O. B. Wright House Photo courtesy of Historic Resource Commission, City of Asheville, North Carolina

The O. B. Wright House is located in the Montford community in Asheville and was built around the turn of the 20th century for Osella B. and Leva D. Wright. It is one of Asheville's best surviving examples of a Colonial Revival-influenced, Queen Anne style residence. Queen Anne architecture is characterized by irregularity of shape, plan, texture and color. These irregularities are combined in the O. B. Wright house to produce an unpretentious, yet gracious and formal residence. The enriched style of decoration includes multiple gables, slate roofs, Doric-columned porches, spindle trimming and other decorative detailing. The O. B. Wright property has maintained much of its original appearance and adds to the dramatic mix of architecture in the surrounding neighborhood. Though not mentioned in the National Register nomination, a companion carriage house is located adjacent to the main house and was used to shelter the horse and carriage for the home's first residents. Its main section is one room wide and two rooms deep.

Historic view of O. B. Wright house Photo courtesy of William A. Barnhill Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina

The Wrights were the proprietors of a leather goods shop, the Carolina Carriage House, on Patton Avenue. In 1913 the family sold their property and home on Pearson Drive and Watauga Street to attorney and State Senator Julius C. Martin and his wife, Emily Helen Martin. On the same day, the Martins sold back a portion of the property to Leva Wright. From 1914, only Leva Wright is listed in the city directory. Local sources report that she took in boarders during the following years, although probably on a "word-of-mouth" basis. The property was once fondly known by local residents as "Faded Glory." Leva Wright died in 1945 and the property changed hands several times before being rehabilitated in the late 1980s for use as a bed and breakfast inn. The Wright Inn and Carriage House continues to provide hospitality to travelers visiting Asheville.

The O. B. Wright House, now the Wright Inn and Carriage House, is located at 235 Pearson Dr. within the Montfort Area Historic District. The grounds are open to the public and visitors may contact the inn for reservations by calling 1-800-552-5724 or by visiting their website.