UVA architecture student Logan Parham was wandering around an old cemetery in Brown’s Cove, completing a school project in Albemarle County history. “I spent a lot of time in isolated areas looking at grave sites and old buildings,” he said.
He was isolated, but not alone. “I saw an older woman with a cane walking through the cemetery, and she just looked so happy that I felt I could talk to her.” That’s how he met Mary Jones, a lifelong resident of Brown’s Cove, a devoted parishioner of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, and a frequent visitor to the cemetery where many dear family members are buried.
Jones was glad to point out familiar grave markers and talk about the history of her family and the area. She arranged for Parham to meet her nephew, Darrell Howard, who had extensive knowledge of the history of Mt. Carmel, the country church he’d grown up in, along with his parents, cousins, aunts and other extended family. In time, Parham met some of them and learned how the families had struggled to maintain the aging structure as younger generations grew up and moved away.
Parham now works with Preservation Virginia, and proposed the historic church for a spot on the non-profit’s yearly list of the most-threatened historic places. He said his advocacy was the opposite of how the selection process normally works: “Usually, community groups apply to us.”
Eursaline Inge, Mary Jones’ daughter, believes there was an element of divine intervention in how the small community church came to the attention of one of the most effective advocacy groups in Virginia: “It’s God’s work, not ours,” she said.
“There’s no question that the church is threatened,” Parham said. “You can’t spend any time in western Albemarle without seeing the development pressure. Historic structures are routinely removed in the process.”
Preservation Virginia considers another factor when choosing its list: They want to make sure there’s enough community involvement and interest to accomplish the work over time, Parham said, and he found that to be true at Mt. Carmel. Families—many of them descendants of the former slaves and freemen who built the church in 1879—have kept the church in good repair over the years, and it still serves the community more than a century later, with former Browns Cove residents driving more than an hour to attend services.
Roosevelt Barbour, a life-long member, said when he was young, church attendance was non-negotiable. “It was one of those ‘MMMe’ (mother made me) deals,” he said. He recalls singing in the choir, chilly baptisms in Doyle’s Creek, fried chicken dinners after services, and a church filled with relatives and friends, many of whom played leadership roles.
Although events are still being held, the elders are no longer able to care for the church as they once did, said the Preservation Virginia announcement. Many of the talented craftsmen who maintained the church have died, and, like other historic churches with aging congregations and limited financial resources, Mt. Carmel urgently needs repairs, including stabilizing the foundation and repairing the roof, improvements to the heating and cooling system, and a cemetery cleanup.
The inclusion on the most-threatened list does not come with a cash infusion that fixes everything, Parham said, but it does give interested communities the tools to find the resources and solutions they need. “Typically, we form a long-term relationship with them.” This sustained collaboration has been effective, according to Preservation Virginia: of the 180 sites identified as being threatened, only 10 % have been lost.
One of the recommendations that came with the selection was to involve the broader community. That’s already happening, said Darrell Howard. He’s met with preservation architect Jody Lahendro to examine the structure, and Lahendro, retired recently from his long-time position at UVA, has volunteered to not only assess the repairs needed to protect the church, but to help them look for the resources to make them.
Howard spoke for the Mt. Carmel community at the Preservation Virginia presentation in May. After reviewing the history of the church, he thanked family members and friends from the congregation before making the announcement that the church has been included on the list. “It’s always been about family working together,” he said. “I think our elders would be beyond pleased with our efforts as we take Mt. Carmel further into this new century.”
Those wanting more information on how to support Mt. Carmel can reach Darrell Howard at [email protected] or 434-964-8742.
Field School Students Donate to Crozet Cares Closet
Preceding the May Distribution Day, the Crozet Cares Closet received a large donation from students at the Field School. Field School teacher Carrie Anne Pinson and her students organized the donation as part of reading the novel Invisible Thread, and chose this as a “Random Acts of Kindness” project. The students collected a large number of the personal hygiene and household cleaning products needed by the Closet.
During May, the Closet provided personal hygiene and household cleaning products to 50 households (totaling 169 individuals within those households), thanks to the timely donations from the students at the Field School, the churches, and the community.
As always, people can drop off donations at Denise Ramey’s office across from Harris Teeter (Use the black bins between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.), Crozet Baptist Church (side entrance, black bins), or the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Parish Hall.
For more information, email [email protected]
Journaling Retreat offered at Mountain Light Retreat Center
Mountain Light Retreat Center will present “Nature and Nurture: A Journaling Retreat” Friday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Elaine Kiziah Ph.D., is an applied psychologist, award-winning trainer, life coach, and advocate for the meaningful work of listening to your own soul. She’s the founder of “Joybook,” a community offering journaling programs, workshops, and group coaching on time management, personal growth, and well-being. She’ll lead the class using written dialogues with nature to guide members to sources of healing, wisdom and perspective.
Register for the retreat, which includes lunch, by emailing debbie@mountainlight retreatva.com. There are scholarships available. Learn more about Kiziah at elainekiziah.com.
