THE DEDICATION OF REAVES CHAPEL---A CELEBRATION OF LIFE, SPIRIT AND COMMITMENT

Reaves Chapel, tall and white with a newly-restored bell tower and simple stained-glass windows, stood proud against the Carolina blue sky and gentle breeze of Spring in Navassa during a dedication ceremony last month held as part of the NC Rice Festival.

Rather than serving as a bleak reminder of our history, the dedication was a celebration of life, spirit and commitment to the idea that we are all one people and when we are banded together, we can overcome terrible injustices and build a stronger foundation for the next generation.

The Chapel was built between 1860 and 1880, by the Gullah Geechee people. These were proud people who were forced into slavery from coastal Africa because of their superior knowledge of how to build and cultivate rice fields on the swampy banks of rivers and yield a successful crop year after year.  Although plantations were plentiful up and down the Cape Fear River, their crop production mainly included cotton, sugar cane and tobacco.

Around 1691, some plantation managers started to experiment with growing rice in cleared swamp land, but because rice was not indigenous to North America, they lacked the knowledge of how to successfully build dams and drainage systems that would yield a successful crop. It was the Gullah Geechee people who successfully grew and harvested rice, which would become a commercial crop, and contributed heavily to the economic growth and stability of the South.  By 1699, rice from the South was being shipped to England and other countries, providing the Carolina plantation owners with a huge profit.   

Enslaved people built the Chapel as a place of worship and learning.  Children would gather at the Chapel to hear about their heritage, ancestors and faith. The Chapel was moved to its current location in 1911 and placed on land donated by landowner Edward Reaves. It also served as a place of refuge for many slaves seeking freedom as they made their way North.  Years later, during the Civil Rights unrest, it again opened its doors as a place of refuge and safety.  But by the early 2000s, the Chapel had fallen into a grave state of disrepair.

Alfonzo Beatty, who was the President of the Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the area, at the time, could not let that happen.  He understood not only the historical significance of the Chapel, but the cultural significance as well.

Beatty spent more than 15 years looking for ways to preserve the Chapel. He was instrumental in forming the Cedar Hill/West Bank Foundation in 2011, for the sole purpose of saving the Chapel.  He had the idea, but not the necessary financial support to make it a reality. Holding on to that dream, he took his idea to the Coastal Land Trust in 2015. The organization purchased the Chapel four years later with money from the Orton Foundation, an affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation, which lends its support to cultural and historic restorations in the Cape Fear River Basin.

Over time, Beatty enlisted the aid of surrounding communities, the Brunswick Arts Council and Leland Tourism Development Authority, but it is the Coastal Land Trust, and the Cedar Hill West Bank Heritage Foundation who are credited for making the restoration a reality. Beatty often remarked that it was the Coastal Land Trust who did the “heavy lifting” for the project.

Unfortunately, Beatty died on February 12, 2025, but he was able to see the restored Chapel just before he passed, and his presence could be felt at the dedication.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Dr. Doug Cushing, a member of the North Carolina Rice Festival Foundation. “Today is the day that we, by the grace of God, and the generosity of so many, are able to see this dream become a reality.”  He joked that while for some people, this was, “just another Friday,” for so many associated with this project, it was, “the culmination of a dream.”

Tyanna Parker West, a public historian, welcomed honored guests, including mayors and town council representatives from the surrounding areas, Rice Festival officials, board members, members of the NAACP and Sheriff Brian Chism.  She also recognized several members of the Beatty family, who supported Alfonso Beatty and his dream. The audience was also treated to a performance of gospel music, presented by members of Browns Chapel, AME Zion Church in Southport.

The program also included Madison Kilgore, Regional Outreach Advisor, reading a letter from Governor Josh Stein, who praised the restoration efforts, saying, “You have not only restored this building, but also rekindled North Carolina’s connection to its past.”

There were also remarks by Michelle Lanier, Director, North Carolina Historic Site and Commission, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and Tyana Parker West, highlighting the ties and descendants of the Gullah Geechee people and their contribution to the area.

Reverend Steve Hatcher closed the event with a blessing and ringing of the Chapel bells. Reverend Avery McCallister, sporting a Reaves Chapel fundraising tee shirt, gave the benediction and then the audience was invited to visit the Chapel and collect information regarding the project sponsors and historical data.

While this event may have been focused on the safeguarding of history surrounding a faction of the residents of the area as well as the importance of capturing and protecting cultural history, the attendees were diverse and from all over the state.

After the dedication, people were not in a hurry to leave, seeming to bask in the glow of such a significant accomplishment. Mary Burke, Director of Educational Services for the Land Trust Alliance, said, “I’ve watched this project from afar for many years.  We supported Coastal Land Trust, our organization is the national leader in policy, standards and education.  We fully support land trust projects such as this because of the benefits they will provide to future generations.”   

Added Stephanie Borrett, Developmental Director, Carousel Child Advocacy Center, “all in all, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful event that so many people have waited for.  I’m glad to see such a great turnout and I know this building will remain an important part of the community.”

Leland Councilman Bill McHugh and Leland Mayor, Brenda Bozeman, echoed that this was a good example of what people can accomplish when they work together on a vision and mission that will impact so many.

In the bright, sunny afternoon, after the ceremony concluded, children played on the grass in front of the bell tower.  They ran around the path to the back of the Chapel, around the corner and came back to where they started, laughing and gasping for breath.  As I watched them, the leaves on the trees rustled just a bit, and I thought I could almost hear Alfonso Beatty telling the children that this was their history and their heritage, and that they should respect it and honor it, letting no man or entity take it from them, and by God Almighty, never forgetting it.