treatment. he fell in love with the landscape and the sweeping views and began to assemble an estate, acquire land vision of creating a house and garden and a grand state -- estate around it. you would not think that a house of the scale that a bachelor would have felt that.

but he began building, it was he and his trusty dog frederick, and they created this essay. it was were friends and family to get away. it was his primary home, although he traveled quite a bit. he fell in love and welcomed his bride. they were married in paris have honeymoon, -- a had a honeymoon, and came back to biltmore. when the ark take and george vanderbilt started working together, they had a vision for a small house. something tucked away into the mountains. and all -- as their vision grew, the house group. they travel in france and england visiting estates and they took components from each of those. they got excited about the idea and the possibilities and the vision for the house group. eventually it grew into this, the largest home in america.

the house from the exterior is very much an american expression of the french renaissance. it has these grand sweeping views, but framed by the architecture itself. the deep roof lines and quite a bit of drama, but most of the architecture was adapted from the french renaissance. this is the heart of the home. you come to these beautiful large oak doors come and you are struck by the size of the estate and the quality of the workmanship. there is beautiful marble, limestone. the construction of the house is exquisite. the entry hall is the center of the home. it is flanked by the winter garden, which is a beautiful classed in space that bring some light into the home all year round, and off of these spaces radiate the library, one of our rooms, theorite music room, salon, all spaces for entertaining. we will proceed from the whole

to the anchor hall. this is the space where the vanderbilts died every night, and it was a formal affair. ladies would come down in their evening gowns. gentleman would be dressed in white ties. the table beset with crystal and china and all we had that in our place. this is their main home. they were here most of the year. they traveled. they had a home in paris, one in washington, d.c., one in bar harbor, but biltmore was the main home, and they welcomed guests here. edith wharton henry james, many came here and they would dine at this table. it was a scene of intellectual interest in exchange. i can only imagine that conversations held at this table. if you are a guest at the party, you would be seated at a large table, but just the vanderbilts and a few friends on you would be up against these are places

with a table which is what we are showing this evening. it is a three-bake fireplace, -- fireplace, that provides heat for the room. if you're out of the house, remarkable carving, none by a protege of the architect. who worked onst the top of the metropolitan is in. -- museum. zes.id two frei george vanderbilt was a great fan of opera and you see an expression of that throughout the expression of architecture to the house. this is patterned after the grand reception rooms, and one of the most remarkable things is the ceiling, a beautifully vaulted wooden ceiling that takes your breath away. only in this room do we have a

fireplace, but a ceiling that soars almost seven stories hybrid stranding that are not only animal trophies, but other sculptures and these beautiful leaded glass windows. george vanderbilt was a bachelor when he built this house. edith, becaride, me the heart of the estate. she served as hostess not only to the guests, but across the entire estate. we have many stories, particularly in this room, adorable stories of ways that she and he supported workers across the estate come including one of a girl whose mother was playing in the loft above us, and she slipped into the budget leg and asked's for a bite of food/ and rather than being angry that the little girl had interrupted the dinner party, she felt a little bite and sent her on her become and the little girl told

us how much she thought her mother must have died, but it gives you an idea of how much the vanderbilts were beloved, that you could have little girls wandering to the kitchen and up the stairs and wanting to catch a glimpse of the ladies and gentlemen dining at the house. vanderbilts welcomed the most special guest, cornelia vanderbilt, and they only had one child, but she grew up with the entire estate as a playground. we are leaving the banquet hall and on her way to the music room. one thing that is interesting and unexpected is that the music room and the salon were not finished during vanderbilt's time at biltmore. they were finished much later, almost 80 years later. these are sometimes used for parties, but mostly they record off with velvet curtains. we're in the music room at the

more, -- biltmore, and this remained unfinished until 1976. it was finished by a former owner, but this was a space he created. was supposedly a music room. it was lifted on plans as a music. it was really unfinished. experts ined restaurants -- is announced -- renaissance architecture and finish the space in 1976. one of the most interesting things is despite fascinating things happening in vanderbilt's time, this room house one of the great mysteries. in the 1940's and serve an important role in american history. just weeks after pearl harbor was bombed, the national gallery sent much of their art, many of america's finest treasures, to biltmore house for safekeeping. it is interesting. edith vanderbilt was a friend of

