Moses Cone Mansion

December 2007
Moses H. Cone made his money along with his brother Ceasar in the textile business in the late 1800s. They created the Cone Export and Commission Company in 1891 and focused on manufacturing efficiencies through the assembly line. The Cone brothers moved their company headquarters to Greensboro, North Carolina in 1894 to be closer to the cotton fields, warehouses, and railway transportation.


Recommended Reading: "Images of America: Building the Blue Ridge Parkway" by Karen J. HallClick on photo at right to learn more . . . "The Blue Ridge Parkway began as a dream in the late 1800s and became reality in 1983 when the 469-mile scenic highway was completed. Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway began in September 1935 at Cumberland Knob. Heavy construction was done by contractors who won bids for the different projects along various sections of the parkway. Civilian Conservation Corps troops took care of the roadsides, landscaping, and structure building. As part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, this project was intended to provide jobs throughout the region. Images of America: Building the Blue Ridge Parkway contains approximately 200 construction photographs of the Blue Ridge Parkway." - Book Description from Amazon.com

At this time, new roads in western North Carolina were improving access to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Moses and his wife Bertha began to look for land near Blowing Rock and eventually purchased more than 3500 acres including Flat Top and Rich mountains.
They added three lakes and stocked them with trout and bass. The local farmers whose farms were now a part of the Cone estate were allowed to stay and many were hired as tenants of his new estate. The Cones then built their mansion, the white, 20-room Flat Top Manor.

Moses Cone died in 1908 and his wife lived on the property for 39 more years until her death in 1947. She left the property to The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. Three years later they donated the property to the U.S. Government.


Today the Manor House is home to one of the Southern Highlands Craft Guilds shops. According to Southern Highland's website (see link below):"Chartered in 1930, it would grow to become one of the strongest craft organizations in the country. Second in age only to the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, the Guild now represents over 900 craftspeople in 293 counties of 9 southeastern states. The Guild has partnered with the National Park Service for more than fifty years. It operates the Blue Ridge Parkway's Folk Art Center. For information on the Craft Fairs of the Southern Highlands, Special Events, the Folk Art Center, The Shops, Membership in the Guild and links to our members that are online, visit our site."


The Moses Cone Park has many hiking, mountain biking and horse riding trails open to the public. There are stables on the property, and approximately 27 miles of carriage trails including the Craftsman’s Trail, a 20-mile ring around the estate.The Manor House and Craft Shop are open seasonally. Check their websites (see links below) or call 828-295-7938 .