Editor’s Note: Western North Carolina is rich with untold stories—many resting quietly in local cemeteries. In this Tombstone Tales series, we explore the lives of people from our region’s past whose legacies, whether widely known or nearly forgotten, helped shape the place we call home.
LEICESTER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Along Leicester Highway, a short gravel drive leads to Brick Church, a brick sanctuary surrounded by one of Buncombe County’s oldest cemeteries.
Built in 1876 by local builder Thomas Redmon James, the church is situated beside a burial ground that holds early settlers, veterans and farming families. The grave of Amos Lunsford marks a story of sudden violence tied to a popular community gathering…