About Montreat

Welcome To Montreat, North Carolina

Montreat, NC is a secluded mountain cove community nestled at the foot of Greybeard Mountain and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We are located in the far eastern portion of Buncombe County near the Eastern Continental Divide.  We are blessed with a great variety of native flora and fauna, gently flowing streams and waterfalls and gorgeous mountain vistas.

 

Life here is lived at a slower, more peaceful pace.  There is no commercial development in Montreat, not even a traffic light.  Most of the streets are narrow and winding, with much less vehicle traffic than larger towns or cities.  This is an advantage to our preferred method of travel - walking.  Multiple trails wind through hundreds of acres of wilderness surrounding the Town, along creeks, across rustic bridges and through preserved woodland areas.

 

What is Montreat?

Sometimes it looks like a Conference Center. Other times it looks like a College. And, it always seems like a small town. In fact, it’s all three.

 

  1. Montreat Conference Center- Since 1905, the Montreat Conference Center has been serving the spiritual, renewal, recreational and rest needs of guests. Also known as the Mountain Retreat Association (from which Mon-treat is derived), it is a church related institute affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Conference Center offers conferences throughout the year. Facilities are available for church and group retreats. Recreational opportunities abound in the natural beauty of the cove and the surrounding mountains (including a playground with two streams running through it!). Montreat is a very special place because of the Conference Center. Click Here to learn more about Montreat Conference Center.

 

  1. Montreat College- Also nestled in the 4,000 acre cove is Montreat College, a private, four-year liberal arts college. It was founded by the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA) in 1916. Today, it is independent of MRA, but closely linked as partners in this idyllic environment. It offers a variety of programs, including associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs for traditional and adult students. Its main campus is in Montreat, but also has locations in Black Mountain, Asheville, Charlotte, Morganton and online. Enrollment is nearly 1,000, and has an impressive student to faculty ratio average of 12:1. Click Here to learn more about Montreat College.

 

  1. Town of Montreat- For 62 years, Montreat acted under the auspices of the MRA. The MRA built roads, provided water and sewer and even police protection. In 1967, through an act of the NC General Assembly, the Town of Montreat was established and the MRA gave up it’s municipal authority. For more than 40 years, the Town of Montreat has been providing the Conference Center, College and property owners with needed services including water and sewer, roads and road maintenance, police protection and emergency management services. The Town also issues building permits, administers zoning, and handles the day-to-day governmental issues of a North Carolina town. To read primary sources abount the establishment of the municipality of Montreat, visit the Founding Documents page by Clicking Here.

 

The three entities work closely together and bring value to Montreat by their unique offerings. They are indispensable in bringing vitality and life to Montreat. We’re grateful for the partnership between us.

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