Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Rehabilitation

Textile magnate Moses H. Cone and his wife, Bertha Lindau Cone, envisioned a grand country estate carved from the landscape with a great sensitivity for the natural environment. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves the community with a wealth of recreational opportunities.

Photo by David Huff

Anyone who strolls the loop around Bass Lake, rides horseback or hikes the carriage paths, or explores Flat Top Manor makes a connection with this 3,500-acre estate created by denim magnate Moses H. Cone, and his wife, Bertha, in late 1800s. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is raising funds to address crucial repairs and maintenance as well as trail work and landscape restoration for this treasure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Exterior renovations at Flat Top Manor are complete, thanks to donor support! There is still much to be done to ensure great experiences continue on the estate. Gifts for Moses H. Cone Memorial Park will:

  • Interpretive Experiences ($19,000 needed): Ranger assistance and maps are two key elements of a meaningful experience at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. With a gift, you can extend the Flat Top Manor ranger’s season and ensure interpretive maps are available for all guests. 
  • Balustrade repairs: A balustrade was orginally added to the lawn in front of Flat Top Manor during Bertha Cone's time on the estate. The current balustrade is weathered and damaged and must be repaired to complement the manor's fresh new exterior.
  • Repair historic stone walls 
  • Partially restore the immediate landscape of the manor house and construct new trails/sidewalks
  • Enhance interpretation of the Manor House's immediate landscape, outdoor recreation areas, and farm and garden landscapes
  • Recreate the experience of the carriage trails by repairing the surface and removing encroaching vegetation to restore vistas
  • Provide interpretive information about the Cone family and others who made the estate their home
  • Rehabilitate the vast landscape and care for original plantings
  • Protect iconic Flat Top Manor from fire by installing a fire suppression system (complete)
  • Protect Flat Top Manor from continuing deterioration by repairing or replacing exterior wooden components, including siding, columns, and doors, and repair windows. (complete)

Since its inception in 1997, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has worked with donors to invest in the preservation of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, including successfully nominating the estate for the National Register of Historic Places and the construction of restrooms at Bass Lake. 

The long-range work will be guided by the Developed Area Management Plan, completed by the National Park Service, and a steering committee of local volunteers.

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About Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

The park was owned and developed as a gentleman’s country estate by Moses H. Cone, an American captain of industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who with his brother, Ceasar Cone, brought denim production to the South with several mills based in Greensboro, N.C.

Cone was not only a successful entrepreneur, he was an inquisitive gentleman farmer who experimented with agriculture and designed and built one of America’s most beautiful country estates. Beginning in 1897, he carefully created an impressive retreat featuring carriage trails, lakes, orchards, fields, and forests. His vision was influenced by a great regard for the natural landscape.

Before his untimely death in 1908, he constructed Flat Top Manor as the centerpiece of this idyllic mountain retreat. After his passing, his wife, Bertha, operated the estate for 40 years, adhering to his original concept. The 3,500-acre estate became part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1949. The Cone family’s generosity and influence is still evident in Greensboro, home to Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, and the mountains today.

If you have questions or would like to get involved, please contact Jordan Calaway

Learn more

See before and after images of the exterior renovations at Flat Top Manor

Take a virtual tour of Flat Top Manor

Learn more in Phil Noblitt's book, Mansion in the Mountains, a history of Moses and Bertha Cone and Flat Top Manor.

Download a map of the carriage trails.

Hear a brief history of the estate by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.

 

Milepost 294
NC

Remake history

Help protect the history and recreational opportunities at this treasured estate in the High Country of North Carolina.

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Photo by David Hill