Conference Center celebrates "topping out"

On June 29, the Emory Conference Center Hotel celebrated "Topping Out," an ancient ceremony honoring the safe and successful completion of the building's highest point. The ceremony dates back to pre-Christian times; Scandinavian immigrants to America continued the custom by hoisting a tree to the top of each newly-erected house or barn. The Conference Center Hotel's topping out was also a celebration of the trees not cut during construction on the 26-acre site. Contractors for the project chose alternate access routes to avoid destroying trees. During the ceremony, Stormont Trice presented President Bill Chace with a check for $2,000 to Emory to replace the trees that were removed for construction.

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