Moses H. Cone
Memorial Park
One of the most popular
and expansive
attractions of the Blue
Ridge Mountains is Moses
Cone Manor Memorial
Park, a 3,500 acre park
full of pristine High Country
beauty. At the heart of
the North Carolina High
Country resort area and
Blowing Rock NC, Moses
Cone National Park is
“historic splendor at
its finest.”
To understand and fully
enjoy the park, one must
get to know the man
behind it. Moses Cone
was a prosperous
entrepreneur,
conservationist, and
philanthropist of the
Gilded Age who sought
out the Blue Ridge
Mountains of the High
Country to build his own
mountain lifestyle.
Moses and his wife
Bertha bought 3,500
acres just north of
Blowing Rock on land
that included Flat Top
Mountain, 500 acres of
farmland, and virgin
forests of various
hardwoods and
evergreens.
Moses Cone
began to put his grand
vision into action by
building three lakes
stocked with trout and
bass. In recognition of
the 30 farmers who
occupied some of the
land he bought, Cone
allowed them to remain
on the land and hired
some as informal tenants
of the estate. Most
grandiosely, the Moses
Cone House began to take
shape. When finished,
Flat Top Manor stood as
a 23-room, 13,000 square
foot, immaculate white
Colonial Revival home
featuring large white
columns, leaded glass
windows, high dormers,
and a curving banister
for the grand sweep
staircase made from one
piece of cherry wood.
Cone Manor NC was
equipped with gaslights,
telephone and a central
heating system, and
amazingly, all the
lumber to build the home
had to be hauled uphill
for 20 miles from the
Lenoir train station.
Best of all, the Moses
Cone House offered
beautiful sweeping
vistas of the mountains
and accompanying estate
countryside. Despite the
luxury of the home, the
Cones worked tirelessly
to preserve the natural
environment of the
estate, importing
whitetail deer, planting
various apple varieties,
replanting a tree for
any that was cut, and
seeking the advice of
conservationists in
planting white pine
forests and hemlock
hedges. Moses Cone also
left a legacy of
activism in the
mountains as he gave
four dollars to the
schools of Blowing Rock
for every dollar raised
by its citizens and gave
significant start-up
funds to Appalachian
State University and
served on its original
board.
 Upon the death of Bertha
Cone in 1947, she
bequeathed the estate to
The Moses H. Cone
Memorial Hospital in
Greensboro NC who in
turn, gave the estate
over to the U.S.
Government in 1950.
Today, visitors can enjoy
the beauty that the
Cones celebrated on
their estate perched
amidst the Blue Ridge
Mountains. The Blue
Ridge Parkway traverses
through the Cone Estate
land for 2.5 miles. The
focal activities of the
park are the Flat Top
Manor, hiking trails and
horse back riding.
Admission is free and
inside the house is the
Parkway Craft Center,
featuring crafts from
artisans spanning 9
states. Experience the
luxurious and detailed
intricacies of the Cone
Manor NC; the rose
gardens, 25 miles of
smooth carriage roads
(an accomplishment in
the 1900s), four former
orchards that contained
32,000 apple trees,
stables, barns, carriage
and apple houses,
bowling alley and
carbide plant, which
provided gas and
lighting to the manor.
Take a 20-minute walk on
Craftsman's Trail, one
of eight hiking trails
in the Moses Cone Park,
and the loop that the
Cones walked each
morning. Visitors can
also enjoy Moses Cone
Horseback Riding, located on
US 221 between the
Parkway and Blowing Rock,
through the Blowing Rock
Equestrian Preserve.
Visitors can also enjoy
trout and bass fishing
on designated Wild Trout
Water lakes and cross
country skiing. A and W
Rentals is proud to
offer
NC
Mountain Rentals just down the
street from the Moses
Cone manor. View our
rentals and begin
planning your own Blue
Ridge Mountain retreat!
Visiting the Moses H.
Cone Memorial Park
|
Activities:
|
Hiking,
Horseback
riding, Fishing,
Cross-country
skiing |
Facilities:
|
Manor House
Craft Shop and
Book Store |
|
Operation Dates:
|
The Park is open
year-round. The
Manor House is
open spring
through fall. |
Trail Distance
and
Configuration:
|
25 miles of
carriage trails
for hiking and
horses. Bikes
are not allowed. |
|
Fees: |
None |
Directions:
|
Blue Ridge
Parkway between
mile posts 292
and 295
|
|
Elevations:
|
Bass Lake,
3,560' to Flat
Top Mountain,
4,558' |
Surface and
Blaze: |
No blazes but
most are signed
at trailheads
and junctions.
Trail floors are
primarily
crushed gravel. |
|
Degree of
Difficulty: |
Easy to
Moderate |
|
|
We invite you to view
all of our rental
properties and contact
us by phone at
828.898.9188,
e-mail us, or us or
online request form
to ask questions or
request reservations. |
