Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 15 - 14, 2023 UCW 15 In honor of Black History Month, the Fayetteville History Museum is highlighting Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church. e church was officially chartered in 1873, which means it is celebrat- ing its 150th anniversary. Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church, located at 509 Ramsey Street, is the second oldest Epis- copal congregation in Fayetteville and the oldest African American Episcopal congregation. According to Saint Joseph's, in the late 1860s, several founding members were also involved in the founding or operation of the Howard School, which evolved into the first State Normal School (teachers' school) in North Caro- lina. is later became Fayetteville State University. Saint Joseph's parochial school was separate and one of the first local schools for people of African descent. e church later was the space that held USO and NAACP meetings for Black residents of Fayetteville. Heidi Bleazey, the Historic and Natural Resources Manager at the Fayetteville History Museum, says the church was vital to the com- munity. "ere's this beautiful nestled church in this corner of a busy, busy Ramsey Street that so many people drive by. And then you consider 150 years of not only building a faith community on that space but building a commu- nity and bringing to the needs of that community," Bleazey said. e church has survived three fires. e first fire was in 1917, which destroyed the first rectory and parish house. e second fire in 2005 de- stroyed their large gazebo. e most recent fire in 2015 severely damaged the quarter of the church nearest the main entrance and the entire sanctuary was damaged due to water from the fire. e church was restored in 2017. e church is known for its Queen Anne-style architecture, the stained windows from Tiffany & Co., and a pipe organ that was built in 1857. e organ was dam- aged in the 2015 fire but has been restored and now uses electricity. e church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. "ese old buildings are register buildings, they're seen as spaces where time is frozen, and this is a unique space where time contin- ues to move, and people continue to live and breathe life into that space. But it's also a snapshot into the past at the same time there," Bleazey said. "But here are people that are doing daily church business there. And suddenly, it's the longevity of the community, and the congre- gation are why that building and that congregation have reached the age that they have," she said. "at's why they're celebrating 150 years, and their commitment to service and the community is kept active and kept them func- tional and kept that building of importance." Saint Joseph's will be celebrat- ing 150 years as a parish on May 26 through May 28. ey will be preparing an Anniversary Book to commemorate this historic occasion. "We plan to do a mayoral proc- lamation for the Sunday that's closest to the 28th," Bleazey said. e celebration is ongoing, and the Fayetteville History Museum exhibit will be up for a year. She added that the parish of Saint Joseph's intends to celebrate all year long as well. e Fayetteville History Mu- seum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to the public. e Fayetteville History Mu- seum is located at 325 Franklin Street in downtown Fayetteville. e museum is part of the Historic and Natural Resources of Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation. For more information, visit www.fcpr.us/historymuseum or call 910-433-1457. Black History Month: History Museum highlights oldest African American Episcopal church in Fayetteville by HANNAH LEE EVENT HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200 Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church on Ramsey Street is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It is the oldest African American Episcopal congregation and the second oldest Episcopal congregation in Fayetteville. e Fayetteville History Museum is currently hosting an exhibit celebrating Saint Joseph's history. (Photos by Isaiah Jones)