Moses Cone Memorial Park: Mansion in the Hills

Moses Cone started purchasing land in the resort area of Blowing Rock in the early 1890’s. Cone made his fortune in the textile industry, where his niche was in denim. He was one of the first in the area to sell premade clothing. This durable fabric was a perfect fit for the areas rugged-mountain lifestyles. Cone’s textile company became the world’s largest producer of denim. By 1899 construction of the Flat Top Manor was underway.

Today, the Flat Top Manor serves as the home for the Parkway Craft Center. The craft center spans the first floor of the mansion. Works from local artists are featured at the center. Demonstrations are frequently held on the front porch of the mansion. Quilting, wood carving, drum making, crocheting, and many other forms of art work have all been featured demonstrations at the Mansion. Tours of the upstairs of the mansion are also given (by reservation) on Saturday and Sunday at 10a.m., 11a.m., 2p.m., 3p.m., and 4p.m.  Tours are provided by a park ranger and last about thirty minutes. Tours are FREE and provide an in-depth look into life on the 3,600 acre Moses Cone farm. Tours will end the weekend of October 17, 2010 so plan your tour before it’s too late.

Moses Cone Memorial Park has something to offer the outdoor enthusiast too. The grounds of the park have over twenty five miles of manicured carriage trails. The trails can be enjoyed by horse back or by foot. The trails take you to open meadows and orchards once used by the Cone family. Bass lake is also on the grounds of the Cone Manor. Bass lake is stocked and open for fishing.

The Moses Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top Manor are located directly off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 294. The park is just two miles from the parkway entrance at highway 321.

For more information on the Moses Cone Estate, Flat Top Manor, or tour reservations call: (828) 295-3782