Grove House - History



	GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex at 11 Grove Street has a rich and diverse history with roots deeply-planted in the ever-so-recent explosion of growth experienced by the City of Asheville over the years. A treasure trove for the community since the building was erected in 1924; it has been a place for congregation and gatherings of all kinds and through all walks-of-life.

The idea for this historic building was contrived by the Central YWCA, and for 44 years, it offered educational and physical fitness programs,
 not-to-mention countless memories for those who first learned to swim within the expanse of its still-intact swimming pool.

Our servicemen of the Second World War were entertained within its walls with dances and pot-luck dinners in thanks to their selfless service
 to our Country.

The desegregation of the South was in full-swing, and to assist with this endeavor the YWCA invited First Lady 
Eleanor Roosevelt to speak in Asheville. As the First Lady specified that she would not speak to segregated groups,
 the walls within 11 Grove Street were the only place within the City of Asheville, at that time, where an integrated 
audience was welcomed and on November 27th, 1956, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt spoke to an over-flowing 
audience on behalf of the United Nations within the area of the GROVE HOUSE known as then, the 
YWCA auditorium/gymnasium, but now known as, “Scandals Nightclub — Crystal Room”. Unrest and violence within the 
black communities continued through the 1960s. The YWCA organized community meetings on 
“The Challenge of Integrations” with workshops, planned community sit-ins and issues reports to the Asheville Community.

The first integrated swimming classes we offered in the aforementioned swimming pool, and there, as mentioned, wonderful memories were made
 A year later; however, the Grove Street YWCA would close, as a new, integrated YWCA was opened elsewhere within the city... and 
11 Grove Street would remain vacant, that is, until 1970 with the opening of Newfound School.

Newfound School opened and continued make history... and memories,

as an independent, coeducational secondary day school for grades 9-12.

Diversity was encouraged and expressed over the 
course of the 5-year occupancy with a curriculum 
directed to high-light a commitment to the welfare 
of the community and environment. The beautiful 
Smokey Mountain back-drop (one of the features
 Asheville is famous for) was an extended day 
campus for the students to learn and develop.
In 1975, though, Newfound School found it necessary
to close its doors.

The vision: an evolution to the nightclub, Scandals, and the other clubs within what is now known
as GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex. This historic event began with a man by the name of
Arthur Fryar — “Art”. With his purchase in 1977, the building was never to be unoccupied again,
and thus, began an incredible 35-year transformation that sparked, beginning in 1982, an idea that
formed Scandals Nightclub, and what we know as the GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex today.
From this we are pleased to announce that 2012 marked the 30-year anniversary for Scandals,
which is, of itself, truly epic for such longevity to be had in this industry. The following is a synopsis of this
very evolution:

Art Fryar, an artist and entrepreneur, saw the extreme potential of 11 Grove Street. With that potential,
he used his artistic, creative and intuitive abilities to see the direction and future Asheville had in store
as a Mecca for diversity and a need for communities to envelope an epicenter for expression and
entertainment.

The building and business were purchased by Jeff and Sherrie Davis, who very much wished to secure an maintain the history and uniqueness of
the venues already functioning and intact. The current titles of the individual venues were altered ever-so-slightly to fit the palate of the new owners.
The goal of the new owners was to marry all of the venues into one somehow.....

GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex \| 11 Grove Street Asheville, North Carolina 28801 \| © 2012 Cahoots Inc.

Jeff and Sherrie saw it fitting to combine all of these venues into one complex, and thus, the 
GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex was born. This idea perfected the usability of all the 
venues as one but still allowed for a separation of the individual venues, when necessary. 
It created a perfect site for the infamous, annual GROVE HOUSE INFERNO in celebration of the 
Halloween season and the famous, annual New Year’s Eve party where the sheer number of patrons
in attendance at these events is so extreme, it is necessary to have every space, venue and area
within the GROVE HOUSE functioning as one unit. With this profound addition to the history, since
1924, made at 11 Grove Street, Jeff and Sherrie Davis, who wish to meet the needs of the unique
City of Asheville and all of its patrons by providing a favorite celebration, daytime and nightlife venue,
have committed themselves to integrity and stewardship. The GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex
is the perfect venue, in part, and as a whole, to CELEBRATE’ Owners, Jeff and Sherrie Davis,
GM TJ Haynes (who has been a constant in the 30-year history of Scandals Nightclub) along with
all of the committed GROVE HOUSE staff will strive to maintain the ethics necessary to adhere to a
strong foundation and duty to community. The business will continue to evolve - only - to meet the
changing needs dictated by its patrons and the Asheville community.

1982, in the auditorium/gymnasium area of the building - the very area First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt spoke about the desegregation of the South -
nearly 40-years earlier. He conceived the need for a genre of entertainment Asheville most-certainly lacked... live entertainment with cabaret shows 
and Asheville’s best-known, experience and enjoyed nightclub scene!

GetAways opened off of the Scandals Nightclub area. It was formerly the showroom location of SoundOne(opened in 1978). Adjacent to GetAways 
is the Scandals store, which was once the controlled- sound room for patrons to hear the quality of the product they were considering for purchase at
 SoundOne. After the subsequent sale of the audio store, he saw the necessity to use this area, just off of the Scandals dance floor, where patrons were 
offered a “get-away” (so-to-speak) from all of the excitement, dancing and fun experienced in Scandals. It was to be a mellow area for people to indulge
 in a cocktail and dialogue with friends. It has also functioned as a private event location for patrons’ use to suit their needs.

BOILER ROOM opened its doors and presently strives to be a ‘launching pad’ for the  community to grow beyond Asheville and is a place for bands to
 showcase “Original”  works and materials only, for you won’t find ANY cover bands here!

After years of use as not only a restaurant, and not-as-mentioned private event location, Club Eleven, the area’s 1st non-smoking venue, was opened.
This, the former location of Cahoot’s Restaurant, is now known as Club Eleven On Grove. It is currently home to the groups Swing Asheville and Tango
Gypsies, and has also hosted Ballroom, Salsa, Mambo, Zydeco and Line genres of dance on varying nights. This elegant and comfortable setting is 
perfect for special events offered by promoters to the public and private events; such as an anniversary, birthday, reception, corporate party, or you
name it! It is located just off of 11 Grove Street and comes complete with an outdoor patio to enjoy on sultry summer nights.

As a dancer, he saw the large space and beautiful hardwood floors as a perfect medium for dance
and theater. With that, he opened 11 Grove Street, in 1977, as Asheville Ballet School. This type of
school became one of the first such schools in the area. He also saw the up-and-coming interests of
an ‘Electronic Age’, so in 1978, he opened SoundOne — a home and car audio store, yet again,
one of the first in the area. Then, in 1979, he expanded his artistic abilities further, in a culinary sense,
by opening Cahoots Restaurant. It thrived as a lunch-time hot-spot within the top-level of the
GROVE HOUSE (now known as Club Eleven On Grove) until 1990.