Did You Know?

During Montreat’s very early days transportation was only via horse and buggy.  Hence there was a great need for a livery stable, run by F. D. Rood.  The rock walls of the livery stable can be seen today, where Shenandoah Road intersects with Assembly Drive.

The road between Black Mountain and Montreat was in extremely poor condition; traveling that two-mile stretch could easily take an hour on a good day. Furthermore, the main roads in Montreat were dirt roads, not even gravel and certainly not what they are today. During the summer rainy season, traveling that route was difficult even for the horses.  Since what is now Assembly Drive closely paralleled Flat Creek, it was also prone to flooding. As a result, the most often used roads into Montreat were the driest roads that did not run close to the creek, now known as Mississippi and Virginia roads – which is why many of Montreat’s earliest homes were built along them.

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.