Mount Hermon, California
Encyclopedia
Mount Hermon is an unincorporated
community and census-designated place
(CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California
. Mount Hermon is home to extensive conference facilities that include rope courses and rock climbing walls.
was built at the junction of Bean Creek
and Zayante Creek
by Peter Lassen
, Isaac Graham
, J. Majors, and F. Hoeger.
Mount Hermon, known as "Tuxedo Junction" prior to 1906, was a stop on the South Coast Pacific Railroad from Alameda
to Santa Cruz
. Hotel Tuxedo was on the property; the hotel was purchased and renamed the Zayante Inn on April 14, 1906, by a group which later became the Mount Hermon Association, Inc. The land was to be used as a Christian retreat center, whose dedication day, known as "The Great Day", was July 22, 1906; the event was held at the Zayante Inn with 1400 people in attendance. Speaking at the dedication was Dr. Reuben A. Torrey, President of the Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago, Illinois.
The Zayante Inn and surrounding cottages were destroyed by fire on April 18, 1921. At the site, the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center, with three separate facilities, operates on much of the original property. There are also several hundred privately owned homes, the Mount Hermon post office, and a bookstore.
, the CDP covers an area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
was 1,166.3 people per square mile (450.3/km²). The racial makeup of Mount Hermon was 964 (93.0%) White, 6 (0.6%) African American, 3 (0.3%) Native American, 14 (1.4%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.7%) from other races
, and 31 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 83 persons (8.0%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 408 households, out of which 128 (31.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 204 (50.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 44 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 17 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 27 (6.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 6 (1.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 100 households (24.5%) were made up of individuals and 25 (6.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54. There were 265 families
(65.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.06.
The population was spread out with 237 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 81 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 278 people (26.8%) aged 25 to 44, 342 people (33.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 99 people (9.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
There were 530 housing units at an average density of 596.1 per square mile (230.2/km²), of which 51.5% were owner-occupied and 48.5% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 54.6% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 45.4% lived in rental housing units.
and San Lorenzo Valley High School. Ponderosa Lodge is the primary location for the Mount Hermon Outdoor Science School, and hosts many Men's and Women's conferences throughout the year.
The Conference Center includes accommodation as well as meeting rooms. It usually hosts adult or family groups for week-long gatherings, but is also open to multiple small groups wishing to do activities independently. Redwood camp usually hosts kids between the ages of 5 and 16, but occasionally hosts adult groups.
Each facility has at least one ropes course or climbing wall. Ponderosa Lodge has one climbing tower about 50 ft (15.2 m) high, and one ropes course with five elements. The Conference Center has two climbing walls and two ropes courses. The Canyon Course and the Ridge Course are the two ropes courses. The Ridge Course has four elements including one 60 ft (18.3 m) Leap of Faith, and the Canyon Course has separate elements, all chained together so that one element must be accomplished in order to reach the next. There are two climbing walls, one indoors in the newly-built Field House with a height of about 45 ft (13.7 m) and five different routes. The other ropes course is less than 300 ft (91.4 m) away from the Field House and has three routes. Redwood Camp has two different Ropes courses without any climbing walls. One is located in the middle of the Redwood Rec Field and has two elements. The other is across Zayante Creek and has six elements including a 30 ft (9.1 m) Leap of Faith and a large Flying Squirrel suspended over Zayante Creek.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. Mount Hermon is home to extensive conference facilities that include rope courses and rock climbing walls.
History
In 1841, California's first water-powered sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
was built at the junction of Bean Creek
Bean Creek
Bean Creek is a stream that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and discharges to Zayante Creek. This stream traverses relatively rugged, forested lands and is the locus of an important fossil bearing formation. These fossils are embedded in the Lower Santa Margarita Formation...
and Zayante Creek
Zayante Creek
Zayante Creek is a stream within the San Lorenzo River watershed in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The U.S. government has designated Zayante Creek as impaired with respect to sediment. Lompico Creek, a tributary of Zayante Creek, is listed for impairment by pathogens...
by Peter Lassen
Peter Lassen
Peter Lassen was a Danish-American blacksmith, rancher, prospector and Freemason.-Early life:Peter Lassen was born on October 31, 1800 in Farum, Denmark and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1830...
