TOWN & COUNTRY
A
trip to the peace and serenity of Montreat, North Carolina, may be just what
your soul is longing for, surrounded by the stunning beauty of this little nook of nature. Traveling to Montreat from Cashiers is just under a two-hour trip north
and makes a great day-trip destination while visiting the region. The small town
is tucked on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Eastern rim of the Continental Divide and located on the western border of the Pisgah National Forest, north of Black Mountain. Montreat is void of any commercial development or traffic signals and where walking is considered one of the best ways to get around town.
The small town is where Billy Graham, the well-known evangelist, lived until his death in 2018 at the age of 99. Graham and his late wife Ruth raised their five children in a 2,500-square-foot
home purchased in 1940 on Mississippi Road. The home, currently on the market, has been made available as a vacation rental in recent years. Once Graham gained national and later international notoriety, the family built another home in Montreat to have more privacy.
Montreat got its start over 125 years ago as a mountain retreat formed by Congregationalist
minister John Collins, with funding for the project coming from candy manufacturer John Huyler. The town was incorporated in 1967; however, the name Montreat which sounds similar to the
Canadian city of Montreal, actually has more humble origins as a blend of the word “mountain” and “retreat.” The town holds up to its moniker as it reflects the area’s majestic landscape while also serving as an ode to the lineage under the ownership of the Mountain Retreat Association.
43