Ballantree is an Asheville neighborhood to explore if you appreciate mid century modern homes. There are approximately 170 homes in Ballantree. Nicely situated on lots with established trees and a natural setting you will find a mix of one-level brick ranches, split-levels and contemporary homes.

Located in south Asheville at the intersection of Sweeten Creek Road 25- and Ballantree Drive, the neighborhood sits on the western slope of Busbee Mountain.  The elevation at the entrance is 2320 feet and it climbs to 2540 feet in the upper reaches offering some great views.

Ballantree is a great walking or jogging neighborhood with lovely scenery to enjoy along the way.  There is a modest annual homeowner’s association fee for maintaining the entrance and the park.

The location can’t be beat with easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, great south Asheville dining and shopping options and only a short drive to downtown Asheville.

History of Ballantree

Noted Architect, Robert Deigert designed the first homes In Ballantree. He purchased the acreage, formerly Nettlewood Nursery, and began the development in the fall of 1968.

From 1947-1967 Deigert & Yerkes, a successful architecture firm working mainly in the Washington DC area, designed outstanding residential developments, custom houses and schools. They are best known for their 1957 National Arboretum Administration Building (left photo below).

Deigert & Yerkes’ residential communities were characterized by skillful site planning allowing for privacy and preserving natural settings. Their projects were often small in scale, yet have a gem-like quality of design, with ingenuity, versatility of materials, and flexibility of spaces.

The houses themselves are distinguished by economical floor plans, natural materials and walls of windows that open to nature. After designing Tulip Hill houses with his firm, Robert Deigert decided to live at 6 Bay Tree Lane (left photo above) with his wife Joan and their three children.

The architects’ partnership ended in 1967 when Robert Deigert moved to Asheville, settling in Biltmore Forest and practicing as Robert Deigert & Associates, Architects and Planners. You can see the Deigert design esthetic throughout Ballantree. Diegert died on November 19, 1974, shortly after retiring from practice. After Deigert’s death, H. M. Rice & Sons purchased the Ballantree subdivision and continued its development into the 1980’s

Learn more about Robert Deigert and Deigert & Yerkes here: https://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Bus-Tour-Book-2016-Draft-WEB.pdf

Resource: Clare Lise Kelly, Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Interested in buying or selling a home in Ballantree or the greater Asheville area? Call or email 828-545-2712 carol@mymosaicrealty.com