Founded in 1952, the Western North Carolina Historical Association has been headquartered in the Smith-McDowell House on the campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College since 1974. The house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a local landmark, has been painstakingly preserved by the historical association, and is open for tours Wednesday – Saturday from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Two rooms on the first floor of the house are used for rotating exhibitions and programming for youth and adults.