TAT Community Building History

A brief history of the TAT Foundation's
Community Building and Retreat Center.

 

One man has a vision, yet the days pass into months and then years without action. Another man's vision rests like the arrow on a bow, waits for an undetermined alignment, then springs to life. In 1973, Richard Rose and a local acquaintance named Kenny began the first steps of what would become the TAT Community Building.

Mr. Rose envisioned a fortress-like, four-cornered structure with a central courtyard. At each corner, a two-story brick building would house meeting and office space and be completed with a three story "watch tower." Between each corner building, would be a lower brick "wall" housing sleeping quarters and kitchen facilities. This imposing structure resting atop his West Virginia farm would serve as a home for the TAT spiritual community.

Yet it surely seemed a gamble in 1973, what with Kenny's ancient, sputtering bulldozer making little headway excavating the foundation before it broke down. Several students living on the Farm that summer were preoccupied with salvaging lumber from one of Mr. Rose's houses in Benwood for construction of the bunkhouse later named Emblem Lodge. The following summer, intensive work on the building foundation began as people dug with picks and shovels. College students did much of this work during summer vacations, and continued until the basement was capped with concrete in 1976. A total of 39 volunteers toiled for countless hours of backbreaking labor during this period of time.

From 1976 to 1981, a number of other projects were initiated in support of completing the Community Building. A roadway was cleared to haul lumber from various parts of the Farm. Two bridges were constructed as well. Numerous building materials were salvaged and donated for the project. 1981 saw a tremendous amount of progress on the building. The solid brick walls were completed and the roof put in place. Many giant walnut, cherry, oak, and ash trees were felled on the Farm. Some were cut into lumber with a portable sawmill, and a large truckload of logs was taken to a sawmill in Pennsylvania. The massive walnut posts and beams were actually cut and shaped with a chainsaw by a group member from a single tree, and hand planed to their present condition under the shade of the large maple tree next to Emblem Lodge. Visitors can admire these beautifully crafted walnut and cherry beams in the downstairs area. The tile flooring was also donated and laid that year. Eighteen people labored or provided donations during this time.

In the summer of 1985, the cement was poured for the basement of the Community Building extension or "wing" which was to be living quarters and a kitchen.

Work halted for many years after this, until the early 1990's when a resurgence in membership inspired Mr. Rose (with assistance from two TAT members) to begin laying a new course of bricks for the building's wing in the summer of 1991. Yet this was not to be, and those few courses of brick remained for the next decade as a testament to the determination of Mr. Rose in the face of debilitating illness.

In 2001, the TAT membership decided to move its quarterly meetings to the Community Building and build a kitchen and bath addition onto the wing. In preparation, a lone volunteer removed the old course of bricks during the summer of 2002. On August 10, 2002, the addition was raised with the help of 21 determined volunteers. The building now stands as a testament to Richard Rose's vision and a hospitable meeting and retreat center for TAT members.

One man's vision became that of a group of people, and lives on in new ways of expression.

 

— Special thanks to the many TAT members and friends who assisted in preparing this history.

Visit our information page to learn more about the TAT Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Richard Rose to provide a forum for friendship and the spiritual search. Richard Rose wrote The Ashram Code of Agreement to foster friendship and cooperation while using the Community Building and surrounding grounds.