(Portions of today’s post are copied from one I published in 2011.)
You may recall previous posts mentioning the cemetery in my hometown. Although it was officially “Lawnes Creek Parish”, for as long as anyone remembers, it’s been known as “Old Brick Church”. Graves there include those of my ancestors on both the maternal and paternal sides of my family.
The cemetery surrounds the ruins of the old church.
My late sister, June, took this picture many years ago, showing a portion of the ruins. You can see the brace around the exterior of the walls to provide support.
Sadly, Hurricane Isabel in 2003, toppled several huge old trees in the cemetery, causing severe damage to the ruins. The brace was no match for the power of that storm.
It was a heartbreaking sight. When Marshall and I first saw it, I cried, and I think he was holding back tears.
In addition to the devastation to the church ruins, numerous tombstones were displaced and broken by the uprooted trees.
Removing the trees and replacing/repairing the tombstones took quite some time. After the trees were gone, it was easy to see how badly the church had been damaged.
The decision was made to retain and restore as much of the church ruins as possible.
A few years ago, I was honored to be asked to serve as secretary for the association that maintains the cemetery. The committee is made up of hometown folks I’ve known since my childhood. It’s a friendly, informal group.
Last Saturday, we held one of our clean-up days in preparation for this month’s memorial service. It was a breezy, chilly day, but perfect for pictures.
The Old Brick Church is across a highway and field from Bacon’s Castle. I seem to feel the same about both properties: I can never have too many photos of them.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 