Was This The Promised Refuge?

The next morning, Friday, September 28, she went down to see the “place under the hill” (Letter 132, 1900). To her surprise, it was not the William Pratt place that she had envisioned (a home in which she and James White had stayed), but a large Victorian home built by his brother Robert. She had often admired it as she drove by.WV 372.1

Robert Pratt, a railroad executive, was a member of a family of three who had moved to California in search of gold. William had purchased the entire little valley and mountainside where the sanitarium was now nestled. Later Robert purchased a strip of some 74 acres (30 hectares), which stretched through rich farmland up onto the hillside.WV 372.2

William Pratt, with his wife and family, had responded to the preaching of J. N. Loughborough and I. D. Van Horn at St. Helena in 1873 and had become charter members of the St. Helena church. Three years later he gave land on the side of the mountain near Crystal Spring for a medical institution, the Rural Health Retreat. The spring, which yielded a bountiful supply of pure soft water, was shared with his brother Robert and was just above and to the east of the institution. William Pratt's gift of land also included his half share of the spring. At the time the sanitarium was opened, this seemed an adequate water supply.WV 372.3

Robert, not a Seventh-day Adventist, owned the land to the south and held the other half interest in the spring. He and his wife, facing advancing age, with their children grown and gone, accepted the invitation of their youngest daughter to make their home with her in the Bay Area (Letter 146, 1900). So the Robert Pratt property was up for sale.WV 372.4

Farseeing Elder J. A. Burden, manager of the St. Helena Sanitarium, realized that the growing need for water would soon embarrass the institution, so he had already personally contracted to buy the Pratt property, making the initial payment of $1,000. Although the institution was in no financial position to buy the Pratt property, Burden was a man of deep faith and some daring and expected to dispose of the home and farm, retaining what was necessary for the institution and its growth.WV 372.5

The property represented an investment on the part of Robert Pratt of $12,000. It was sold to Elder Burden for $8,000, and in securing it he had arranged for long-term, easy payments.WV 372.6

Delighted with what she found, Ellen White with difficulty restrained her excitement. She wrote:WV 372.7

This is a most beautiful location. The surroundings are lovely. Ornamental trees from various parts of the world, flowers, mostly roses of a large variety, an orchard containing a thousand prune trees which are bearing, another orchard nearer the house, and still another orchard of live trees, are growing on the place (Letter 158, 1900).WV 372.8

The home was situated on a knoll in the center of 35 acres (14 hectares) of level or nearly level land. The family orchard of about three acres (one hectare) lay to the north, with trees bearing peaches, apples, nectarines, figs, cherries, apricots, and pears. Back of this was about a half acre (one metric hectare) of olive trees. On the south side of the home was a vineyard of more than five acres (two hectares) of table and wine grapes, mostly the latter. The land to the west was divided between prune orchards—which the Whites soon discovered had 2,000 trees in prime bearing condition—a garden, and hayfield. The house itself was a well-constructed, seven-room, two-story frame building, completely furnished, including carpets, drapes, linens, and dishes. Ellen White continued her description:WV 373.1

Well, to go back to my story, the Lord planned for me, and I found that I could buy this place here for less than I received for my house in Cooranbong and all its belongings. This included two horses, one rather old, four carriages and a platform wagon, much better than the one I gave away, and a house furnished throughout. It was like stepping out of my home in Cooranbong into a beautiful roomy one here. It has surprised me much that we should be thus favored (Letter 132, 1900).WV 373.2

Back of the house to the east was “the farmer's cottage,” which with a little adaptation could be turned into an office building. Beyond this was a barn and stable with four horse stalls and room for storing four carriages. The hayloft could store 20 or 30 tons of hay. The cow barn had space for 22 cows; to the one cow now occupying it, it must have seemed a bit lonely. A few chickens completed the farm population. Ellen White was delighted with the carriages and wagons that were included with the place: two farm wagons, one two-seated express wagon, one double-seated covered buggy, two phaetons, an old road cart, and one hand cart. In addition, there were plows, harrows, and other farm tools (15 WCW, p. 903).WV 373.3

That Friday, with its discovery, seemed all too short. There was a meeting at the sanitarium on Friday evening, and Ellen White spoke to the institutional family and to the guests. On Sunday morning she could not resist the temptation to slip away from council meetings and take another look at what she felt would surely be her future home. She pondered, as she wrote later:WV 373.4

This place was none of my seeking. It has come to me without a thought or purpose of mine. The Lord is so kind and gracious to me. I can trust my interests with Him who is too wise to err and too good to do me harm (Letter 132, 1900).WV 373.5