Ever since we heard about Water Street (68 N. Lexington Ave.) — the new eatery helmed by Rosetta’s Kitchen’s Rosetta Buan — we haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Yes, it’s guaranteed to be delicious, but even more intriguing to us is the revelation that Lexington Ave. used to be known as Water Street, and carries its own unique Asheville legacy.

What’s in a name?

Although it was officially dubbed Water Street for the springs that ran beneath the road and on the hillside above it, Water Street was colloquially known as “Mule Alley” for the preponderance of farmers who came to the street on Saturdays and tied their horses + mules along it while they did their business.

What do we know about the springs?

Interestingly, the springs were much larger than we might think. Some historians noted that there were times the entire length of the animals’ legs became mired in mud and had to be physically pulled out of it.

As for what became of the springs, there’s not much info. Historical records we reviewed acknowledged that they dried up and that’s about it. One thing we’re really excited to test out? Whether or not you can still hear the water running under the pavement.

This 1885 map of the city shows Water Street as well as the neighborhood of West Asheville, which was incorporated into a city in 1883. I Photo via Library of Congress.

In 1876, the city appointed a committee to address community confusion over street names, which came from a variety of sources, including botany, geography, genealogy + more (why hello, Chicken Alley). A whole swath of street names were changed during this time, including Water Street, whose name was officially changed to N. Lexington Ave. in 1906, around the time that the springs began drying up. During this time, Lexington itself became known as S. Lexington Ave.

In the years since its name change, Lexington Ave. has seen a real glow up. With over 200 storefronts, it's considered to be a historic business hub. In 2015, it was named 1 of the country’s 5 best streets by the American Planning Association. Given where it’s been and where it’s going, we have to say we agree.