Murphy – Friends of Harshaw Chapel, along with members of First United Methodist Church, met with two representatives for the Partners for Sacred Places.
Partners for Sacred Places is a national nonsectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to sound stewardship and active community use of older Sacred Places across America, according to the website sacredplaces.org.
The Rev. Wil Posey of First United Methodist Church began talks with the nonprofit over one year ago but with the global COVID-19 pandemic it took several months for representatives to come see the historic landmark. A group of 9 local residents met to discuss the future of the chapel and share its history.
During the discussion, it was determined that in order to move forward in the project, the Friends of Harshaw Chapel will need to determine a vision for the structure as a continued assess to the town. The group discussed ideas about the future use of the church as a historical landmark for learning and preserving local history.
The friends group is seeking stories and memories from members of the community about Harshaw Chapel. There have been some remarkable memories already mentioned, like the Thanksgiving service that would be held at the chapel the Sunday before Thanksgiving and services on Independence Day.
For details or to submit a story, include contact information and send emails to Posey at wposey@wnccumc.net.