Biltmore Lake, NC: How the Old Enka Lake Became a Community

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 22, 2026

Nobody built the 62-acre lake at the center of Biltmore Lake for kayaks. Long before anyone pushed off from the boathouse, it was Enka Lake, built to supply water to the plant of what became the nation's largest rayon producer.

That industrial past is easy to miss today. The water reflects the seasons of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, and a trail system follows the shoreline. But the story of how Enka Lake became Biltmore Lake runs through a Dutch textile company, the Great Depression, and a neighborhood that once pooled donations to help buy a 138-acre ridge tract.

A Dutch Company Comes to the Hominy Valley

The American Enka Company, established by the Dutch rayon firm Nederlandse Kunstzijdefabriek, was incorporated in 1928. The name "Enka" comes from the Dutch pronunciation of the letters N and K in the company's name.

Asheville businessman Fred Loring Seely, son-in-law of Grove Park Inn builder E.W. Grove, had met Dutch businessmen in Java in 1901. When the company went looking for an American site, Seely pitched Buncombe County's trees, water and workforce. American Enka sent him more than $1 million to buy 2,000 acres and built a $10 million plant in the Hominy Valley, which opened in July 1929.

The site sat beside Southern Railroad's Murphy Branch, the line that linked Asheville to Murphy at the far western tip of the state. Nineteen hundred people worked there during the Great Depression. That grew to 4,300 after World War II, and at one point as many as 7,000 people worked at the plant.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka,_North_Carolina and https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov/findingaids/PC_7011_American_Enka_Company_A_.html

Enka Village and the Original Lake Club

American Enka built more than a factory. Its mill village included houses of varying sizes for executives, managers and employees, and village amenities included a lake, church, hospital, post office and community store. Employees had a library, gym, bowling alley and two cafeterias.

The Enka Lake Club opened on the lake. In the early twentieth century, historic Enka Village featured bungalows and a handful of executive homes along the lake's eastern shore, leaving several hundred acres undeveloped.

Sources: https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov/findingaids/PC_7011_American_Enka_Company_A_.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka,_North_Carolina and https://biltmorelake.com/about-us/history-of-biltmore-lake/

From BASF to Biltmore Farms

Badische Corporation bought American Enka in 1985, creating the BASF Corporation Fibers Division. BASF sold the plant to Colbond in 2000, and rayon production ended by 2007. In 2001, BASF donated 37 acres for an Enka campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Biltmore Farms bought land from BASF as its next master-planned community after Biltmore Park in South Asheville. The developer dates the purchase to 2001, while the State Archives places it in 2002. Current cottage and home designs use arts and crafts-inspired details to echo the charms of the earlier neighborhood.

The former plant stood northeast of the present-day community. Its northern section was sold to developers who tore down everything but the clock tower, though portions of the plant still stand, including three buildings that became the Enka campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Plans for an industrial development approved in January 2023 were conditioned on preserving the clock tower.

Sources: https://appx.archives.ncdcr.gov/findingaids/PC_7011_American_Enka_Company_A_.html, https://biltmorelake.com/about-us/history-of-biltmore-lake/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka,_North_Carolina

Life on the Water

Today the lake is the centerpiece of a private community. The boathouse keeps cedar strip canoes, kayaks, paddleboats and Sunfish sailboats on hand. A sandy beach invites swimmers, sunbathers and readers.

Fishing runs through the neighborhood. Many streets are named after fishing lures, including Ginger Quill and Perch Fly. Four miles of shady, dog-friendly pathways weave through the neighborhoods, and connecting trails run up Scott's Ridge.

The clubhouse has a fireplace, an exchange library and lake views. Two hard-surface tennis courts just south of the clubhouse offer a view of Mt. Pisgah, and the Pickleball Players group is also popular. There is a full-length lakeside basketball court and many playgrounds.

Source: https://biltmorelake.com/lake-community-life/lake-community-recreation/

The Neighbors Who Saved Scott's Ridge

Scott's Ridge, a 138-acre tract beside Pisgah National Forest and Bent Creek Wilderness, was up for sale by Biltmore Farms. Many residents worried developers would buy it. Resident Phillip Murphy said development could bring homes, condos, apartments and roads, creating erosion that would run down to Enka Lake.

Murphy led a winter campaign of flyers, a website and street-corner presentations. He said more than half of Biltmore Lake's roughly 800 residents donated, pooling money to buy the land, which they then donated to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. SAHC executive director Carl Silverstein said the community helped raise $1.8 million toward buying the property. Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks announced that SAHC closed on the land on August 3 for $2.5 million, WLOS reported in September 2022, and Silverstein said SAHC is excited about conserving the property in perpetuity.

Silverstein called it a first for SAHC in crowdfunding. He said keeping development off those steep slopes helps avoid sedimentation in the streams.

Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/biltmore-lake-residents-protect-138-acres-of-scenic-land-pisgah-national-forest-bent-creek-wilderness-cotts-ridge

Buying a Home at Biltmore Lake

The community's website points buyers to Cottage Collection land and home packages in the Wilderness Cove neighborhood, and to mountain and lake views in the Cedar Rock neighborhood.

Source: https://biltmorelake.com/about-us/history-of-biltmore-lake/

The Biltmore Lake Market Right Now

As of October 22, 2026, there were 19 active listings for properties in the Biltmore Lake community, priced from $499,000 to $2,675,000 with a middle price around $875,000. The mix: 17 single-family homes, 1 townhome, 1 lot.

Keep Exploring

To see what is on the market around Biltmore Lake today, browse Biltmore Lake area homes for sale. For the towns nearby, start with Candler real estate and Asheville homes for sale. The wider Buncombe County listings cover the rest of the county.

You may also like more on the area.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Biltmore Lake the same as Enka Lake?

Yes. Enka Lake is now part of the private Biltmore Lake community. The lake was built to supply water to the American Enka rayon plant, which opened in the Hominy Valley in 1929, and the Enka Lake Club opened on it. Biltmore Farms developed the community after buying the land from BASF.

What is Scott's Ridge at Biltmore Lake?

Scott's Ridge is a 138-acre tract next to Pisgah National Forest and Bent Creek Wilderness that was up for sale by Biltmore Farms. SAHC's executive director said the community helped raise $1.8 million toward buying the property, and Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks announced that the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy closed on the land on August 3 for $2.5 million. SAHC says it is excited about conserving the property in perpetuity.