Staff at DCR's Western Office operate one of the State Archives' two regional research facilities and help local government agencies effectively manage their public records.

Western Regional Archives

The Western Regional Archives, (WRA) part of the State Archives of North Carolina, collects, preserves and makes available to the public archival materials pertaining to western North Carolina. Normal operating hours are: 

• Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Other times by appointment and the WRA is closed on state holidays.

Several significant private collections have been moved from the State Archives in Raleigh to form the core archival collection in Asheville, among them the Black Mountain College Papers and private collections related to the college, the Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph Collection, the Appalachian National Park Association Papers, and some microfilmed western county records. For a complete list of the collections available at this facility, visit this page.

For more information about the WRA please call 828-250-3120 or send questions to wrarchives@ncdcr.gov.

Visit the Western Regional Archives Website

Government Records Assistance

For managers of public records, the Government Records Branch of the State Archives supports a records management analyst responsible for providing a wide range of records and information management services to local governmental agencies and regional authorities to ensure the efficient and economical creation, maintenance and disposition of public records. 

The analyst in the Western Office with the branch consults with local officials in answering questions concerning retention schedule interpretation, retrieval and storage technologies, electronic records, statutory requirements and generally how to set up and maintain a records and information management system. 

Imaging services offered by the Government Records Branch to counties in western North Carolina are coordinated through the Western Office. The analyst works directly with local officials to plan filming projects which help to guarantee that essential and/or historical records are protected and available for future generations.