Last Updated on November 4, 2024
“I love it, and I want it,” were the words Elisabeth Perez recalled uttering the first time she and her partner, Michele Azan, set foot on the property now known as Brightwaters Vacation Rentals.
The couple and I were sitting at the sturdy stainless-steel table in the bright kitchen of the Mountain Lily Cabin where my husband and I were staying. Elisabeth was explaining how and why she and Michele decided to make their home and start a business in Hendersonville as owners of a rundown rental property with a fascinating history and a lot of potential.
In August 2007, Elisabeth and Michele were living in New York City. At the invitation of friends in Hendersonville, they drove down to join in a birthday celebration.
“We fell in love with the place,” Elisabeth recalled, “And bought a house that weekend.”
They traveled to their Hendersonville vacation house every chance they got, until in 2013, then decided to make the move permanent. At the time, Elisabeth was driving a delivery truck and began working for a company in Charlotte while Michele worked from home. One day, she and Michele saw a for-sale sign that caught their attention. The rest is history.
The property consisted of six rundown structures that had been a resort in its heyday.
“It was a mess,” Elisabeth said.
They sold the Florida rental they had owned for years, putting the profits toward purchasing the Hendersonville property. They set about building, renovating, and transforming their new acquisition into the clean, comfortable accommodations that now welcome regulars and new visitors year-round.
Brightwaters’ History
Brightwaters was originally a 400-acre farm belonging to Samuel J. Childs, a wealthy Pennsylvanian who vacationed in Florida. Childs purchased the property in the 1920s, kept 300 acres as a farm, and transformed the remaining 100 acres into Brightwaters Resort, consisting of 25 cabins.
In 1938, Childs built a hotel and a two-story, eight-bedroom, six-bathroom stone, guesthouse. He also converted the property’s one-room schoolhouse into a central dining hall.
Along with cabins and hotel rooms, the resort offered lawn bowling, horseback riding, tennis, shuffleboard and other activities primarily for Floridians who were longing for a convenient escape from the brutal summer heat and humidity.
For two decades, summer visitors poured into Brightwaters, but eventually, the flood slowed to a trickle, until the resort closed in the early 60s. Only the dining hall remained operational until it went up in smoke as the result of a six-alarm fire in 1972.
G.L. Murphy, a builder, then purchased Brightwaters. He built four new rental cabins, converted the stone house into two separate apartments and made other changes to the property. After Murphy sold it, it fell into disrepair until Elisabeth and Michele bought it, restored the original Brightwaters name, and began to work their magic.
A Beautiful Balance
The owners immediately recognized that maintaining Brightwaters historical integrity while repairing and updating the buildings would be both a top priority and a major challenge.
They met with members of the Childs and Murphy families from whom they learned much about the history and architecture of the structures, as well as details of daily life through the stories they graciously shared. Elisabeth and Michele gathered old photographs, postcards, newspapers, and all the online information they could glean.
Armed with this information, the new owners began breathing life back into the property. They embarked on a years-long labor of love. Elisabeth called on her experience as a U.S. Army parachute rigger veteran to work with contractors, put down flooring, and perform other hands-on repairs as she meticulously oversaw the renovations.
Michele employed her knack for research and keen eye for design to furnish and decorate the interiors of every building. The result was a family-owned, family-friendly rental community where guests become regulars.
Brightwaters Today
Within easy driving distance of Asheville, Brevard, DuPont State Forest, and Pisgah National Forest, Brightwaters offers nine cozy vacation rentals – some pet-friendly – ideal for family holidays, romantic getaways, weddings, and reunions. Visitors can rent a fully equipped cabin or stay in one of the two apartments in the stone guesthouse.
Elisabeth and Michele restored the guesthouse to its original glory by exposing the 1930s hardwood floors and tongue-and-groove paneling. A verandah wraps around the entire top level, offering comfortable furniture conducive to conversation and relaxation, with pleasant breezes in the summer.
Each apartment features two bedrooms, private baths, a fully equipped kitchen and a separate entrance.
My husband and I occupied the Mountain Lily cabin during our Hendersonville stay. The two-bedroom cabin can sleep six, with a twin daybed and trundle in the living room. Our bedrooms included an ensuite bathroom with a separate full bath in the hall, as well as a washer and dryer.
The kitchen was well equipped with everything guests could want for preparing meals, including a stove, microwave, toaster, blender, coffee maker, dishwasher, and dishes and utensils. The living room was comfortably furnished and included a TV with cable and a DVD player.
Other amenities included parking in front of the cabin and wireless broadband internet. Unfortunately, this cabin wasn’t wheelchair accessible, and the terrain could present difficulties for guests with mobility challenges.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Mountain Lily Cabin. It was spotless and spacious. The bed was comfortable, we had plenty of hot water, and the internet service was reliable.
Our Hosts
Born in Venezuela, Elisabeth came to the U.S. in 1977 when she was a teenager. After graduation, she joined the military.
“I had no idea what I was going to do with my life,” she said. “I went right into the recruiting station. I pointed at a poster, which showed people jumping out of airplanes, and I told the recruiter that’s what I wanted to do.”
