Andrew's Geyser

Victorian-era fountain built to honor the railroad engineer who conquered the Blue Ridge

Andrew's Geyser is a small but genuinely delightful fountain situated in a wooded valley a few miles from Old Fort on the old railroad right-of-way. A column of water shoots upward from the ground into a stone basin, powered by spring pressure — no pump required. The setting is peaceful and slightly eccentric: a Victorian memorial to railroad engineering, tucked into the Blue Ridge woods.

The fountain was built in the 1880s to honor A.B. Andrews, the engineer who supervised construction of the Swannanoa Gap tunnel, which allowed the Western North Carolina Railroad to cross the Blue Ridge and connect Asheville to the rest of the state. To reach the geyser, take Mill Creek Road from town and follow the signs — the road is narrow and winding but paved. There is a small parking area and a short walk to the fountain.

things to do sight
A story
The geyser commemorates Alexander Boyd Andrews, the Southern Railway engineer who masterminded the construction of the Swannanoa Gap tunnel in the 1870s — a feat that finally broke through the Blue Ridge and connected the Piedmont to the mountain west. The original fountain was built by local residents as a tribute. The current version dates from a 1929 restoration. It sits in a small park in a mountain valley accessible only by a narrow winding road — which adds to the charm.