Reaves Chapel to be resurrected after a decade passes of not being in use

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

NAVASSA, NC (WECT) - Coastal Land Trust and Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation teamed together to buy Navassa’s historic Reaves Chapel. It’s an effort to bring it back to life after being rundown for over a decade.

Community members gathered at the church to give it the face-lift it needed. Volunteers raked the overgrown weeds sitting in the small graveyard behind the church and pulled vines that had grown on the side of the chapel over time.

The chapel was built by former slaves of the Cedar Hill Plantation after the Civil War. This is an effort to preserve African American historic places in the community.

The chapel was last used in 2006 so it has had some wear and tear. Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation President Al Beatty says it will take some time to get the chapel up and running.

“The full restoration, we don’t know, it’s going to depend on the amount of funds we raise because its going to be a total restoration project but we’re hoping that it’ll show some significant progress in the next two to three years," Beatty said.

Once restoration is complete, the building will be used as a community building. To help donate, click here.