Making History Today: Prayers for Montreat

Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest

James S. Currie, Executive Secretary

We have all been riveted by the news regarding the devastating damage Hurricane Helene has visited on the southeastern United States and, more particularly, the western part of North Carolina. Even more specifically, we Presbyterians have been focused on the city of Ashville, the town of Black Mountain, and the Presbyterian Conference Center at Montreat. The damage has been serious and heart-breaking. As one who attended conferences there both as a youth and as an adult, I thought it might be helpful to review something of the history of that retreat center that has been so important to many of us who grew up in the Southern Presbyterian Church (PCUS). 

According to the website, the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA) was formed by a group of ecumenical leaders, led by United Church of Christ minister John Collins in 1897. Its purpose was to “establish an interdenominational resort and retreat center.” One of the early founders was one John S. Huyler, a life-long Methodist and owner of a large chocolate candy company. According to one source, when things looked grim early on, Huyler responded to a proposal by the Rev. J. R. Howerton of First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte to have the Synod of North Carolina purchase the MRA’s 4,000 acres. The Synod would assume ownership and operation of Montreat in 1905. The first Presbyterian conference was held there in 1907. In 1922 Anderson Auditorium was completed, accommodating 1,500 persons. In 1924 a concrete dam was constructed which formed Lake Susan (named after Susan Graham who with her son donated the funds for the construction of the dam. In 1924 construction of the Assembly Inn was completed. 

In 1926 the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) agreed to open the Historical Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed churches at Montreat. When it was first opened in 1927, it was housed in the basement of Assembly Inn. Rev. Samuel Tenney had started collecting historical material related to the Presbyterian church at the turn of the century. The Heritage Center’s website indicates that in 1902 Tenney found papers from the Rev. Robert  Lewis Dabney in a Houston, Texas bookstore. When Tenney died in 1939, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Spence, Jr. took over as the curator and director of the Historical Foundation.. Spence served in that capacity until 1969, overseeing the construction of the construction of the Historical Foundation building, now known as Spence Hall. 

In 1983 when the PCUS merged with the UPCUSA, the Historical Foundation became part of the Presbyterian Historical Society which is located in Philadelphia. The Presbyterian Historical Foundation that was located in Montreat was eventually closed in 2006 with most of its historical records moved to Philadelphia. Soon after that closure a group called the Friends of the Historical Foundation worked with the Montreat Conference Center and Columbia Theological Seminary to create the Presbyterian Heritage Center at Montreat. That Center continues to operate today as a museum and a place for research, focusing on “the church’s tradition of worldwide mission and the interesting role of Montreat.”  

Numerous conferences for persons of all ages and on a wide variety of subjects have been held, and continue to be held at Montreat. One notable event took place on August 21, 1965 when speaking in Anderson Auditorium, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the keynote speaker at the Christian Action Conference of the Southern Presbyterian Church. 

While many have now been cancelled due to the damage wreaked in the immediate and surrounding area, as of this writing the latest update reports that “conference center buildings and structures, including the Lake Susan Dam, remain intact.” For that we are grateful, but there is still damage to parts of the Conference Center as well as reports of serious damage to homes in the Montreat area. All roads in the western part of North Carolina, including into and out of Montreat, Black Mountain, and Ashville are reported to be closed. 

We are grateful for the ministry of this retreat and conference center that is important to so many and pray for those who have suffered tremendous loss. Those who wish to contribute to relief efforts can do so by giving to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) Hurricane Relief and mailed to:   

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

P.O. Box 643700

Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. 

The Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest exists to “stimulate and encourage interest in the collection, preservation, and presentation of the Presbyterian and Reformed heritage” in the Southwest. If you are not a participating member of the Society and would like to become one, the annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 per couple. Annual institutional and church membership dues are $100. Checks may be made out to PHSSW and sent to: 

PHSSW – 5525 Traviston Ct., Austin, TX 78738.