the national gallery's first director, and he had visited the war in 1925 and had her about how the house was isolated and in a beautiful area and that it was built to be fire safe, and it registered to him. and during the 1940's when much of europe was being bombed and so much amazing art was being lost, he felt that the national gallery's collection was at risk. so he contacted mrs. vanderbilt and asked if he might send 72 pieces of art to biltmore house for say keeping. they were loaded up in steel crates in the middle of ace storm in the other night and sent down to biltmore by railroad and then housed in this room. biltmore at the foot was actually open as a museum, much as it is they come and guess were walking past the space having no idea that great works by titian, rembrandt, vermeer all the great

works of the national gallery were here, even the george washington i gilbert stuart. -- by gilbert's george -- by gilbert stuart. it was about a year they were housed in this room and guess where walking past -- guests were walking past and had no idea. in 1942 the estate closed the guests because of a lack of manpower. you were involved in the war because of rations with gasoline. so the artwork hung it here on racks -- hung here on racks safe for another year or year and have come and was in back in 1944. mrs. vanderbilt did not charge the gallery for that. we have a beautiful letter saying it was part of her american duty, part of her picture of duty to keep this art safe at biltmore. it is interesting to think why these spaces might not even

finished. many people say it was perhaps because of financial reasons. i'm not sure that is the case because there's so many other spaces that important guests would not have seen that are finished with incredibly carved woodwork, beautiful french walnut, exquisite metalwork, and i do not think if finances have been the deciding factor that those other spaces would have been finished to finally. it is, that other rooms like this would have been outfitted with paneling, sourced from abroad, from other homes that were being dismantled. mr. vanderbilt was particular it and his architect west particular, trying to wait for theright space to get into wood paneling. the architect passed away during the final stages of construction. i imagine they had grand plans for this room and they never got quite it. we have left the music room and

are working to the tapesty it is based on the long galleries england, great country houses. this is one of the most expensive -- expansive spaces in the house. these are some of the few tapestries from a set that tells of the virtues of man. these are charity and prudence. and this is a very special as it was one of the least formal spaces of the house. this is where the vanderbilts would have greeted their nests, were afternoon -- their guests, where afternoon teas would be held. during times of the year, we like to populate space costumes to show what that would have looked like. it is a special space that opens up to the loge and has exquisite views of the mountains. you can imagine the breezes in the space and how much they

would have enjoyed sitting in here with guests in the afternoon. another feature this room are some of the paintings. we have many paintings in this collection. we have passed the portrait at edith vanderbilt who was done by whistler. gents in thisar space, one above the door. a different portrait of edith by verdini.v now we will go into the favorite space to house, the library. george vanderbilt was very interested in collecting expert this space was created -- collecting books. there are about 10,300 books, but that is less than half his question. we have more than 22,000 finds that george vanderbilt collected. george miller but was reading from a young age, they're

interested in the idea of collecting, and even at the age of 12 begin to be a journal of books he had read them at kept his entire life into his death at 51, and he had read 3159 books during his lifetime. they span interests. he was reading contemporary literature, american, english, often french literature, but he was fascinated with history from estimated with art come with horticulture. we have one of the strong as libraries of recapture -- of horticulture. architecture and a collection spans these topics. there are custom down for him and it is magical to be in a space like this and his love of books so clearly comes through. the room is architecturally interesting. it is panel with this pitiful french walnut. concealedese have elements in them where rolled documents could attempt away.

i think we get most often what are the secret has edges or secret panels. and unfortunately, we do not have an underground to some of tunnels. one of my favorite things is that guests who were staying in certain suites had an area that was connected to a staircase and it would come down through an unexpected passageway behind the mantelpiece. and out the door up above us on the second level. they were able to come down from the room and grab a volume that interested them and go back to their space without disturbing anyone. not only did george vanderbilt host henry james and edith wharton, and canterbury times we have hosted prestigious guests, one of them being president and mrs. obama who came during the early part of his presidency. enjoyame to asheville to the mountains and the food in the gulf and everything that asheville has to offer. he spent time with us here in the house and the current day

family toward them around and when they came to the library, they were struck because president obama and mrs. obama are lovers of books but president obama was transfixed by a globe we have in our collection. it dates from 1899, and he was areaested in examining the particularly in the middle east and looking at the boundaries that were in place at the turn-of-the-century and getting the broader worldview. howt of times explaining the structures that are seen on the globe at that time impact our world situation today. coming to biltmore gives you a different perspective on america in the 19th century. it gives you insight into this fascinating family, the vanderbilts who were key to the growth of america but also insight into one family, a family who loved books, who beautiful comment,

