Partners for Sacred Places 2023 Annual Report | Page 11

PRESERVING & STRENGTHENING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SACRED PLACES IN

Central Appalachia

St . John ’ s Episcopal Church in Valle Crucis , NC . It is a Gothic-style chapel built in 1860 and consecrated in 1862 . In the late 1880s this church was moved to its present location from another location in Valle Crucis . Photo : Joshua Castaño .

Partners has been helping stewards of historic sacred places in the Appalachian regions of North Carolina , Tennessee , Kentucky , and West Virginia sustain their presence in their communities and preserve their buildings , which are centers of folk art , architecture , and cultural traditions . As part of this project , Partners provides capacity-building training , helps participating sites identify and engage with stakeholders in their communities , and provides direct support for the preservation of their historic buildings and the creation of art in collaboration with members of the community .

A sacred fresco-style painting entitled “ Suffer The Little Children ” by Benjamin F . Long IV , dated July 2006 , in the E . H . Sloop Chapel in Crossnore , NC . Photo : Ted Olson .
PARTICIPATING SITES
Christ Church Episcopal , South Pittsburg , TN Crossnore Presbyterian Church , Crossnore , NC Germanton United Methodist Church , Germanton , NC Harshaw Chapel , Murphy , NC Logan Memorial United Methodist Church , Parkersburg , WV Mt . Olive Missionary Baptist Church , Mars Hill , NC Old Mother Church , Robbinsville , NC Pine Mountain Settlement School , Bledsoe , KY Shook-Smathers House , Clyde , NC
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