The Western Regional Archives (WRA) collects, preserves, and makes available for public use historical and evidential materials relating to western North Carolina. The WRA is administered by the State Archives of North Carolina and operates under North Carolina General Statutes 121 and 132 in carrying out its archival mission and programs. The holdings consist primarily of private collections and some microfilmed county records.
Hours Update
The Western Regional Archives will be closed June 27th and 28th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause researchers.
Several private and organization records related to western North Carolina have been relocated from the State Archives in Raleigh to the new Western Regional Archives in Asheville. A complete list of these collections is available on the blog of the State Archives and in PDF format.
Facility
Note: the Western Regional Archives will officially open to the public on August 13, 2012.
Hours of Operation: The Western Regional Archives is open 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays, and 9:00 a.m. to noon, Tuesday—Friday. It is closed Saturday and Sunday and all state holidays.
There are regulations governing the use of the Search Room. Please review them prior to you visit.
The Search Room maintains a reference library and is open to the public. WRA staff is available to assist with research and to retrieve materials from our stacks for use in the Search Room. Staff can conduct limited reference services by phone, e-mail, correspondence, and fax. Lengthy or involved research may require an onsite visit.
In accordance with policies of the State Archives of North Carolina, a $20 Search and Handling Fee will be required for all non-North Carolina residents—those whose primary residence is outside of North Carolina—for each reference inquiry delivered remotely via e-mail, correspondence, or fax. The limits of this fee are established by state statute; at present the fee is $20.00 for each inquiry about one topic. If copies of the requested information cannot be covered by the $20 fee, a statement of copying costs will be included in our response. (Typically, the Western Regional Archives will include up to 20 photocopies, 8 microfilm copies, or 1 scanned image in the initial search and handling fee.) The cost of photocopies is $.10 per page; $.25 per microfilm page and $4.00 per scanned image. Please consult our online fee schedule for complete information.
We encourage out-of-state researchers to contact the Western Regional Archives by phone or e-mail with an initial inquiry to determine the degree to which we anticipate being able to fulfill the search.
Search and Handling Fee payments should be made by personal check or money order rather than cash. Please make checks payable to the "Western Regional Archives” and mail to the address below. If copies of the requested information cannot be covered by the $20 fee, a statement of copying costs will be included in our response.
The search and handling fee does not apply to residents of North Carolina.
The WRA provides in-house photocopy, scanning and photographic reproduction services. Some holdings are subject to restrictions due to preservation concerns or require donor permission before being copied. For a rate sheet, please refer to the Fee Schedule.
Education and Outreach Services
The WRA is an active resource for the community and region. The staff conducts historical, genealogical, and cultural programs and activities. Contact Heather South, archivist, at 828.296.7230, ext. 240 or heather.south@ncdcr.gov for more information.
