Boone, North Carolina is known for its beautiful mountain views and scenery, but there is quite a bit of history in this area that you will want to learn about as well. The Moses Cone Manor in Boone, NC was the summer home of an antebellum aristocrat and was one of the first homes to have indoor plumbing in the area. This antebellum home is open for visitors to learn more about the time period and the surrounding grounds allow you to learn more about this aristocrat and this period of history, as well as learn about the crafting heritage that is found in this area of the country.
The Manor itself is a 20-room 13,000 square feet home that textile magnate Moses Cone had built for his summer home. The home was built in 1901 in Greek Revival style and features beautiful and unique design touches throughout. In the Manor you will find the Parkway Craft Center and will find handmade crafts throughout the home that exemplifies the crafting tradition found in this area. In addition, during the summer months, you will find demonstrations by crafters of all types. This is normally found on the large porch of the Manor.
The carriage trails that wind throughout the estate make for some beautiful walks, rides, and hikes for you and your family. The trails are open to the public for horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, and walking. The Craftsman's Trail is one you may want to check out. This loop is the one that the Cone's were said to walk every morning and only takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and you will get to see the main parts of the estate.
Moses Cone was a naturalist and conservationist in many ways and his dedication to this led him to plant white pine forests and hemlock hedges upon the advice of a naturalist/conservationist friend. This also led him to plant a 10,000 tree apple orchard and build and stock his lakes with bass and trout. All of these areas are open to the public, as well as the family cemetery, apple barn, and a carriage that you can look at.
Both the Manor and the Parkway Craft Center are open seasonally and are most often open from March 15-November 30 from 9-5 daily. Admission is free, but there is a gift shop that you can peruse with handmade crafts and other goodies for you and the entire family.
If you are near Boone, North Carolina, you are sure to want to check out the Moses Cone Manor. It offers not only an educational experience where you get to learn about life in the early 1900's and learn about different crafts, but it is also offers a place to visit that will let you spend quality time with your family. Whether you take a walk to the lakes, hike some of the carriage trails, mountain bike on some of the carriage trails, or take a horseback ride, you will find that this estate will give you a great place to relax and hangout with your family.
