It’s easy to fall in love with Kenmure’s restful beauty and grandeur as you drive through our gates, surrounded on all sides by green mountain vistas, ancient hemlocks, and a pristinely manicured golf course.

It becomes immediately obvious why families from Charleston, SC, flocked to this area as early as the 1820s. There’s something rejuvenating about the mountain air and the serenity of its natural landscape. Kenmure is a sanctuary for those seeking community and fellowship as well as a chance for quiet and reflection. It’s a lifestyle as well as a place to call home.  

Like the ancient mountains that surround it, Kenmure is steeped in history. From its origins as a Cherokee hunting grounds to its transformation into a summer refuge for wealthy Charleston families, these 1,400 acres have always been a place of healing. The area surrounding “The Flat Rock,” with its fresh mountain air and its pure spring waters, has a mystique and a serenity unique to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Even before humans traversed these mountains, herds of bison, bear, and deer forged trails that crisscrossed the area now known as Flat Rock, Hendersonville, and Asheville, North Carolina. Those trails became hunting and trading pathways for Native Americans and white settlers, and later, a means of communication between the mountains and the South Carolina Lowcountry.

At the centerpoint of these crossroads sits Kenmure, a place that has weaved together a tapestry of Appalachian and Charleston cultures. The heart of the property is the stately plantation home that now serves as our clubhouse, a place whose very construction reflects this juncture of cultures and histories.

Built in the second half of the 19th century by Dr. Mitchell King, the Kenmure mansion was designed by a Scottish architect and shipbuilder. Its ship-like construction can be witnessed in its notched timbers and scarcity of nails, while the building materials included both local Flat Rock brick and cypress imported from Charleston.

As time passed, and renovations and additions were made, the character of the mansion continued to reflect this merging of communities, and you can experience it yourself in a comfortable seat on the large veranda or at an informal dinner in the Grill Room.

Today, new and existing homes in Kenmure are embedded in this storied landscape and legacy rather than haphazardly placed as afterthoughts. Vincent Romeo, our first developer, made a commitment to preserving “the historic character and integrity of Kenmure,” and that still holds true today — no trees are removed to make space for a homesite unless it’s absolutely necessary.

And we still welcome newcomers from Charleston, as well as from Florida, Michigan, Texas, and from around the world. Regardless of their point of origin, our residents and members relish the elegance and ease of life that is Kenmure.