Chapel Added To State Registry Posted 2006-09-22 Society Hopes Chapel Will Serve As Living History By Jenny Jones Al Jenkins, owner of Longs Chapel, stands inside the church on Tuesday. Freed slaves built the church starting in 1869 with the help of the United Brethren Church and Jacob Long, a local contractor. The chapel, which was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register earlier this month, stands near Keezletown in a community once known as Zenda, which was established by freed slaves in the mid-19th century. Photo by Pete Marovich KEEZELTOWN — Al Jenkins propped a small ladder against the crumbling stone columns that hold up Longs Chapel, stepped carefully up the rungs and climbed into the old wooden structure. Inside, Jenkins’ voice echoed off the stark walls and barren space that once served as a church and a schoolhouse for Zenda, a former community in northern Rockingham County that was established by newly freed slaves in the mid to late 1800s. He pointed out markings on the walls where the original pews once stood, and he explained the dignity of the building and the people who constructed it. "They went from being property to owning property," said Jenkins, talking about the freed slaves who, with the help of the United Brethren Church and a contractor named Jacob Long, built Longs Chapel between 1869 and 1871. "And as soon as they were able to, they built their own church. That was a major accomplishment." Now, some 130 years after it was built, Longs Chapel is a shell. Sunlight shines through holes in the church’s walls, water damage stains the ceiling and deep divots dot the cemetery. But even with its imperfections, Longs Chapel, 1334-B Fridley’s Gap Road in Rockingham County, is receiving top honors when it comes to historical significance. Earlier this month it was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register, and it could be added to the National Register of Historic Landmarks soon. "The [state registry] board felt that it was important to celebrate the African American heritage there" by putting Longs Chapel on the registry, said Marc Wagner, national registry manager. "It’s the only surviving building from [Zenda]." Big Purchase Interest in preserving Longs Chapel began in 2003 when Jenkins and his wife, Robin, were vacationing in Rockingham County from South Carolina, and someone suggested they drive past the chapel. Covered with trees and briars, the chapel was barely visible from the road and the cemetery was covered with brush, Jenkins recalls. Even though the chapel was less than impressive, Jenkins says, he couldn’t help but think that something needed to be done to save it. That’s when the Jenkinses made it their mission to find out who owned the chapel and take the necessary steps to preserve it. They started by researching the property at the Rockingham County Courthouse. There, Jenkins says, they discovered that Roger Emerson, of Rockingham County, who owns the property adjacent to the chapel, bought it in a tax sale. Dedicated to preserving black history, the Jenkinses contacted Emerson and asked if he would be willing to sell the chapel and the cemetery surrounding it. Emerson agreed on the condition that the Jenkinses move forward with plans to save it. "I just hated to see it destroyed," Emerson said. "He said he wanted to restore everything, and I thought that was pretty good [because] it’s got historical significance." The Jenkinses vowed to preserve the property. They bought the chapel and the lot for about $3,200 in October A couple of months after making the purchase, Jenkins received a call from a businessman, who, he says, wished to remain anonymous. "He said, ‘You tell me what you would like done,’" Jenkins recalls. Jenkins told the man that he needed to clear the property of trees and brush. The man, Jenkins said, offered to cut down all the trees that the Jenkinses didn’t want. "He said, ‘Put a ribbon around the trees you want to keep,’" Jenkins recalls. About a month later, Jenkins said he visited the chapel and to his astonishment, the land was cleared. "I could not believe it," Jenkins said. "I was set." Living History Since then, Jenkins and his family have moved from South Carolina to Rockingham County, with big goals for the chapel. And they are goals, Jenkins says, that will be easier to accomplish now that the chapel is recognized by the state. First and foremost, Jenkins said, the Longs Chapel Preservation Society plans to hire a general contractor and find volunteers to help work on the chapel. Its roof, the columns that hold it up and the exterior walls are all in need of repair. The interior also needs work to make it fit for tours, Jenkins said. "We want to preserve it for the future, so [visitors] can come and learn from [the former slaves’] tremendous effort to rise above where they started and live out the American dream," Jenkins said. "We want it to be a living site for black history." For more information contact Al Jenkins at 843-412-3590 or visit www.preservelongschapel.org Contact Jenny Jones at 574-6286 or [email protected] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com