Exploring
a Dozen
Hill Towns
Л
guide to interesting
places beyond the Blue
Ridge.
By OLD TRUDGE
Scottish Presbyterians were the first
to establish a church and a school in
Buncombe. In Black Mountain, they
retained their pre-eminence. This is a
town of 1. 1 74 on the inner rim of
the Blue Ridge, with a summertime
population several times larger. It once
was known as Gray Ragle.
Walled in on three sides by lofty
ranges. Black Mountain's setting is
superb.
And while resorts, retirement and
industry arc important, the largest in¬
stitutions arc the religious assemblies.
In some years, as many as 30.000
Presbyterians flock into Montreal, two
miles north of Black Mountain, for
summer conferences, meditation, study
and vacations. Around a little lake
is an impressive community, with
buildings of native stone. Large As¬
sembly Inn (open year around) is one
of the largest hotels in the west.
Visitors will be interested in the His¬
torical Foundation’s building. For
over 25 years. Presbyterians all over
the world have been sending rare
hooks, papers and objects to this re¬
pository. so that now its archives, mu¬
seum and library house thousands of
items of interest to Presbyterians. The
building is open the year around.
Montreal’s foremost citizen is Evan¬
gelist Billy Graham.
East of Black Mountain is Ridge¬
crest. summer assembly grounds of
the Baptists. Around 15.000 persons
annually gather here for a season of
study and prayer. The colony includes
dormitories, cottages, summer camps.
Also near Black Mountain is Blue
Ridge, owned and operated by the
Visitors ore welcome of the cornation-gio-mg plonf ol the Myers Company ot Foirvicw, on U.S. 74
south of Ashe»ille. — < Photo by June Glenn. I
Y.M.C.A. of ten southern states.
Founded in 1904 on a beautiful tract
of 1.600 acres. Blue Ridge’s Lee Hall
can be seen rising high on the moun¬
tain side on the left of the traveler on
U.S. 70 headed west. An expansion
program is under way.
On N.C. 9 south of Black Moun¬
tain is Christmount, assembly of the
Christian churches, now under de¬
velopment. and near by is Cragmont.
assembly of the Free Will Baptists of
North Carolina.
Black Mountain is also the site of
Montreal College, Black Mountain
College (now inactive) and not far
away is Warren Wilson College.
Another large institution is the State’s
Western Sanatorium, with a capacity of
505 and with 270 employees.
Industries include the Morgan
Manufacturing Company, a large plant
making furniture parts, and one of
Buncombe’s pioneering modern indus¬
tries. Others arc American Parboard
Corp.. Black Mountain Hosiery Mills,
Inc., the Kearfott Company (elec¬
tronics).
” Black Mountain has one hotel, and
several tourist homes. In the environs
arc motor courts and inns. In recent
years, visitors w'ho have come for va¬
cations or for the assembly sessions
have returned to build summer or
permanent homes for retirement.
The town is well equipped with pub¬
lic and commercial enterprises — in¬
cluding bank, newspaper, library.
There arc five public schools, six chil¬
dren’s summer camps and a large num¬
ber of churches and civic organiza¬
tions.
Black Mountain has a golf course,
swimming pool, tennis court, picnic
grounds and other municipal recrea¬
tion equipment.
Weave rvi lie
In 1832 there was founded in north¬
ern Buncombe a Methodist camp¬
meeting place called “Salem." A
church and temperance hall were
added, then a college in IS73 known
as Weaver. The post office had been
known for a while as Rccm’s Creek,
but the settlement was incorporated
in 1872, changed to Wcavcrvillc in
1873 honoring Montraville Weaver.
This is the homeland of families
whose names arc numerous and promi¬
nent throughout the section and State.
Many hold reunions here "at home."
This Montraville was a grandson of
John Weaver, first settler in the
Rccm’s Creek section, probably ar¬
riving around 1786.
Weaver College was closed in 1932,
but the town now has three modern
public schools. There is a mineral
spring near by. which for a while
gave the town a reputation as a spa.
There is now a hotel, motor court,
dude ranch, an inn and tourist homes.
In addition to some tourist trade, this
is a residential, retirement and shop¬
ping center. O. Henry lived here
briefly.
There was an iron works here be¬
fore 1800, and in the past the town
has had a pottery, woolen mill, hat
factory, oil mill. Industry now is repre¬
sented by the Hadley Corporation,
making cashmere sweaters. It is also
20
THE STATE, JUNE 1. 1957
