The History of Downtown Marshall
Madison County was formed in 1851 from Buncombe and Yancey Counties and was named for President James Madison. The county seat of Marshall (originally called Lapland) was named for U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall.
Marshall was an important stop on the Buncombe Turnpike, or Old Drovers’ Road. They used the Turnpike to commute up and down the road that stretched from South Carolina to Tennessee to markets in the region. Thousands of drovers with their hogs, sheep, horses, mules, and turkeys passed through Marshall along the French Broad River each year.
To Learn more about the History of Madison County and Marshall
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We Need YOUR Help!
On Friday, September 27th, 2024, the town of Marshall suffered record-breaking flooding from Hurricane Helene. The French Broad River crested at more than 20 feet above normal levels, flooding the downtown area, taking lives, buildings, jobs, and businesses that have been there for decades.
As the flood waters receded, volunteers from the community descended on downtown to help with the initial cleanup, but it wasn’t long before people from across the country showed up to join in the recovery efforts. It will take years and a lot of funding to recover from the devastation caused by this record-breaking event, but the people of Marshall will be here every step of the way.
Please consider becoming a member or a contributing donor. Your financial support benefits our town by creating events to bring in visitors to our town and local businesses.
Become a member and register online
Become a donor and invest in Marshall. Every donation helps us preserve Marshall’s historic charm and host community events, all of which keep our downtown vibrant and welcoming to everyone. Your contributions help maintain downtown spaces and keep our downtown spirit alive.
If direct contributions are more appealing to you, here is a list of verified GoFundMe drives from our friends and neighbors in Marshall who still need assistance.
The Welcome to Marshall sign survived the flood, but just barely
A first responder on the wreckage of the building next to the Police Station and City Hall
The bridge over the French Broad River to Blannahassett Island and Marshall High Studios
Banker's Hours, a reimagined bank turned into a beautiful downtown co-working space
The river silt seen inside all of the buildings downtown. Basements were filled with this and had to be dug out by hand with bucket brigades
Redmon Road at the north end of Main Street
The original building that housed Star Diner has yet to recover after the flood. This business has been reinvented as Star Taco and moved across the street from its original location.
Downtown Law Offices
On Your Bike, the Marshall Tag Office and Noodle Hole
The Main Street Cafe did not come back; this is now the home of Star Taco
Mal's Bar is across from the now absent Post Office. The large county building on the right will not be reopening.
Natural Canvas Tattoo
The Police Station and City Hall will not be coming back to downtown.
The south end of Main Street, where nearly a dozen buildings were destroyed. Only one of those was made of wood.
Destroyed storefront on South Main
Sweet Monkey in the Drover's Rest building