Reaves Chapel Steeple Returns
By Al Beatty
President of the Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation
With eager anticipation everyone was watching and waiting for the steeple with its original bell inside to be placed atop Reaves Chapel.
This process brought back memories of the removal several months prior when the forklift was used. The church was in bad disrepair and the weight of the steeple was a major contributing factor to the pending collapse of that specific corner. Well, it was not a pretty sight. As they raised the steeple, the entire structure shook along with the hearts of all onlookers. But this resilient structure survived!
The church has a past that is deeply rooted in this Navassa community. It had a humble beginning as a place of worship. It was built on a former plantation located about a mile from the banks of the Cape Fear River. It was moved by logs and oxen to its current location on Cedar Hill Road in the early 1900s.
The church has served in many capacities during the Jim Crow era: a meeting hall for the community, a stage for notable performing artists (Five Blind Boys), and a platform for various famed local, state and national speakers.
On a personal note, as I watched the steeple being replaced on top, I experienced a flood of emotions of pure joy. I was remembered hearing the bell toll for Sunday school, pealing as a fire alarm, or ringing to announce other ongoing events that were happening in our community. Raising the steeple made me realize that we are one step closer to complete restoration.
The joy was contagious at this event. Everyone is committed to seeing this project through to the end when we will ring the bell to signal the completion of this important community, county, state and national project.
Alfonso (Al) Beatty is president of the Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation. The Foundation and the Coastal Land Trust are partners in the restoration of Reaves Chapel.
