Did You Know?

From its inception Montreat was intended to have residences, both permanent homes and summer cottages.  John Collins wrote up an idyllic description of Montreat which he distributed widely and included a form for people to return if they were interested in leasing a lot.  He hired F. S. Odell, a New York surveyor, to lay out roads and lots and printed a plat of how Montreat would be designed – never mind that most of the roads had not yet been cut. 

With plenty of interest, Collins scheduled a lottery drawing for August 31, 1898.  To enter the lottery, each person paid $2 per lot (many people wanted more than one lot).  In the days preceding the drawing people scrambled over rocks and through brush to see which lots they favored.  On the appointed day names were drawn randomly and when a person’s name was drawn they made their lot selection. Many individuals could not be in Montreat on that day so they contracted with someone local to select a lot for them.

Here you see Mary Holbrook’s entry into the lottery and the slip with her name on it. 

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.