History Collection

One of Blowing Rock's most well-known icons is Flat Top Manor, which can be seen rising above the tree lines - often unexpectedly - in a myriad of places around the village. Built from 1899 to 1900 by Moses and Bertha Cone, this Colonial Revival house is the centerpiece of the Cone's 3,516-acre estate.

(Excerpted from A Village Tapestry by Barry M. Buxton.) The Community Club was formed in 1923 by women who had been involved in social and civic improvement work. In addition to providing a library for the town the women raised money to wire the school house for electric lights and to buy desks, window shades and a piano; provided children with clothing, shoes, and hot lunches; and financed medical care for needy townspeople who could not afford hospitalization. During the rugged post-War and Depression years of the 1930s, no other organization did as much to aid the town.

The following snippets from Blowing Rock history are designed to enlighten as well as entertain. These excerpts are reprinted from a 1976 edition of The Blowing Rocket, published in celebration of the nation's 200th birthday.

(Last year, after Glenn Coffey's death and the tear-down of the Blue Ridge Motel, there was concern about the safety and care of the Daniel Boone Trail Marker #26, which still stands on the property. At that time, the Blowing Rock Historical Society went to the Coffey family to ask if they would consider donating this monument to the Town. Working with Lewis and Perry Coffey, the Historical Society guided the effort and in September last year, the Town accepted the donation of the monument. Soon, the marker will be placed in front of the Blowing Rock Pictorial History Museum, the little white building to the south of the Park, next to the Martin House.)

In Blowing Rock's early days, furniture was either imported from larger cities or made by local artisans. Those who were here with the incorporation of the village on March 11, 1889, most likely made their own furniture or received pieces passed down in the family. In 1907, Hayes' Store and Craig's Store were credited with "selling everything from women's hats to food to caskets" and undoubtedly had some furniture. Most residents, however, found their furniture from family, had it built, or made trips down the mountain to bigger cities.

A story published in the Blowing Rock Journal on July 22, 1961, by Dr. H.E. Spence, describes the life of a woman who was the model of kindness and generosity in sharing her skills at nursing and nurturing the sick and elderly of the Blowing Rock area at the turn of the 20th century.

The Blowing Rock Art Association held a Members Exhibition each summer for many years, beginning in 1949.

This article, by Sue Glenn, appeared in the Autumn 2005 issue of High Country Magazine.

A brief biography of artist Elliott Daingerfield.

A brief biography of artist Edward Szmyd.