The Heart of the Park 1923 ~ 1950

The Heart of the Park 1923 ~ 1950. . , The Kuser Mansion was the Heart of the Park , ~ For more than thirty years the former Kuser Mansion, renamed the "State Building,” was the hub of activity within High Point State Park. It housed the Park offices and the first floor had a reception area, dining room, and a museum. The High Point Park Commission offices were on the second floor, as well as additional meeting rooms. Visitors could rent third floor bedrooms. The State Building also served as a ski lodge in winter., ~ Adjacent to the building was a concession stand, swings and see-saws, a bear enclosure, other small captive animals, and areas for picnicking. Restrooms were constructed to the west and stairs led down to the public beach on Lake Marcia, located on the side of the lake closest to the Mansion (pictured below)., [Photo captions, counterclockwise from top left, read] , . These postcards show the view of the high point before and after the Monument was constructed from the veranda, and some of the curiosities housed in the museum, including the preserved skin from a python and bronze bears from Bear Mountain State Park., . These images from the 1920s and 1930s show views looking north from the veranda. Can you see how the road leading from the Mansion to the Monument moved?, . In this early postcard, the cafeteria has not yet been built. Can you find the cement base for the flagpole to the left of the boulder with the zinc tablet?, . The concession stand, swings, and see-saws were popular attractions. In later years a log cabin-style souvenir shop was built just past the swings., . The corner of the concession stand is visible here as well as the play equipment. The newly-constructed cafeteria or "Grey Rock Inn" rises in the distance.