News

Ask Matt ... What’s up at big clearing, old Woodfield Inn and Bold Life

Dating back to 1852, the historic Woodfield Inn has been idle since the death of owner Hasan Mansouri in February 2020.

By Matt Matteson, Published: March 9, 2024

Q. What is the status of the Mansouri Mansion property? There is a “rent/sale” sign on the site but no commercial listing.

That’s hard a question to answer. We spoke with Werner Mansouri, one of two sons of Hasan Mansouri, who died in 2020. Mansouri bought the historic Woodfield Inn and the surrounding 23 acres in 2009, made some cosmetic repairs, changed the name and attempted to market it as a resort. The property carries a county tax value of $2.6 million. Werner, who lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was tightlipped. “We’re not talking to any newspapers right now, maybe in the future,” he said. Asked if he expected to announce anything about Mansouri Mansion, he said, “No I don’t.”

Opened in 1852 as the Flat Rock Hotel, the original investors were a who’s who of Low Country luminaries and early Flat Rock settlers: Charles Baring, Judge Mitchell King, Andrew Johnstone, Edmund Molyneaux, William Young, Richard H. Lowndes, Matthew R. Singleton, Dr. Mitchell King, (South Carolina governor 1844-46) William Aiken and Henry T. Farmer. In October 1853, the shareholders sold the property to Henry Tudor “Squire” Farmer, who operated it as the Farmer Hotel or Farmer’s Hotel.

Besides the historic inn, Hasan Mansouri owned 25 more real estate parcels in Henderson County, valued in 2020 at $10.35 million, according to land records.

Flat Rock Mayor Nick Weedman has tried to find out from Karim Mansouri, Hasan’s other son, what’s happening with the inn. Karim always responds, he says, but still has no news.

“I have periodic contact with him by email because to me there’s a lot of neglect at what used to be called Woodfield Inn,” Weedman told us. “I’ve looked recently at the property records he owns to see if any of it had been sold and to the best of my knowledge not a single property has been sold.”

What is going on that clearing on Greenville Highway south of Kenmure golf course?

A big house. The terraced lot that backs up to the Claremont subdivision on the east side of the road will be the site of a two-story 10,727-square-foot (7,077 heated) home with eight bedrooms and three baths, according to the building permit. The property owners are Debra and Keith Halterman. A news story we found from 2009 described Halterman’s two car dealerships in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, but it’s unclear whether he still owns them. A zoning permit the Village of Flat Rock issued in 2022 contained an East Stroudsburg address while current tax records show a Denver, Colorado, mailing address for the couple. The Haltermans bought the 8.6-acre lot in October 2020 for $325,000, according to land records. Halterman did not return our call seeking more information, so we were unable to find out why construction has been paused for months.

Q. Are they still publishing Bold Life magazine? I haven’t seen it on the street lately.

   The last issue of Bold Life, the tabloid magazine that showcased local culture, food and the arts, sadly will not be published again. “The last issue we did was November-December,” co-publisher Rimas Zailskas said. “We are still doing Asheville Made and Carolina Home and Garden.” After 21 years “it was time,” Zailskas said. Many readers knew Bold Life as a quality publication with great photography and interesting stories that they would not find other places. And its cover price — free — was hard to beat.

Q. What’s going on with Ecusta Crossing, the townhome development on U.S. 64 West? 

   “The first few units should close in a few months,” said Bill Fishburne, an agent with Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Realtors. “But they still have to do some utility work.” He said the Ohio-based developer was using a complicated and slow-moving financing system but that it recently had switched to conventional financing. Seventeen of the first 42 units are still available with townhomes starting at $369,000, Fishburne said. The Laurel Park Town Council authorized the development at the foot of Davis Mountain in 2018. The land abuts the Ecusta Trail, an asset the owners obviously regard as a selling point.

Q. I heard that the Veterans Healing Farm on Yale Road is looking for a new home.

   They are looking. According to Healing Farm Director Al Yeck they need to vacate the 1.7 acres by mid-August. “We inherited what was there but in our new home we will need more teaching space,” said Yeck. “We would like 10 to 15 acres which would give us room for parking and events. The facility, which was founded in 2013, is dedicated to enhancing the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of veterans and their families. Yeck said they will plant a summer crop only. The present site, which abuts the Ecusta Trail, was the site of the Trail groundbreaking last fall. Future use of the property is unknown.

Q. What is that new building at 208 Chadwick Ave. behind Ingles and across from the Bethany Bible Church?

   That will be the new location of the Hendersonville Veterinary Hospital. This spring the animal doctors will move from their smaller space nearby on Greenville Highway into the spacious new office with ample parking, something they don’t have now.

Q. Why are they cutting down those large trees along U.S. 64 West in Laurel Park?

   NCDOT is making room for roundabouts. The project, which spans from Blythe Street to White Pine Drive, will replace four intersections with roundabouts. To see the plans you can go to the Town of Laurel Park website and click on “Brevard Road Improvements” then scroll down to find the map link.* *

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We got an assist on our Mansouri Mansion answer from Bruce Holliday, who coincidentally featured the historic inn on March 3 in his weekly blog “Flat Rock Together.” Thanks Bruce!