area. they did a lot to enhance the --erstanding of forming farming and forestry. you get this glimpse into another time that does not exist anywhere else. it is a unique lace in america. guests here on the estate, they will feel a couple of things, one is they are going to see a certain landscape and the layout that does not look like what they left. whether they are at a hotel or in their cities. it has a specific feel to it. ase it biltmore, we strive hard as we can that the guests today would experience the thatn and intent vanderbilt and olmsted laid out in the 1890's. guests come up the approach road and it is three miles of winding

road and there are wonderful letters back and forth beef -- between all instead and vanderbilt and the gentleman involved at the time on what the guests would experience. also had this wonderful letter to george vanderbilt saying the guests would come up the approach road, there would not be any long-range views. they would view the house and the guests would walk through out on thend come window view on the west side and that view which was the first that under bill saw before he purchased any of the property, that would either combination of that experience. interesting, that was done in the 1890's and even decade, ahis president, mr. obama and his wife and some friends visited the estate on vacation. they came up with the approach road and came to the house and saw everything about it and

walked through the house and area andding on the looking out and president obama said this is when we came. back in the 1880's, george vanderbilt came and saw this wonderful view in western north carolina. he saw this view of the mountain and the french broad river valley. it captivated him. so he started purchasing some home on thelt this property for him and has guests. the estate had grown to 125,000 acres. at 8000 acres. we are in the middle of a four acre walled garden wishes an -- which is an english garden. it is one part of the larger , we still call the home grounds.

so much of the land that vanderbilt was purchasing and looking at because of its proximity to asheville and lived in areas at the time, much of the land had been over for us did, had been burned over, cut over, people had taken everything from firewood to saw logs off of it. people formed on this land and it was not rich farmland at that time. as land was not nearly pretty as we see it now. a lot of vanderbilts and olmsted, their plan was to rehabilitate the land and make baseat hospitality location for george vanderbilt's family and friends. olmsted was what we call the first landscape architect. he did not care for the term.

but when he looked at was the big picture. he had done everything from central park in new york city, had done prospect park in brooklyn. he had a vision that could span huge acreage and also that ability to see what that, what he called the picturesque, that pretty little vignette would look like. he was a man of great vision and he started landscape architecture in the u.s. olmsted had worked with george vanderbilt in the past and work with the vanderbilt family and number of times. he was the preeminent person to have an estate like this laid out. he was also at the end of his career. i think that means he wired to prove he could bring in his experiences and leave his ego out of it a little bit and paint

this broad, beautiful picture forestry which is a significant thing that many of our guests do not really see consciously. they see the beautiful backdrops, wonderful rolling hills. it does not look like that when olmsted began. an importantas part. it was also important the country learned that you could have a scientifically managed forest, they had been doing it for centuries in europe it was not the practice here. he helped bring that together with george vanderbilt. as olmsted and vanderbilt were working out the bigger estate and they both understood that scientifically managed forests were going to be an important part of the estate. they had to find somebody who could make this happen. and the first person they thought as the first manager -- brought in as the first manager,

pinchot, he was to theme the first leader of forest service. what will it look like in 50 years? is what we say today. i maintain the design intent that was for the estate, whether it is along the approach road or here in this walled garden am a in the is alien garden, the shrub garden, the water gardens and the italian garden. all of these things had specific goals that the guests would experience. it comes down to that original design and the people that we have making it come together. that is what makes biltmore.

>> we are learning more about the area's history. next we take you to downtown asheville for a tour of the african-american neighborhoods. >> today we are with duane barton. he will take us around to some of the important historic african-american places in the city. do you want to tell us what is good to her's? enterprisesocial ,esigned to tell the story african-american stories but rebuild to protect and the same areas. >> what are some of the main areas we are visiting today? thee are going to start on

east side of town and talk about [indiscernible] and then head through the block. and then the south side of town. >> do you know when african americans first came to the area? >> there always have been in the americans present mountains and when tourists come to town, people come to town and they say where the black people? and wegot involved with started building on this study and we said african-americans go back to the founding of asheville. there has always been a presence of american -- african-americans. there was more so in earlier days than what we have today. what theknow about population of african americans today? >> we are at 9% currently.

