Montreat History Spotlight
Early Businesses in Montreat (1899 - 1915)
The first business in Montreat was launched by early Montreat resident and former missionary
Cora Augusta Stone (1869 - 1904), who
built a grocery store called —
The-Store-in-the-Grove (1899 - 1903/1904).
The building also served as a early library for the Montreat community. As Mary Martin noted in a January 1899 letter: "Dr. (Marianna) Holbrook and Miss Stone have the store in their own hands now and are gradually increasing the stock. Miss Stone has a circulating library in one corner of the store."
"Some of us were discussing the food supply in the store here," wrote Martin in a February 1899 letter, "and lamenting the lack of variety. Mrs. Salerno said the bill of fare reminded her of the boy who said he always had dried apples for breakfast, cold water for dinner, and let'em swell for supper."
Later in Spring 1899, Martin wrote: "Miss Stone's store is open from 9:30 to 11:00 every weekday morning. Tomatoes are 10c a can, corn 10c, peas 12c, and tea is 50c a pound. The tea tastes like ragweed. Flour, potatoes and kerosene are the most expensive items."
A Montreat livery business (shown below left, click for larger image) was started  to transport people to and from Black Mountain, as well as to rent horses for outing. The exact date of the opening of such a livery in Montreat has not been confirmed. An ad is seen above in the 1902 Montreat brochure.
In 1900, John S. Huyler paid for and started the construction of Montreat's first hotel (see picture at right). The hotel was operated by W. D. Paxton. It opened in time for the 1901 summer conferences. Early advertising included the 1902 ad (above) in the Montreat promotional brochure, as well as in The Atlanta Constitution, June 29, 1902: 
Around 1900, the Montreat Publishing Company was started  by printer Arthur R. Tipton and Montreat's General Manager Weston R. Gales. At left (click on the image to see a larger version) is a 1903 ad run in The Revival.
C. Whit. Gaskins & Co. (1902) — the firm opened a branch in Montreat in 1902 located next door to Cora Stone's The-Store-in-the-Grove. This establishment offered fresh meats and produce, as well as dairy products. The firm also had a luncheon counter for summer conferees.
Rev. Francis D. Rood's General Store (c.1904 - 1907) — established a general store with his post office. Rev. Rood was the first postmaster of Montreat. His store was located on what is now Assembly Drive across from Shenandoah Road.
With the building of a new Post Office building, which opened on April 13, 1907, across from the community center (today's Post Office Building), the mercantile center shifted.
See photo in right column.
A new grocery store was built next to the Post Office building around 1908 (see at right) that was owned and operated by Chester C. Lord. In 1914, the Mountain Retreat Association bought the general store.
Two new stores were added in Fall 1914 (see photo at right). The new stores would house a drug store and a hairdressers. The picture with the wagon was taken in Fall 1914, and the photo with the car is circa 1919.
Click for more Montreat photos
Click to return to this month's Montreat History Spotlight |
