The Historic Gudger House
Henry Lamar Gudger, the Asheville postmaster, purchased this property at the gateway to the Montford District in 1890. In 1895, Gudger constructed a rambling classic Queen Anne Victorian frame house awash with gables and towers that remained in the Gudger family until the 1950s. The house fell into disrepair and was condemned. In 1978, the Gudger House was acquired by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County and became one its first success stories.
In 1981, the Legal Aid Service of the Buncombe County Bar Association, Inc. purchased the Gudger House from the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County with funds under a grant from the Legal Services Corporation. Later that year, the local Legal Aid Service changed its name to Pisgah Legal Servicesand renovated the Gudger House, transforming it into a fully-functional law office, providing free legal services to low-income residents of Western North Carolina.
In 2000, Jacob Ehrmann began working at Pisgah Legal Services as a staff attorney at the Gudger House. Jacob left Pisgah Legal Services for private practice in 2004, when he established Montford Family Law
In 2005 the Legal Services Corporation filed a lawsuit against Pisgah Legal Services for title to the Gudger House. The case was eventually resolved by granting Pisgah Legal Services clear title to the historic building.
In 2007, Alex Gomes began working at Pisgah Legal Services as a staff attorney in the Gudger House. In 2009, Pisgah Legal Services eventually outgrew its home at the Gudger House and moved to its present location at 62 Charlotte Street.
In May of 2014, Pisgah Prodigal, LLC purchased the Gudger House from Pisgah Legal Services to house Montford Family Law On November 1, 2014, after an extensive renovation of the home, Montford Family Law began providing family law services from this extraordinary building. Please feel free to stop by the Gudger Home if you are interested in this aspect of Asheville’s history.
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Before and After Pictures