people feel that because of the amount of [indiscernible] that a lot of african-americans are moving further out in the counties or moving on altogether. >> when did you come back to asheville and why did you start doing these tours? >> i moved back to asheville in 2001. phone called me on the and said i want you to come back and i was like, ok. so i came back. the i moved back, neighborhood that my family was years and it was drug infested. out and relaxme and come out of d.c. and i see this old crack thing, this is happening in the 1980's. there was a lot of craziness going on in the neighborhood and

it forced me to take on the experiences i had learned through my stepfather and other leaders around community taking a leadership role and doing things to make the neighborhood better. aboutwas nobody talking african-american history. go in that business and take a portion of the profits back into the community. organizations are trying to do the work to maintain the african merrick and presence. >> where are we right now? >> we are in the east side of town. of thein the parking lot stevens lee committee center. this was the only high school in western carolina for african-americans. that means if you stayed two or three hours away you had to catch the bus every day to come

to this one school. that was built in 1923. and tornosed in 1965 down in 1965. what we have is the gym, that was built in the 1940's. the school had a reputation and was known throughout the country and the region for accelerated academic science, sports, arts, you name it. it was a top-notch school for the african-american community. -- almostost like like the jewel, the centerpiece. it was a multipurpose building. producing a prodigy -- quality product of students. some had their phd. 1965, this is during integration, they close the school. when they found [indiscernible]

the black students were treated so poorly, they all walked out of school. all 200 students walked out, the police was called, they said it was a riot. use and police go to the .ospital -- use and police go to the hospital. the school was closed for a week and a six-month curfew. no alcohol or gun sales. two years later a riot and three years later another riot. -- theyle who were attended the school during that time say it was crazy. threw gasoline and fire together and it was crazy. then we headed up to the block, the block was this area of town it was a place were african-americans could relax and spend their money and have a good time. there were over 60 different

african american businesses. this building in front of us is young man's institute. .t was built in 1893 during that time, some early african-american leaders went to mr. vanderbilt. a lot of craftsmen were helping build the biltmore estate. they did not have a place for them for recreation and fun. some early leaders approached mr. stevens and approached him about building space for them. this was all businesses and on the top they had a gym and a swimming pool and it was a multipurpose building. the library for african-americans was here. they came. it was a jewel. it was the centerpiece of the block. wasas the sole purpose for

economic purses -- purposes and recreation. the same business owners and leaders had to pour their money, up to 40 of them pulled their money up to purchase it and it becomes community property. 1906 all the way to 1960's, whenin the you talk to some elders they be like, integration was the most devastating thing to black businesses and education. took af businesses downturn during that integration . so much so that it took a downturn and the building was scheduled to be condemned and torn down.

and the churches, several churches both black and moneypulled their together and came together to save the building. the building was saved and right now, this is one of the oldest african-american culture centers of its kind in the country. that see the urban renewal theappening, what has been impact on the african-american immunity because -- community because of urban renewal? >> there is a park called triangle park. tore was a group that wanted protect the last piece of green space. what it is is the timeline merrill history of the african-american community. 1970,w it from 1950 to urban renewal was in full effect

all throughout the country. 1600ow it was african-american committees over 100 years old was affected during that time. , integration,me school desegregation, the civil rights movement, you have all these things going on. we feel like urban renewal tripped up the civil rights uprooted andit devastated the african-american community. asheville, this was the south -- largest in the southeast. over 400 acres of homes and businesses were lost. public housing -- they erased the bills -- businesses.

they put people in public housing. is one of the first public housing units built for african-americans. recently, the housing authority applied for money and got money from the city and county to redevelop the place. there were about two tier this public housing unit down. they are going to move everybody off out of the public housing to other public housing units. they are going to turn it to a mixed income housing. first timesof the this will happen in asheville. this was a very important he there weree other public housing units. how this goes is how the rest of them go. >> what is expected to the people that are living here

right now? >> they supposedly moved out into other public housing units. until the construction and the place will be torn down and then they are supposed to be able to move back. it is supposed to be mixed income housing. >> how do you expect this to work or what do you think will happen? >> i think it will take more people to make this happen and be successful. it is going to take more people because we do not have a history wealthy people right, especially african-american communities. we have to make justice real and talk about it, let's make it real and really do something that is going to support everybody in the city. >> do you see the growth of asheville as a potential for

positive for the african-american community here? there are organizations and people who want to do the right -- howut how we connect are we connecting the dots so we are not leaving individuals and entire communities behind? of lack asheville said we have been doing it since 2007. what are we going to do different based on that information them are we going to keep in the same pattern of the past? >> what do you hope that people andcome on your hood tours right through asheville with you, what is it that you hope they walk away with? history,earned from they learn about what is going on right now, and if they feel passionate about a subject or

something we're talking about, they get involved and build capacity to other organizations and individuals that are trying to do work in our city. change, for our city to there will be no one superhero, no one superhero organization is going -- it is going to take a community culture of change in order for that to happen. keep lighting that fire around asheville. >> in april 2013, i received out call asking me very specifically about a contract that was signed which would have the u.s. supreme court take over the

grove park inn in the event a national emergency or disaster. it would -- they would come to asheville and take the and under their control and take -- co conducted business and determinedat a post amount. that was not part of the contract. today, we do not have written termination of that contract and in 2013, what had happened is a conspiracy theorist had discovered this contract and brought it to light, published it on their website, it had been seen by a friend, someone who knew this conspiracy theorist who was also a writer for "the wall street journal." all of a sudden the contract was public knowledge. the grove park and was chosen to bring the u.s. supreme court here in the event of national disaster or emergency based on the fact that it is constructed of native granite stone.

