Rivers House Property

John L. Hickerson, a local stonemason, completed the stonework for this two-story, stone house in 1933 for RL Clay. In 1945 Robert Campbell Rivers, Jr., publisher of the Watauga Democrat, purchased the property. His daughter, Rachel Rivers-Coffey, and her husband, Paul Armfield Coffey, continued to publish the newspaper until 1994 when they sold it. The family donated the 13-acre property to the Town of Boone in 1998 with the stipulation that it be used for recreational space, green space, installation of underground utility provided they have minimal impact on the natural environment, flood mitigation, a wildlife sanctuary or historical purposes. Behind the house, a trail leads up the hill to “Baby,” a sugar maple that is a North Carolina Champion Tree and thought to be the largest in the state.