Fund-raising by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will help update the fire safety system at Flat Top Manor along the Blue Ridge Parkway/NPS

Better fire protection is coming to Flat Top Manor at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park along the Blue Ridge Parkway thanks to a Centennial Challenge project being carried by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

The Foundation will raise $411,632 to update the fire suppression system at the manor, which is located at milepost 294, near Blowing Rock, N.C. The funds will be supplemented with an award from Congress of $294,487 to address this pressing need on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Last week the National Park Service announced nearly $48 million of Centennial Challenge projects to help parks across the country improve visitor services and support outreach to new audiences. The projects, many of which tackle deferred maintenance, come as the Park Service this year kicks off its second century of service.

Congress provided $15 million for the projects, which will be matched by almost $33 million from more than 90 park partners.

“We are excited that the Blue Ridge Parkway will be the recipient of these Centennial Challenge dollars for a second year,” said Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods. “Through making this donation, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is helping us care for the resources of this park in meaningful ways that will be enjoyed for years to come.”

This year’s Centennial Challenge kicks off a multiyear initiative by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to rehabilitate Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, which faces serious maintenance issues due to shortfalls in funding from the federal government. The long-range work will be guided by the Developed Area Management Plan, recently completed by the Parkway, and a steering committee of local volunteers. The work will include additional repairs to Flat Top Manor, the Apple Barn, carriage trails, the observation tower, and more.

“We are thrilled and honored to play a role in ensuring a bright future for this beloved estate,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “Moses H. Cone Memorial Park tells an important story in the history of the High Country and North Carolina, and we are looking forward to partnering with the community to address the repairs this cherished site deserves.”

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. To date, the organization has dedicated more than $1 million in support for this popular destination, including successfully nominating the estate for the National Register of Historic Places.

The 2016 Centennial Challenge program builds on the successes of 2015, when Congress appropriated $10 million. In 2015, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation made the commitment to raise matching funds for five Centennial Projects on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The nonprofit’s collaboration with the National Park Service through the Centennial Challenge in 2015 and 2016 will have a $1.4 million impact on the Parkway. The Centennial commitment is in addition to the Foundation’s annual financial support of park-identified needs in the areas of historical and cultural preservation, natural resource protection, education and outreach, and visitor amenities.

To support this project and other critical needs on the Parkway, please visit www.brpfoundation.org or call (866) 308-2773.