In 1978, the Princess Anne changed hands again but continued to operate as a retirement hotel and would remain so through another change of ownership in 1982.
During this time, one of the hotel’s most notable residents was activist Florence Ryan. Ryan dedicated much of her life to increasing voter education and women’s equality. She drove fellow senior citizens from her apartment to the polls and remained active with the League of Women Voters in Buncombe County until her death at the age of 99. In 1985, the North Carolina Council on the Status of Women honored Ryan with a Distinguished Women of North Carolina award.
Florence Ryan was one of the most notable residents. She remained active until the age of 99.
