In the century since it was built as a home for a U.S. senator, The Montview (formerly called the Carter Glass Mansion, or simply “The Mansion” to Liberty students) has seen the surrounding campus landscape change many times, from views of a dairy farm to views of college residence halls, a football stadium, and a bustling welcome center. But the home itself has remained a beautiful piece of architecture and history that still draws the eye of campus visitors.
The estate was built in 1923 by U.S. Sen. Carter Glass, who lived there until his death in 1946. Glass served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Woodrow Wilson from 1918-1920 and is most well-known as the co-founder of the Federal Reserve. He took his last oath of office for the senate on the home’s glass-enclosed porch in 1943.
A Liberty Baptist College singing group poses for a picture at the Carter Glass Mansion in 1984. Over the decades, students have enjoyed relaxing and studying on the grounds of The Montview, and the home has remained a popular backdrop for photos.
Liberty acquired the home in 1977, and it served as the office of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty’s founder, from 1990 until his death in 2007. Falwell and his wife, Macel, are buried on its grounds.
In 1987, the home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Montview now serves as a bed and breakfast for speakers and other notable guests to Liberty’s campus.
The property underwent a renovation in 2008 that transformed the historic mansion into unique accommodations for guests of the university, and a more extensive renovation followed in 2017, guided by a commitment to maintaining the home’s original features and recovering the beauty of its 1920s influences.
The house features five sleeping quarters, period-inspired furnishings and décor, an intimate living area, and breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A phase of the renovation included adding a glass wall at the entrance to Falwell’s former office, which is still untouched to this day.
Some of the home’s most interesting features include a marble mantel that was salvaged from a building used by Congress after the U.S. Capitol was burned by the British in the War of 1812, and a stone Corinthian capital that Glass brought back from Pompeii and used as a unique water well head.
The Montview is not open to the public, but visitors are welcome to tour the grounds, including the Falwell Memorial Garden.
