To the Editor,
Those of us involved in the (soon to be listed in the National Historic Register) Lebanon Hill Historic District would like to thank your writer, Tom Joyce, and the Mount Airy News for the article in last Sunday’s edition (April 19, 2020) presenting at length the effort to record information regarding the oldest churches across the county.
The following information is presented to be added to the information on the oldest churches in Surry County.
Residents involved in collecting historic information regarding Lebanon Hill Historic District support the city’s efforts to continue the work of preservationists Barbara Summerlin and Susan Ashby and many others who have contributed to preservation efforts.
The following information is submitted with a request that a follow up article to present information on the historic Lebanon Hill Methodist Episcopal Church and cemetery be explored and presented to the readers of The Mount Airy News.
Research done by Barbara Case Summerlin in the book she wrote The Hollows documents the history of the Lebanon Hill Methodist Episcopal Church as the first church in Mount Airy and one of the first churches in Surry County, dating to 1830. She has left no stone unturned in her research of this church, and although the church no longer stands, its site can be found near the base of the water tower on top of the hill circumscribed by North Main Street, West Lebanon Street and West Poplar Street. This area is part of the Lebanon Hill Historic District which is recommended by architectural historian Dan Pezzoni for National Register listing.
The referenced pages in The Hollows include pages 67, 68, 69, 82, 90, 117, 119, and 179.
City planner Will Linville who currently works in the City of Charlotte Planning Department, formerly worked in the City of Mount Airy Planning Department and was responsible for historic preservation efforts in the city. He was deeply engaged in the creation of new historic districts for Mount Airy and assisted in securing government grants for the work of architectural historian Dan Pezonni to identify districts and properties worthy of National Register listing. Mr. Linville’s focus was on Lebanon Hill Historic District. The church on Lebanon Hill was the site of young men gathering to prepare to join Robert E. Lee’s forces during the Cavil War. Mr. Linville recommended bronze plaques as being appropriate to mark significant historic sites, and he considered the Lebanon Hill Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery to be one of these sites.
Thank you and The Mount Airy News for recognizing the importance of presenting articles regarding historic sites and events to the extensive readership of our local newspaper, particularly in 2020, the 135th anniversary of The City Of Mount Airy and the 250th anniversary of Surry County.
Suzanne Roth Settle
Mount Airy
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com