Ease your car up the winding, wooded drive that leads to Half-Mile Farm in Highlands, North Carolina, and you can feel the pressures of daily life slip away from your shoulders. As you step through the entry, you’re greeted with a glass of bubbly and a warm, hospitable welcome, as if you’ve arrived at the home of a new friend. A lush expanse of lawn hugged by split-rail fencing slopes toward a small lake, where a pair of dockside Adirondack chairs beckons you to settle in, exhale, and savor the crisp air. Relaxation is Half-Mile’s raison d’être, and it’s what lures most visitors here as autumn’s brilliant color show reaches its crescendo.
The rambling white farmhouse that sits at the heart of the property began life as a private home in the late 19th century. Built by Parthenia and Wiley Smith on their vast rural acreage, where they raised poultry and a dairy herd as well as fruit orchards and vegetable gardens, it did double duty as a boardinghouse in its early years. The home changed hands several times before it was bought in 1998 by Beth and Jack Henry, who added two wings of guest rooms to the original structure, put in a swimming pool, and christened the property The Inn at Half-Mile Farm. Now owned by Old Edwards Hospitality Group, it has become as sought-after as its sister resort Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands proper; guests can take a complimentary shuttle between the two for dinner downtown.
Half-Mile’s accommodations range from spacious rooms and suites in the main house—all beautifully appointed in tailored cottage style—to a stand-alone cluster of historic wooden cabins that were moved to the grounds from points across the South. A cozy lounge, a covered porch, and a sun-splashed dining room anchored by a stone fireplace serve as hubs for guests to gather for multicourse breakfasts in the morning and hors d’oeuvres before dinner. As darkness falls and the air grows chill, the firepit just outdoors is the perfect spot to wind down a leisurely day with s’mores, convivial conversation, and perhaps a beverage in hand from the on-site J. Henry’s Tavern—a tribute to the couple whose vision planted the seeds for this luxurious mountain escape.
