Support in the form of a grant for $25,000 from the Robert C. and Sadie G. Anderson Foundation will be used to upgrade sound and lighting in Montreat Conference Center’s Anderson Auditorium.“We are grateful to the Anderson Foundation for its continued support of what is considered by many to be the centerpiece of the Montreat community,” said Pete Peery, President of Montreat Conference Center. As Peery went on to explain, the soaring 2,000 seat auditorium has “dead spot” areas where hearing the speaker on-stage is difficult. The purchase of headset microphones will make it possible for speakers to be heard clearly throughout the facility. In addition, key stage lighting will be repaired and enhanced. “The preachers and keynote conference speakers we bring to the Anderson Auditorium stage every year are world-class and are important components of the Montreat experience,” said Peery. “Using this gift from the Anderson Foundation to upgrade our sound and lighting will do much to enhance that experience.”
Construction of the original Anderson Auditorium was completed in 1922. On April 1, 1940, the structure was destroyed by fire, with only the sixteen cobblestone pillars and parts of the stone walls left standing. Immediately rebuilt, the new Anderson Auditorium resembled the original facility, but was constructed to be fireproof. Everything used in the construction, including the American chestnut pews, was locally produced. The new auditorium was completed in the summer of 1940 and is still in use today.
“Anderson Auditorium is one of the central spiritual centers of Montreat and one of the community’s most recognized landmarks,” Peery continued. “Through the generous on-going support of the Anderson Foundation, we are able to do much to establish its legacy as a community sanctuary and worship center.” A $22,000 gift from the foundation last year allowed the conference center to purchase a truck for the auditorium and facility crew that replaced an old and often unreliable vehicle that had been in use for fifteen years.
Montreat Conference Center is a national conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Over 35,000 people visit annually for rest, renewal, and recreation. For more information, visit the conference center web site, www.montreat.org.
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