December 1945, between Christmas and the New Year, was the perfect time for minor renovations to the Alba Hotel. Built in 1907 and expanded twice thereafter, it provided housing and dining space for summer conferences. It also met multiple needs for Montreat College during the school year. Students and faculty would appreciate refreshed rooms upon their return from Christmas break and so would conference attendees for the summer 1946 season.
Montreat was looking forward to a good summer. Conferences had been cancelled in the summer of 1945 due to war time travel restrictions, but now the war was over and conference planning was moving forward.
Unfortunately, on December 28 the Alba caught fire and burned rapidly, having been constructed almost entirely of wood. It was a total loss. According to Robert Anderson, then the president of MRA, “rags saturated with oil and turpentine had been left in the building by the workmen, and during the night they caught fire.”
Planning to rebuild the Alba, “in much larger and better form,” began almost immediately. It was to have two wings, each with its own lobby, as well as a dining room and other common spaces in between. Most importantly, the only wood used would be the doors. Even the window frames would be constructed of steel. While work began immediately, progress lagged by 1947 when Anderson, then 83 years old, stepped down. Financial difficulties delayed the completion of the building until 1950, and then it had only one of the two planned wings. Nonetheless, architecturally it fit well in its environment and has served both the conference center and the college well for the past 76 years. The Executive Committee chose to name the building Howerton Hall, in honor of J. R. Howerton, who orchestrated the transition of Montreat into the conference center of the Presbyterian Church (PCUS) in 1906.
Thanks to Nancy Midgette, for this glimpse from the past. Stop by the PHC for additional Montreat history and so much more.
Ed. Note: Montreat has had its share of fires in the past, some very monumental. Today’s “Did You Know?” offers the third and final story behind significant fires. Remember PLEASE be FIreWise!