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Friends of the historic Harshaw Chapel in downtown Murphy are busy seeking funding for the little building.
The Rev. Wil Posey, pastor of Murphy First United Methodist Church, leads our committee.
“We’re working with Partners for Sacred Places,” he said last week. “It’s the only nonprofit in the country helping to preserve sacred places where faith, heritage and community meet.”
The organization gives grant money for planning and actual construction projects, he said, and we are in the process of applying for funding.
Our group had Zoom meetings on the internet, which was a first for me, with leaders of Partners for Sacred Places and met other church folk from across North Carolina who are involved in similar projects.
For example, there is a pioneer building in Robbinsville, called the Old Mother Church, also needing attention. Church supporters there are also seeking similar funding, we met via Zoom.
Construction chaos
Two requirements on funding application are giant hurdles. They ask, “What is your construction quote for this project?” and “When do you expect work to begin?”
But current economic conditions include sky-high material prices and busy contractors with jobs booked well into the future.
If they give a quote, it’s only good for about a week or two.
The price of a standard 2-by-4 board, needed in numbers for any job, soared from about $2 each to more than $7 apiece.
Our committee had a local quote several years ago of about $125,000 to remove the steeple on the chapel, install a new metal roof supported by trusses and a new historically correct steeple for the heavy bell.
We raised about half the money and decided on removing the old steeple, where the worst leaks were located, causing the rafters to rot. This was done and a waterproof self-stick plastic film was applied to the old roof, now in place for about 18 months and seemingly doing a good job of keeping the building dry inside.
Government guidelines
The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1980s, and we contacted them about our planned project, were informed that if only the roof and steeple were replaced it would not affect the chapel’s standing.
Builders tell us the brick walls, built in the 1860s, will have to be propped up during the roof work to keep them from falling, either outward or inward.
And there has been some discussion, preliminary talk only, that instead of factory-made trusses in the roof structure we might save money by bringing in post-and-beam construction workers, who might use rough-cut, cheaper lumber from local sawmills correct for the time period.
Late developments
We are extremely grateful for donations that continue to reach us, about $68,000 presently on hand. Mail them to Harshaw Project, P.O. Box 86, Murphy NC 28906, and thank you.
The Harshaw Project is also seeking to be officially formed as a nonprofit group, which will hopefully encourage contributions.
Street drunks and homeless people have camped temporarily in the Harshaw Chapel’s surrounding cemetery over the years, but did little damage beyond the usual litter.
However, brainless vandals overturned 19 tombstones throughout the graveyard. Methodist trustees replaced the lighter ones, but some of them will require lifting equipment.
Wally Avett first wrote for the Cherokee Scout as editor in 1969. His books are at the Scout office in Murphy. Call 837-5531 or email wallyavett@gmail.com.