the idea is the stone would protect them from whatever was outside the walls. also here in the mountains we are removed from the chaos and the hustle and bustle. this is a great place to escape and get away and this would be a bite -- great place for the u.s. supreme court to conduct judicial business for the country. it was the vision that created grove chill tonic. it was quinine suspended and liquid with sugar and water. quinine was known as the cure that kills you because it was so unbelievably on palatable. people did not want to take it even though it was known to ease the symptoms of malaria and prevented malaria. people knew it was what they had to take but it was so awful they would take their chances rather than take this. grove created a way for people to take this anymore palatable fashion. he was so successful that he

outsold coca-cola in the late 1800s. that is how grove made his fortune and how we have the park inn. in 1900, asheville, north carolina was known of it -- as a place of recovery. we have 900 tuberculosis recovery beds in the city. doctors from all over the nation came here to take care of people in asheville with respiratory illnesses specifically because of the healthy mountaineer. they believed the mountaineer would help cure you. grove chose sunset mountain to build the grove park inn. it has a phenomenal view of the blue ridge mountains and that sunset every single night. the grove park inn was constructed between 1912 in 1913. it was three days shy of fine year from the day we started construction until we opened july 12, 1913. 400 men constructed the end,

they were paid a dollar a day and we have no record of anyone passing during the construction even though it was incredibly fast, even though it was the sweat of men and beasts that constructed this. we had one piece of construction equipment was a -- which was a steam shovel. there was a lot of work to do by man. they were inventive. there were not a lot of roads so they had to cut new roads into the mountain. they developed a truck train. they would take two trucks and chained them together and chain wagons behind them so they could use the horsepower from the weight ofpull all the the construction materials up the mountain. we had 150 sleeping rooms. we lost them when we put in individual bathrooms. we had communal bathrooms originally. people did not really like that idea so individual bathrooms were put into each one of the sleeping rooms. i love the rich history of the main inn.

major force within the arts and crafts movement and we have the largest public arts and crafts collection here. when you stay here you are going here.e more craft pieces the first two years he was occupied by people of wealth and stature. and notoriety. you could not get in the door. in 1942, the government leased the grove park inn in order to axis diplomats. they brought them here and they stayed with us, they paid eight dollars a day and they did pay their own way. that was the first time we became noticed by the government. in 1944, we began to welcome home soldiers as a means of

treating what we now call ptsd. the government was acknowledging that the soldiers were having difficulty acclimating back into society so they brought their decompress, too re-center, to find themselves. for that elements of the could transition between wartime in peacetime, between being a soldier and a civilian. during that time, mr. willy discovered the grove park in. he had been during that time and he was the one that brought the the government's attention. we do not know the specifics of how we entered into the contract. it was kept under wraps for many years. it was signed in 1956 and it did not come to light until 2013. there were a few people who know about the contract including people who knew -- worked here. even at the time we entered into the contract rate this is something we kept under wraps. in the event of a disaster we would not want anyone to know

where the u.s. supreme court was located. we wanted them to be able to conduct official business on their -- under their own auspices. because it was a hotel, they thought it would be a rate place because they could use these rooms to bring everyone from the court here and they could use it as sleeping rooms and turn other rooms into offices so this would be the perfect place to conduct judicial business for the country. when asked about the contract, we were asked whether it was valid. as far as we can -- we were concerned, we consider this phallic because we have no written termination. we would ask -- acquiesced to thecourts decision as to validity of the contract as they are indeed the highest court in the nation. >> our visit to asheville, north carolina was american history tv exclusive and we showed it today to introduce you to c-span's

cities tour. for seven years now, we have traveled to u.s. cities ringing the literary scene and historic sites to our viewers. you can watch more of our visits estour.an.org/citi >> from washington journal, a look back to 1960 eight. the vietnam war and antiwar protests. mark meadows. and president trump announcing a plan for lowering prescription drug prices. >> we will start the america in turmoil series, exploring the impact of the vietnam more on the homefront and the experience of u.s. soldiers coming home during that tumultuous year. by an author and filmmaker. this is coming up in a moment.