The first hotel at Montvale was a 10-room log cabin built in 1832. By the 1860s, the hotel had grown to 125 rooms and was known as the "Saratoga of the South". The original hotel burned down in 1896 and was replaced in 1901 with a new 5-gable hotel. The last hotel burned in 1933 and the property was purchased in 1947 to become a YMCA camp. Today the grounds are used by Harmony Adoptions and the Harmony Family Center to help families and children.

1. Historic
Montvale
1832-2012

2. Foute Hotel
The first hotel at
Montvale was a
10-room log cabin
built in 1832 by
Daniel Foute.

3. Montvale Trails
Foute bought 6,300
acres of mountain
land along the
Chilhowee and into
Cades Cove. He used
Cherokee Indians to
lay out trails and build
roads over Chilhowee
Mountain, to Cades
Cove, Gregory’s Bald,
and Abrams Creek.

4. Spring Houses
There were several
springs on the
Montvale Springs
Hotel property – a
black sulphur
spring three miles
from the hotel and
two springs nearby
provided mineral
waters.
Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

5. Seven Gables Hotel
Asa Watson
replaced the log
hotel with this 125
room hotel that
could
accommodate
300-400 guests.

6. Montvale Springs
Hotel
By the 1860’s the
125-room Seven
Gables Hotel had
become known
as the Saratoga
of The South.

7. Historic Trees
Rare Ginkgo
trees planted in
the 1860’s by
Asa Watson,
survive today.
1920’s photos from Knox
County Library’s Calvin M.
McClung Historical Collection

8. Montvale Cedars
Today Cedar
trees planted
in the 1800’s
line the old
Montvale
road as
shown in this
1920’s
photo.
Calvin M. McClung Historical
Collection

9. The Bandstand
In the 19th
century guests
were
entertained by
band concerts,
dances, and
musical
entertainment.
Calvin M. McClung Historical
Collection

10. The Third
Montvale Springs
Hotel
When the original
hotel burned in
1896, it was
replaced in 1901
with this
5-gable hotel that
could
accommodate 100
guests.

11. 1920’s Montvale
Rear view of
the building
that replaced
The Seven
Gables Hotel –
still guests
came to escape
summer heat
and to take the
waters.
Calvin M. McClung Historical
Collection

12. Montvale’s Springs
Montvale spring
water was praised
by Dr. John
Moorman as
valuable in the
treatment of
maladies ranging
from anemia to
dyspepsia, dropsy,
paralysis and
nervous afflictions.
Calvin M. McClung Historical
Collection

13. Healing Waters
The mineral waters were
r
i
c
h
i
n
i
r
o
n
a
n
d
s
u
l

14. Mountain Views
The view from
the hotel’s 200-
foot porch
toward
Chilhowee
Mountain and
the Smokies
attracted guests
through the
1920’s and
1930’s.
Calvin M. McClung Historical
Collection

15. Pflanze Family
Ludwig Pflaze of
Maryville
purchased
Montvale in 1911.
The family lived in
this house and
operated the hotel
until it burned in
1933.
Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

16. Montvale Hotel Kitchens
The hotel was known for its
excellent food – especially its
homemade bread and chicken
pie.
Roxie Thompson recalled her
first job at Montvale was to
kill 25 chickens for dinner.
Meals were cooked on
wood stoves and
fireplaces heated the
hotel.
Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

17. Seven Gables Pavilion
The last hotel at
Montvale burned in
1933. Only the stone
steps remained.
The YMCA purchased
the property for a
camp in 1947 and
later constructed the
Seven Gables Pavilion
on the hotel site.

18. The Twin House
Little is known of the
origins of this unusual
structure. One theory
is that the house
combines two of the
cabins that lined the
main road in the 19th
century.
The YMCA used the
twin house as housing
for counselors and
storage for camping
equipment.

19. The Clay House
Built by Ludwig
Pflanze sometime
after 1911, the clay
house is an example
of rammed earth
construction and is
thought to be one of
the first such buildings
east of the Mississippi.
The clay house was
used by the YMCA as
housing for camp
counselors.

20. Ludwig Pflanze also built the clay barn
using rammed earth construction.

21. Camp Montvale
From 1947-2005 the
YMCA’s Camp
Montvale provided
special summer
camping experiences
and happy memories
for many, many
campers.

22. Camp Montvale Memories

23. Montvale’s Future
Montvale’s storied
history continues
with Harmony
Adoptions and the
Harmony Family
Center at
Montvale.

24. The grounds at Montvale will once again welcome
families and children.

25. The Infirmary will become the
new therapy center.

26. Montvale Today
These cabins will
house children and
families in
residential therapy
at the Harmony
Family Center.

27. The lodge and grounds will be available for
community events.

28. And Montvale will continue to be a place of peace,
beauty, and healing.