Facing Tomorrow, Understanding Yesterday, A History of Orange ...

The young women serving as volunteer waitresses
were Misses Nell Maddry, Pearl Hogan, Louise
Blackwood, Margaret Burch, Julia Franklin, Lily Hogan,
Pearl Collier, Ruth Collier, Daisy Perkins, Pauline
Freeland, and Ethel Hogan. Miss Mary Hogan was cashier.
At the serving tables were Mrs. Willie Hogan, Mrs.
CurtisHogan, Mrs. Alexander Freeland, Mrs. Tom Hogan,
Mrs. Collier, Mrs. Poydrus [sic] Hogan, Mrs. Malcolm
Blackwood, Mrs. Will Freeland, Mrs. Edward Hogan,
Mrs. Fred Potts, Mrs. John Maddry, and Mrs. Arthur
Hogan. Mr. and Mrs. SJ. Brockwell were doing all manner
of odd jobs from seating the guests to stringing
lanterns between the trees.
].E. Gooch played a distinguished though invisible
part in the celebration. He had gone out earlier in the day
and superintended the cooking of the Brunswick stew,
but disappeared before the eating began.
Churchmembers quickly put the new facility to the use of serving
Godinthe community. In August 1924, Rev. Autry, assisted by Rev.J.W.
Bradleyof West Durham, conducted a week-long revival meeting. Accordingtothe
Chapel Hill Weekly, services were held every morning at 11
a.m,withanother session in the evening. Although later congregations
wouldschedule revivals, none would match this one in intensity.
Fundraising continued to retire the church debt as the Chapel Hill
Weekly reported in early November 1924 that the Ladies' Aid Society
wouldbe serving a dinner "when the auction sale of the Bowman farm,
nearOrangeChurch, takes place." Proceeds from the dinner, the newspapersaid,"willgo
toward the payment of the debt on the new church
building. The congregation is making a spirited campaign to raise funds
andisgetting along well with it. But considerably more money is needed.
Contributionsmay be made to Mrs. SJ. Brockwell, Miss Pearl Hogan,
WillFreeland,or James Maddry."
AndinSeptember 1924,the Society gave the play, "AKentucky Belle"
attheBlackwood School and also at Carrboro and Hillsboro schools.
Proceedsfrom the play totaled $103.68, of which $25 was paid toward the
battery-operatedlight plant for the church, and $88.73 was paid on the
Society'spledge to the church building fund. Other plays followed
including'The District School," 'The Ole Maids Club," and "A Poor
MarriedMan."Proceeds from the play "APoor Married Man" were used
topayforbook racks for the church library that was run by Inez Freeland.
Paying Off the Mortgage
Althoughthe cost of the building is unknown, these news stories make
itclearthatmembers of the congregation wanted to eliminate any debt as
quicklyas possible. The congregation received $1,000 from the Duke
Fund,whichwas designed to aid rural churches, but members came up
withmostof the money to retire the mortgage on their own. The Duke
Endowmentwould provide small sums for other church building projects
throughthe early 1970s. With the aid of money from the Duke Fund and
bydiggingdeep into their own pockets, church members succeeded in
payingoffthe debt on the church by June 1925,barely ayear after they had
movedintothe new structure. The scene was another Homecoming, and
thistimethe Chapel Hill Weekly reported:
FACING TOMORROW, UNDERSfANDING YESfERDAY 25
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