The congregation of Mt. Zion AME Zion Church was formed in 1892 by eleven freedmen and women. The first building was a cabin in Dix Gap.
Led by Reverend Joseph Hooper, the church membership proliferated. Their next building was constructed on land now a part of Western Carolina University.
In 1926, WCU leadership approached the church about relocation so that they could build a new dormitory. The university paid $3,200 for the building and $1,000 to move 76 graves to the current site. In Victoria Casey’s Just Over the Hill: Black Appalachians in Jackson County, Western North Carolina, church members were against the moving of the graves because they felt it was sacrilegious; they decided it was worse to leave them surrounded by the campus because there would always be the threat the school could bulldoze them. Church members prayed over the graves before they were moved and again when they were reburied.
Designed by a local Black builder, George Dallas Gray, the church opened in 1929. The original pews are still in use today.
References
Casey McDonald, V. A., & Cochran, M. T. (2022). Just over the hill: Black appalachians in Jackson County, western North Carolina. Western Carolina University.
Russell, D. (2017, November 8). Cullowhee Church to celebrate 125 years of services. The Sylva Herald. https://www.thesylvaherald.com/news/article_0d923d46-c489-11e7-819b-db9a8de2c288.html
Over Labor Day weekend, I took a trip to Western North Carolina. With the devastating floods caused by Hutticane Helene, I thought I would share some of the beautiful places I photographed.
The Webster Baptist Church sits on a bluff above the Tuckasegee River in Webster, North Carolina. The river flooded, but I don’t yet know how Webster fared.
The church was built in 1900. Joseph and Lawrence Cowan, a local father and son cabinetmaker duo, built the original furniture, which is still in use today.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Knight’s Store was opened in 1901 by D. T. Knight and operated until 1979, when his grandson, Bill Knight, needed to step away because he could no longer keep the store open. As I was researching the history of this store, I found several obituaries for different members of the Knight family. It’s clear from these obituaries that the family loved running this store, and it was integral to the community of Balsam. Below are links to their obituaries or information on FindAGrave.
William B. Knight on Findagrave
D. T. Knight’s granddaughter, Anita, provides more information and photos on her website.
This is the home of Gustavus James Nash Wilson. The photo of his home was featured at the front of his book about Jackson County, Georgia titled, The Early History of Jackson County, Georgia (1914).
This image was featured at the front of the book, and when I found out it was still standing, I knew I had to photograph it eventually. Built in 1886, the home has been modified over the years, but it still has some of the early details.
Apple Valley Baptist Church is in the Apple Valley community in Jackson County, Georgia. The community had a post office from 1877 to 1903. The church was organized on May 7, 1887, and constructed in 1888. The congregation is still active and uses a newer building close to the original one.
