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The history of Lake Logan Conference Center begins in the early
1930s. “Logging operations of the Champion Lumber Mill in Sunburst,
NC had clear cut all the timber on the surrounding mountains.
the sawmill had been sent to another location and the town
was essentially deserted. The President of the company, Reuben
Robertson, convinced his Board that if the valley were dammed, a
lake could form there. This would assure a reserved water source for
paper operations at Champion’s paper mill in Canton downstream.
So the town was disassembled, and the dam was built. The water
from the Pigeon River was impounded to form Lake Logan, named
after Mr. Robertson’s brother-in-law, Logan Thomson. Today, we
are the beneficiaries of one of the most beautiful mountain lakes on
the East coast. It is the centerpiece of an ecologically bountiful environment
punctuated only by the scenic byway that runs through
it and whose occasional traffic reminds us how peaceful this remote
valley really is.
Mr. Robertson created a family compound next to the lake and
called it Sit ‘n Whittle Village. It was built with the main lodge and
six log mountain cabins that were moved from the Great Smokey
Mountains National Park. Sit ‘n Whittle became the nucleus of
Champion Paper Company’s Executive Retreat, which eventually
grew to accommodate 80+ visitors. In the late 1990s, Champion
sold out to its employees; and in 2000 the Executive Retreat was
divested to the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina for its
present use as a conference center. The surrounding timberland was
acquired by the North Carolina Land Conservancy and transferred
to State and Federal ownership.”
This is where part two of our history begins. In order to fully understand
the history of the Lake Logan Episcopal Center, one must
go back even further than Lake Logan itself. In the year 2000, the
Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina decided to sell its
camp and conference center in Black Mountain, NC called “Inthe
Oaks” to Montreat College.
The camp was originally built as the grand estate of Franklin Silas
Terry and his wife, Lillian Estelle Slocomb Emerson. In-the-Oaks
was the last of the grand estates built between the coming of the
railroad to Western North Carolina in 1880 and the Great Depression.
This was a period of building large, extravagant residences designed
by some of America’s most notable architects. Designed by
the New York architect Frank E. Wallis, the estate was constructed
between 1919 and 1921, and included more than 240,000 square
feet and built on 80 acres. Their daughter, Mrs. Lillian Boscovitch,
donated the property to the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina
in 1957. After receipt of the property, the church established
Camp Henry for young people and began programs in 1959.
In 2000, the Episcopal Diocese of WNC decided to sell the 80-acre
property of In-the-Oaks, and purchase the 300-acre property of Lake
Logan. The difficult decision to sell this beloved property was made
to better suit the growing needs of Camp Henry. Their mission was
to provide a new home for programs ranging from spiritually based to
environmental education, and much more.
Beginning in 2001, the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina
began developing the Lake Logan property into a Camp and Conference
Center. At that time, the construction of the Bishop Robert
Johnson Dining Hall began, as well as the refurbishment of the Lodge,
and many of the cabins. Lake Logan Episcopal Center opened its
doors in the summer of 2002 welcoming Camp Henry to its new
home. In 2016, the name was changed to Lake Logan Conference
Center and Camp Henry, Inc.
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