N.C. reaches $24M deal to buy private Chimney Rock Park for state system

The state will spend $24 million to buy privately owned Chimney Rock Park, a scenic preserve in western North Carolina that has served as the setting for several major motion pictures, a state parks official said Monday.

The 1,000-acre property _ much of which is untouched by humans _ will be used to augment Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, newly created in one of North Carolina's most biologically diverse areas, said Charlie Peek, spokesman for the state Division of Parks and Recreation.

The state parks system had long been in negotiations with the family that owns Chimney Rock. In July, the owners turned down a state offer of $20 million, then listed the property with Sotheby's for $55 million. Monday's deal was helped by a private donation of $2.35 million, Peek said.

The main attraction of the private park, 25 miles southeast of Asheville, is Chimney Rock, a 315-foot-tall formation that offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Its trails and cliffs were used in scenes for the 1992 movie "Last of the Mohicans," and it has been featured in numerous other productions.

Chimney Rock Park was created in 1902 by Dr. Lucius B. Morse, who turned a giant tract in the Blue Ridge mountains into a destination for the well-to-do.

Father and son Lucius B. Morse III and Todd Morse said the decision to sell was due in part to mounting financial losses, potential estate tax complications and the creation of Hickory Nut Gorge.

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On the Net:

Chimney Rock: http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/

State Parks: http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/ncparks.html