The home of the late “pastor to presidents” is for sale.
The late evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, who died in 2007, bought the Montreat, North Carolina, house in the 1940s because it was “right across the street from my grandparents,” a press release from their daughter, Ruth Graham, stated.
“I was born during the time my family lived in the house,” she said. “The Los Angeles Crusades and [my father’s] tour of England happened during those years. It is where it all began.”
The 1940s home of the late evangelist Billy Graham is for sale https://t.co/unCZLzYtzg pic.twitter.com/3Zcbe8ECLu
— Tré Goins-Phillips(@tregp) July 9, 2021
The home, which has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, is listed for $599,000 and has been used in recent years as a vacation rental, “allowing guests to experience the Grahams’ young family life through a collection of original furnishings, books, photos, and mementos,” the release states.
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“With two levels of living,” it continues, “the comfortable and well-maintained home is within walking distance to Montreat Conference Center and close to several picturesque walking trails and streams.”
Located at 198 Mississippi Road in Montreat, the former Graham residence is owned by The Original Place, LLC. Ruth Graham serves as its president and has said she is the property’s sole owner, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.
AP Photo
She told the newspaper it was “very hard” to decide to sell the house.
The decision to sell, Ruth Graham explained, was made in order to help pay medical costs associated with her daughter’s illness, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare disease that results in cystic lung destruction.
Ruth Graham noted her siblings were made aware of her intention to sell the house and were asked if they wanted to buy the home. She did not, however, contact the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which was founded by her father and is now helmed by the Rev. Franklin Graham, her brother.
AP Photo
The cottage — built in 1900 — “presents a unique opportunity to own a piece of history,” said Brian Etheridge, the Premier Sotheby’s listing agent for the house. “Showcasing the legacy of Billy Graham, it maintains a historic charm while offering modern comforts.”
Showings for the house are being scheduled between July 19-22. All offers on the iconic home will be reviewed July 23.
In the below interview with the late broadcaster Paul Harvey, a young Billy Graham spoke about his and his wife’s Montreat home and their decision to settle there:
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