Elisabeth’s father was a truck salesman in Venezuela, so when she left the military, her passion for trucks kicked in, becoming a truck driver.
Michelle Azan is a child of Jamaican immigrants. With a background in marketing and sales, she uses her skills and experience to keep the business end of Brightwaters running smoothly. Along with her commitments to Brightwaters, Michele works as a consultant for Cap Consulting.
Both women have fascinating stories to tell and are prepared to do what it takes to ensure their guests are happy and comfortable. They are also a wealth of information about the area, including where to hike, bike, and chase waterfalls, where to go on a rainy day, where to see the best sunsets, where to shop, and where to eat.
Hellish Helene and the Road to Recovery
When Hurricane Helene blasted through Florida in late September, she was just getting started. The storm continued on, bringing heavy rain and high winds to South Carolina’s Upstate and the mountains of western North Carolina, areas where hurricanes simply don’t happen.
The Asheville area received the worst of Helene’s fury, with reports of severe flooding, downed trees, destroyed houses, and a staggering number of deaths, injuries and missing people pouring in from many parts of the Carolinas and Tennessee. Entire towns were cut off by impassible roads, there was no power, no running water, and communications were nearly nonexistent.
Henderson County suffered severe damage. Nearly all of its residents were without power for days. Henderson’s Main Street was spared, but when my husband and I visited a month after Helene, some of the neighborhoods were still in recovery mode.
Damage at Brightwaters was not catastrophic. Although Mountain Lily was the only structure to suffer serious damage, repairs and tree removal around the property continue. Elisabeth and Michele have provided accommodations to relief workers, volunteers and displaced locals.
Looking Forward
Despite the damage from Helene, both Hendersonville and Brightwaters are already making plans for the holiday season. The annual Holiday Tour of Inns & Cookie Caper, in which Brightwaters takes part, is scheduled for December 8, 2024.
“Several inns in the area are selected to participate,” Michele explained. “We have the community come in and walk through and see the places they’ve never gotten to see before.”
Brightwaters takes the holidays seriously.
“All the homes are decorated, but none so much as the historic stone house. It’s done from top to bottom,” Michele said.
All of Hendersonville takes the holidays seriously.
“It looks like a Hallmark movie when downtown is all lit up with lights and flowers,” she added.
Making the Most of a Hendersonville Vacation
The closest airport to Hendersonville is the Asheville Regional Airport, approximately 10 miles from Hendersonville. In fact, it’s closer to Hendersonville than it is to Asheville. The drive from Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport is approximately one hour and 45 minutes.
Once safely ensconced in a Brightwaters rental, the options are endless.
- Downtown Hendersonville has a charming main street that meanders in such a way, it’s difficult to be in a hurry. Family-owned shops and restaurants line the street with plenty of shady trees and public seating.
- Hendersonville’s proximity to DuPont State Forest and Pisgah National Forest provides opportunity for hiking to stunning waterfalls, mountain biking, zip-lining, fishing, boating and a host of other outdoor activities.
- Day trips to delightful towns such as Asheville and Brevard, as well as attractions such as the Biltmore Estate and Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site add interest and excitement to family vacations.
- Themed trails running through Henderson County include the Blue Ridge Craft Trail, the Ice Cream Trail, the Cheers Trail, and the Orchard Trail. They combine family fun with opportunities to learn about the products available and the hard-working people who produce them.
- When it’s too hot, cold, or rainy to be outside, Main Street is the place to be. Appalachian Pinball Museum, Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County, Mast General Store, Henderson County Heritage Museum, and Hands On! Children’s Museum, are all family friendly, and some offer free entry. Plus, there are plenty of art galleries, shops, and eateries to help keep Hendersonville visitors warm, cool and dry for an entire day.
A Town for All Seasons
There’s no bad time of year to visit Hendersonville.
Spring brings brilliant blooms, fresh mountain air, and smaller crowds. Summers aren’t as hot as they are in the lower elevations. Lakes and rivers offer cool water for swimming and boating, and area summer camps keep youngsters active and occupied. Autumn shows off brilliant colors in fiery splendor, apple-picking is in full swing, and wineries harvest the bounty that will please palates in future years. Winter brings the sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays with activities for all ages, nearby ski resorts beckon and a gentle post-holiday quiet descends.
Most of Hendersonville’s shops, restaurants, and attractions are now open for business, and traditional holiday-themed events are scheduled for November and December. Hendersonville’s annual “Home for the Holidays” celebration will run through December 31, 2024, and offer a golden opportunity for visitors to support Hendersonville’s recovery efforts while having the time of their lives.
To stay up to date with activities, openings and closings, road conditions, and other useful information when planning a visit to Hendersonville, be sure to visit the Visit Hendersonville website.
Brightwater Vacation Rentals
202 Tioga Trail
Hendersonville, NC
Email: vacation@brightwatersnc.com
Phone: +1 (828) 513-0528
Website: https://www.brightwatersvacationrentals.com
