The Illusion of Seclusion: The Headwaters of Banner Elk

Reprinted from Mountain Homes Southern Style

by Marla Hardee Milling
photos by Steven McBride

Cathy and Allyn Stanton had every intention of turning their condo at The Headwaters at Banner Elk into a second home. That is until they moved into the luxury unit in October 2008 and found themselves resisting return trips to their Chicago home.

“It has my heart,” says Allyn of The Headwaters. “That’s why it’s hard to leave.”

The Stantons originally discovered Western North Carolina after reading an article about Asheville. But their first visit didn’t convince them; they had Colorado on their minds. After much searching, they decided to return to Asheville in March 2008 for another look. “It knocked our socks off,” says Allyn. “We thought, ‘This is it. Now we just have to find a place.’” They put a contract on property north of Asheville, but one day, they took a drive to Banner Elk and discovered The Headwaters. They fell in love and never looked back, smitten by three critical components: property, place and people.

“That combo,” Allyn says, “won on its own.”

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