ROSMAN, N.C. (WNCN) — A former Cold War spy station in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains is for sale. The 192-acre site is listed for $30 million.
In the 1960s, NASA built a communications hub in Rosman, N.C. that allowed the agency to photograph some of the first images of Earth as seen from space. It was also a communications link for crewed space programs, Project Gemini and Project Apollo.
In 1981, the National Security Agency saw it as the perfect location to aid in surveillance during the Cold War. The satellites, already installed by NASA, were key in gathering signals intelligence for the United States.
The Rosman Research Station was strictly off limits to the public. The remote location allowed the NSA to work in secrecy as satellites returned images related to the Soviet Union, and other areas across the globe. The site’s underground workspaces, including tunnels, still exist today.
After the Iron Curtain fell and the Cold War wound down, the NSA transferred the property to the U.S. Forest Service in 1995.
In the decades since, starting in 1998, the site has been repurposed into the home of the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. The former spy station’s locale has provided PARI with the perfect dark sky needed for astronomical observation and scientific research.
The property was recently listed as available to purchase. Real estate company NAI Piedmont Triad is handling the sale. According to the listing on their website, the site includes:
- Superior utilities with 5 wells (80 gal/min),
- Up to 45 MW power,
- 106 fiber strands (multi-directional entries),
- 4 generators
- 37 transformers
The 192-acre site includes 30+ buildings, spanning ±94,346 square feet. The buildings include: an admin/welcome center, library, exhibits, dorms/staff housing, and dining facilities. Scientific and technological assets include 25+ optical telescopes, a planetarium, dish antennas, data centers, laboratories, radio arrays, and more.
According to the PARI website, a team statement has clarified that the institute will remain “fully staffed and open for visitors, STEM education, and outreach programming.” The statement also notes that while the real estate listing shows what a total site sale would look like, it also includes purchase and lease options for only a portion of the site.
The PARI statement also said, “The decision to offer some or all of the property for sale was made to help give PARI the flexibility and resources to continue this mission for decades to come.”
Russ Bowen
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