Linville Land Harbor History

The town of Linville, located near the Blue Ridge Parkway, has long been a resort community. Visitors can see the careful planning that went into its development by taking a stroll through the Linville Historic District. In 1883, the new mountain town was carefully planned and laid out foursquare, with streets and parks thoughtfully incorporated into the design. It was named for William and John Linville.

  • Timeline Photos
  • 1920's

    In the late 1920s, Howard Marmon came to Avery County and purchased land in the Pineola area. Included in the land he purchased, was the area west of US 221 that is now where part of Land Harbor is located.

  • 1940 - 1943

    Mr. Marmon was responsible for building the dam which formed the lake at the main entrance. In 1940, a major flood destroyed the dam that he built, and in 1943, he sold all his property to the State of North Carolina.

  • Timeline Photos
  • 1969

    In 1969, the Carolina Caribbean Corporation bought the Marmon property from the State of North Carolina. They also bought the Anthony Lake Nursery and some other properties. These properties make up today’s Land Harbor. The Carolina Caribbean Corporation planned to develop two resort areas, one in Little River South Carolina and the other in Linville, North Carolina. These resorts were to operate under the title “Land Harbors of America,” thus our development was named “Linville Land Harbors.”

    On May 2, 1969, Ernie Hayes and Douglas Miller met with an engineer from Carolina Caribbean Corporation and a surveying engineer who was in charge of surveying property lines, road, water, and sewer lines. These four men planned Land Harbor’s main entrance to the property from US 221. Before this entrance was built, the only way into the property was from Goose Hollow Road.

  • 1998

    The original main entrance consisted of a guardhouse and a large sign that said “Linville Land Harbor.” In 1998, the sign and guardhouse were torn down and, the present entrance was developed. Many say we have the most beautiful entrance in the area.

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