is one of the Cape Fear regions most culturally and historically significant African American structures.
Once restoration is complete, the chapel will be a space where the community and visitors alike can learn about Gullah Geechee history, heritage, and culture in the Cape Fear region.
Built in the mid to late 1800s, Reaves Chapel first served the formerly enslaved people connected to Cedar Hill Plantation and their descendants.
Moved to its current location with the use of logs, oxen, mules and horses in 1911, the Chapel continued to serve as a house of worship and community gathering place for another 84 years. It was once a beautiful, 1,100 square foot, wood frame church built by enslaved and freed African-Americans; the church has colored glass windows. However, in the time since its doors were closed in 2005, the Chapel fell into disrepair with extensive structural and termite damage along with a leaking roof. The building was fragile and at risk of being destroyed by the next hurricane or violent storm.
Highly Valued by the Navassa community
The church and its original Cedar Hill cemetery are highly valued by the Navassa community, which has deep ties to the Gullah Geechee people who were enslaved West African people forcibly brought to the coastal United States for their knowledge of rice cultivation,, Reaves Chapel is one of the few surviving structures in North Carolina from the post-Civil war period that preserves the cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee people. The community envisions a restored Reaves Chapel and the surrounding land as the gateway to the Cedar Hill African-American Heritage Park, a visionary complex to be created in northern Brunswick County.
Called to action
by the Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation, the NC Coastal Land Trust purchased Reaves Chapel in 2019 with help from the Orton Foundation. After a severe storm event a tarp was installed on the roof to prevent further damage and fencing installed to protect the site from vandalism. Alongside the initial work to secure the site, staff from the Coastal Land Trust and Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation partnered to research and document the history of the site, both to spread its story and to guide the future restoration work. Over the past 3 years, the bell tower was removed and replaced, the building was lifted and the foundation was rebuilt to shore up the termite damage, outside walls were realigned and additional structural components added, and rotting siding and flooring were replaced. Work began November 9, 2021 to restore the roof and clean the adjacent cemetery located directly behind the church.
Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage
and the Coastland trust, Historic Wilmington Foundation and other partners are preparing to enter the final phase of this multi-year project. This phase includes the design, permitting, and construction of an external bathroom, a parking lot with accessible parking, and new landscaping. Work is scheduled to be completed in early 2023.
If you would like to become a partner you can contact us at this website!
Website Link: https://www.chwbheritage.com
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