Dreams on a
Mountain Top
Tlioniiis Mixon's nnibilioiis for lYilil-
;u*ros wore doomed lo failure, the
neu owner lin«l a heller iilea.
Kif ASHTON CHAPMAN
I hole’s no other place like Wild-
acres, i he appropriately named 1400
acres of mountain land in McDowell
County, untamed save for an unpaved
secondary State road through it and a
group of frame buildings which have
crowned 3300-fool Pompey's Knob for
half a century.
Some class W ildacres with the reli¬
gious retreats and conference grounds
maintained in many parts of the world
by various denominations. In the
mountains of western North Carolina
the most notable include Ridgecrest
(Baptist), Lake Junaluska (Metho¬
dist), Montreat (Presbyterian) and
Kanuga ( Episcopalian).
But Wildactes, dedicated in 1946 to
the ‘‘betterment of human relations and
inter-faith amity," is non-denomina-
tional. In groups of 50 to 80. rather
than the hundreds who throng Ridge¬
crest and other summer assemblies,
men and women or boys and girls of
all religious beliefs, members of civic
and fraternal organizations, musicians
and others, are invited during June.
July and August to come "and study
together, explore their differences, face
them and find something to like and
admire in each that they never knew
before, bach group plans its own pro¬
grams and promotes its own high ideals
and purposes."
I hose are the words of I. D. Blu-
menthal of Charlotte, highly successful
business man. philanthropist and hu¬
manitarian. lie is also deeply religious.
He is honorary life president of Temple
Israel, also a member of Temple Beth
bl. which he aided in establishing. Over
the years he has been widely recognized
for his multiplicity of altruistic activi¬
ties.
He has become internationally
known through Wildacrcs. where he
provides physical facilities for the spiri¬
tual advancement of human beings. He
acquired this property in 1936 for a
mere $6.500. which makes him feel "I
was only Ciixl’s servant — the custo¬
dian of Wildacrcs. Further proof that it
was a miracle — if further proof is
needed — was that a lumberman of¬
Ttm photo, mode by John Hemmer obout 1942.
iho.» students ot the Singling School of Art of
Sorosoto, Ho. pointing the «1C» toward 6.684-
foot Mt. Mitchell, tome 15 oir miles o»oy.
Thomas Duon's "hotel," on lout le«els is of the
left. »ilh the boord-olk connecting it to the
dmmg holt. Yeors earl*». the no«elist hod used
royoltiei from "The luth of a Notion" attempt¬
ing to found on odists' colony.
fered to buy the timber for $100.000
cash." The offer was not accepted; the
forest remains undisturbed.
Thomas Dixon Built
The road leading off NC-226A
about two miles southwest of Little
Switzerland, winds twice around Pom-
pey’s Knob before reaching the two
large buildings on the top. Some years
ago the road was extended to Gooch
Gap (Milepost 336.3) on the Blue
Ridge Parkway .
Motorists traveling the Parkway for
the first time, after emerging from a
249-foot tunnel marked with a Park¬
way sign, "Wildacrcs Tunnel." are in¬
trigued by the Wildacrcs buildings
about half a mile to the eastward,
beyond a deep gorge. Some travelers
are reminded of ancient mountain-top
castles they 've seen in Europe.
The hotel, on four levels, and the
three-level structure for dining hall,
kitchen, assembly room. etc., were
erected in the 1920s by Thomas Dixon,
“lawyer, legislator, preacher, lecturer,
playwright, novelist, actor, producer,
real estate promoter and millionaire."
This restless genius, born near Shelby,
made during his lifetime a great deal of
money easily and quickly but managed
to lose it almost as quickly.
He is best known today as a novelist
and particularly for the second of his
20 novels. "The Clansman," because
Thomot Duon’t "hour on lour le*elt built ot Wildocrei nearly 50 yeort ogo. The doyligh! botc-
mcnf it on Iho for tide from the picture. The fourth level, colled "the otlic" u in the middle of
the building beyond the lorgc ttone chimney. 'Photo by
С.
E Wettvecri
IB
THE STATE. October 1974
