Montreat Minute 03/04/22

March 4, 2022

Montreat Minute for March 4, 2022

Upcoming Detour on Assembly Drive

Please be aware that Assembly Drive from Virginia Road to Louisiana Road will be closed for tree work from Monday, March 14 through Friday, March 18. Two routes, one for entering and another for exiting, will be set up to facilitate traffic flow. Next week a map of the detour routes will be published in the Montreat Minute and Town website. Signage will clearly mark the routes. Thank you for bearing with us as our Public Works crew removes dead trees from the public right-of-way.

Town Council Meeting Thursday, March 10, at 7:00pm

The Montreat Town Council will meet for its monthly meeting next Thursday, February 10, at 7:00pm in the Town Hall. For a copy of the agenda, CLICK HERE. The meeting will be live streamed and recorded. For information about streaming the meeting, CLICK HERE. The Public Forum will begin at 6:30pm. Everyone is invited.

Did You Know?

Montreat’s first gate

The second gate, approx. 1910

The third and current gate, built 1923

Shortly after its founding in 1897, Montreat attracted both summer and permanent residents and became a location for summer conferences.  By 1903 a simple wooden sign marked the entrance.  Always in need of revenue, Montreat began to charge a small entrance fee to support conferences and grounds upkeep.  The simple sign was replaced by a wooden archway gate entrance and small office where fees were collected.  About 1910 the archway was replaced by a somewhat more substantial structure that controlled the passage of vehicles with wooden picket gates.  Shortly thereafter, in 1913, the original charter was amended to formally allow for the collection of fees.  In 1922 the Woman’s Auxiliary of the Presbyterian Church celebrated its tenth anniversary with a gift to Montreat for the construction of a more permanent entrance. The following year the stone gate that still stands was constructed.  While the gate has been damaged many times through the years, it has always been rebuilt.

One of the most coveted Montreat summer jobs was that of Gateboy, a position that existed from 1913-1969.  Gateboys monitored traffic and collected gate fees. The collection of fees ended shortly after Montreat incorporated as a town in 1967.  Today, the closable metal gates are gone but the stone archway, forever known as the Montreat Gate, remains an iconic symbol of this restful place.

Want to know more?  See Montreat, in the Postcard History Series, by Mary McPhail Standaert and Joseph Standaert; and The Montreat Gateboys and Their Stories, by Mary McPhail Standaert.  Both volumes are available in the Presbyterian Heritage Center.

Pictures courtesy of Mary McPhail Standaert, Joseph Standaert, and the Presbyterian Heritage Center.

Thanks to the Presbyterian Heritage Center, especially Nancy Midgette, for this glimpse from the past. Stop by the PHC for even more Montreat history and so much more.

Updates and Reminders

  • The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet for its regular meeting on Thursday, March 10, at 10:30am in the Town Hall Community Room. The agenda and streaming instructions are available by CLICKING HERE.
  • The Board of Adjustment will have a special called meeting on Wednesday, March 16, at 4:00pm in the Town Hall Community Room. The agenda and streaming instructions are available by CLICKING HERE.

Questions?

Do you have Town-related questions you would like answered? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!