Wednesday, August 2, 2017

A Little Shangri-La

"Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man." -- Henry L. Warren

I am attempting to meander my way through a list of unique sites in North Carolina. There are actually enough of them to fill at least the next year! Last week-end I took a short drive to this village of stone. It is located in Prospect Hill, North Carolina on NC Highway 86. There is a short service road next to it, which makes parking and visiting very simple.

In 1968, Henry L. Warren, a retired tobacco farmer began crafting a miniature village of stone. He worked daily on his project, adding many interesting touches (which I won't give away here) and eventually completed 27 structures. He was working on a hospital when he died in 1977. Forty years later, the buildings still stand! Located in the village are a church, a gym, a theater, a hotel, and many more cool sites. The village sits right next to a private home, actually the home of Warren's daughter. The family encourages visitors and even keeps a journal on site, so be sure you sign!

I was amazed by all of the details which Mr. Warren put into his Shangri-La. As I wandered slowly around, I marveled at the love and attention that went into each building. Even the walkways have been carefully crafted from stone. A picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy my "words" below, but be sure you add a visit to Henry L. Warren's Shangri-La Village to your must-see list!






prospect hill shangri la village





**11535 NC Highway 86 North, Prospect Hill, NC. It is located about an hour from Greensboro.
**The village is listed on several sites which are also worth a "visit." I especially recommend the Roadside America site. This site allows you to plug in a state, city, or even road name to find some interesting places to explore!

Roadside America

Atlas Obscura

Strange Carolinas


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