EDITOR’S NOTE: Strangeville explores the legends, folklore, and unexplained history of Western North Carolina. From Cherokee mythology and Appalachian ghost stories to Bigfoot sightings and UFO encounters, the Blue Ridge Mountains have long been a hotspot for the strange and mysterious. Join us as we dig into the past and uncover the truth behind the region’s most curious tales.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — In the heart of downtown Asheville, the Basilica of St. Lawrence draws visitors with its architectural beauty, engineering marvel, and a ghost story that has lingered for more than a century.
Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino designed the church in the early 1900s. Known for his tile-and-mortar construction method, he emigrated to the United States in 1881 and left his mark on more than a thousand buildings, including the Biltmore House in Asheville, Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and Carnegie Hall in Manhattan. The Basilica, which he called his masterpiece, stood unlike anything else in the region when construction began in 1905.
The structure contains no wood or steel. Every wall, ceiling, and support column was built using Guastavino’s signature system of interlocking tiles. The elliptical dome above the sanctuary spans 58 by 82 feet and is considered the largest freestanding dome of its kind in North America…