Mars Hill splits between the university-area rentals in town and the rural Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek valleys, where homes run on propane or wood. It's one of the colder spots we serve. For a craftsman look, that means honest materials — oak mantel, river stone, earthy tile — around an easy-use propane gas firebox in town, or a wood-burning firebox out in the valleys.
Two very different customers
In and around Mars Hill University, the demand leans toward easy-use gas — rentals and homes that want flame at the flip of a switch, no wood to haul, no ash to sweep. A direct-vent unit with a realistic split-oak log set gives the traditional craftsman flame with none of the upkeep. Out in Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek, homes are rural and often on propane or wood, so a Kozy Heat Springfield 36 for propane cabins, or a true wood-burning firebox, fits both the budget and the Arts-and-Crafts character better.
Cold, rural, and wood-friendly
Mars Hill sits at 2,350 feet in a colder pocket, and the rural valleys are natural wood country. Wood is the gold standard for backup heat — total grid independence, the kind that kept homes warm through Helene's long outages — so a wood-burning craftsman firebox or an EPA insert behind a stone-and-oak surround makes real sense out here. It needs a correctly sized liner and a Class A chimney done right, which is our lane; a landscaper or mason can't legally handle the gas conversions.
Madison permit, 30 minutes north
Whether it's propane, gas, or wood, we pull the Madison County permit, pressure-test any fuel line, and meet the inspector — one accountable crew, 30 minutes north of the Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.