Historic Frog Level Merchants

The Historic Frog Level District in Waynesville, North Carolina
The historic district whose name came about because of the frequent flooding of Richland Creek.

Before 1881, Frog Level was basically a flood plain of Richland Creek, and is one of the few level areas of Waynesville. Because of its proximity to the creek, it was reported that the sound of frogs could be heard quite loudly, thus it got its name. 

In 1881 the railroad arrived and a passenger and freight station was built near the tracks.  To accommodate passengers and the many new visitors to the area, warehouses, hotels, grocery stores and other retail businesses were built.  Although the railroad station no longer exists, most of these buildings still stand, but in the 1970’s rail passenger service was discontinued and many of the structures fell into disrepair.

In the 70s and 80s it was known as a seedy part of downtown, mainly due to a now-closed biker bar called The Tap Room. However, in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, some enterprising business people began the renovation of some of these buildings in an effort to revive the area.  There are now several successful businesses thriving in Frog Level, and more are added every year.

A mural in the area depicts a frog sitting on a level.

The historic Murphy Branch of the old Western North Carolina Railroad runs through Frog Level and still carries freight rail traffic from Norfolk Southern Railway which now owns the line. ~Mike McDonald