Come See Mountain Crafts in a Gilded Age Mansion
Amid the abundant natural beauty of the Moses Cone estate, the Southern Highland Craft Guild bridges the landscape with its people in a splendor of craftsmanship.
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, preserves the country estate of Moses Cone.
Cone was a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. In 1901, he built Flat Top Manor, the gleaming white 20-room mansion in the grand Colonial Revival style.
Twenty-five miles of carriage trails wind through the fields and forests of the 3,500-acre estate. The trails are available for horse-drawn carriages, horseback riding, and hiking. The Craftsman’s Trail is a 20-minute loop walk around the Manor, which the Cones are said to have walked together every morning. The estate also contains a family cemetery and a carriage and apple barn.
Moses Cone’s interest in nature and conservation led him to plant extensive white pine forests and hemlock hedges (at the advice of friend and noted conservationist Gifford Pinchot), build several lakes stocked with bass and trout, and plant a 10,000-tree apple orchard.
Listen to this Living Traditions Moment about the man behind the Manor
The Southern Highland Craft Guild
The Manor is the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, which features handmade crafts by hundreds of regional artists. Turned bowls, ceramic tableware, woven garments, and more handmade crafts are displayed throughout the first floor in different rooms. Come enjoy our seasonal craft demonstrations on the front porch while soaking up the views. It is a designated site along the Blue Ridge Craft Trails.
Flat Top Manor and The Southern Highland Craft Guild, located in the Moses Cone Memorial Park, are open seasonally at milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Additional Notes
- For Southern Highland Craft Shop’s hours of operation, please check their website here.
- Call (828) 295-3782 for the schedule of craft demonstrations.
- For information specifically about Moses Cone Manor and the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit the National Park Service website here.
- For information regarding permits (wedding permits and photography), please visit this page.