, Isaac Graham
Isaac Graham
Isaac Graham was a fur trader and mountain man. In 1830, he joined a hunting and trapping party at Fort Smith, Arkansas that included George Nidever. Graham attended the rendezvous of 1832 and took part in the battle of Pierre's Hole. From there, Graham joined Joseph R. Walker's party headed for...
, J. Majors, and F. Hoeger.
Mount Hermon, known as "Tuxedo Junction" prior to 1906, was a stop on the South Coast Pacific Railroad from Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
to Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. Hotel Tuxedo was on the property; the hotel was purchased and renamed the Zayante Inn on April 14, 1906, by a group which later became the Mount Hermon Association, Inc. The land was to be used as a Christian retreat center, whose dedication day, known as "The Great Day", was July 22, 1906; the event was held at the Zayante Inn with 1400 people in attendance. Speaking at the dedication was Dr. Reuben A. Torrey, President of the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
in Chicago, Illinois.
The Zayante Inn and surrounding cottages were destroyed by fire on April 18, 1921. At the site, the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center, with three separate facilities, operates on much of the original property. There are also several hundred privately owned homes, the Mount Hermon post office, and a bookstore.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers an area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mount Hermon had a population of 1,037. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,166.3 people per square mile (450.3/km²). The racial makeup of Mount Hermon was 964 (93.0%) White, 6 (0.6%) African American, 3 (0.3%) Native American, 14 (1.4%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.7%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 31 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 83 persons (8.0%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 408 households, out of which 128 (31.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 204 (50.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 44 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 17 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 27 (6.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 6 (1.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 100 households (24.5%) were made up of individuals and 25 (6.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54. There were 265 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(65.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.06.
The population was spread out with 237 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 81 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 278 people (26.8%) aged 25 to 44, 342 people (33.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 99 people (9.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
There were 530 housing units at an average density of 596.1 per square mile (230.2/km²), of which 51.5% were owner-occupied and 48.5% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 54.6% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 45.4% lived in rental housing units.
Conference facilities
Mount Hermon today is the site of three conference facilities: Ponderosa Lodge, the main Conference Center, and Redwood Camp. All three facilities are equipped to handle groups of up to 500 people of any age group. Ponderosa Lodge mainly hosts students of junior high and high schools from around the state, including Scotts Valley High SchoolScotts Valley High School
Scotts Valley High School is a public high school located in Scotts Valley, California. It was founded in 1999 and is a part of the Scotts Valley Unified School District, which is in Santa Cruz County. SVHS serves approximately 900 students from the communities of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz...
and San Lorenzo Valley High School. Ponderosa Lodge is the primary location for the Mount Hermon Outdoor Science School, and hosts many Men's and Women's conferences throughout the year.
The Conference Center includes accommodation as well as meeting rooms. It usually hosts adult or family groups for week-long gatherings, but is also open to multiple small groups wishing to do activities independently. Redwood camp usually hosts kids between the ages of 5 and 16, but occasionally hosts adult groups.
Each facility has at least one ropes course or climbing wall. Ponderosa Lodge has one climbing tower about 50 ft (15.2 m) high, and one ropes course with five elements. The Conference Center has two climbing walls and two ropes courses. The Canyon Course and the Ridge Course are the two ropes courses. The Ridge Course has four elements including one 60 ft (18.3 m) Leap of Faith, and the Canyon Course has separate elements, all chained together so that one element must be accomplished in order to reach the next. There are two climbing walls, one indoors in the newly-built Field House with a height of about 45 ft (13.7 m) and five different routes. The other ropes course is less than 300 ft (91.4 m) away from the Field House and has three routes. Redwood Camp has two different Ropes courses without any climbing walls. One is located in the middle of the Redwood Rec Field and has two elements. The other is across Zayante Creek and has six elements including a 30 ft (9.1 m) Leap of Faith and a large Flying Squirrel suspended over Zayante Creek.