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

FACING TOMORROW, UNDERSTANDING YESTERDAY 31
Eventually the Hut was pressed into service to provide a place for the
childrento meet during worship service. In May 1957,a duplicate Sunday
service,now called Children's Church, was begun in the Hut for nursery,
beginners,and primary-aged children. At this time, adequate heating was
provided.Also bathroom facilities, considered by many today a vital
necessity,were added. The latter cost only $746 because, as has been the
traditionat Orange Church, much of the labor and materials were
contributed.
Although just two months old, the Hut was a center of attention for
friendsand visitors at the June 10, 1934, Homecoming celebration. The
highlightofthe 1934Homecoming, however, was the visit of Rev. Charles
E.Maddry,a native ofthecommunity, who was leaving for Europe on June
14 onan important mission for the Southern Baptist Convention. At the
morningservice, Rev. Maddry preached the same address that he was to
deliverat the Baptist World Congress in Berlin. He said afterwards that
hedecided to try it out on the home folks before giving it abroad.
At midday, Homecoming guests feasted on fried chicken, ham,
vegetablesof every kind, rolls, biscuits, pies, and cakes that appeared on
thetables in the grove. Another favorite of Orange, Rev. S.B. Turrentine, Dr. Charles Maddry
presidentof Greensboro Woman's College, preached in the afternoon.
Even though he was a Baptist preacher, Rev. Maddry was a regular
visitorto Orange Methodist Church. He was the son ofWilliam Alexander
Maddryand Julia Sugg Maddry and the grandson of Abel Maddry and
JaneGattis, who was the sister of Alexander Gattis, Jr. Dr. Maddry's
fatherowned a ninety-acre farm near Orange Church, where Dr. Maddry
wasborn and reared. The family belonged to Mount Moriah Baptist
Church,but because that church was five miles away and roads were often
impassablefor six months of the year, the children attended Orange
ChurchSunday School. Off and on for some years, Dr. Maddry's grandfather,Abel
Maddry, was Sunday School superintendent at Orange. His
fatheroften taught a class there, and Dr. Maddry himself taught at various
timeswhile a young man. Dr. Maddry graduated from the University of
NorthCarolina in 1903. He was superintendent of education for Orange
Countyfrom 1901-1904.
On June 22, 1937, Dr. Maddry was back in the Orange Church
sanctuaryto marry Margaret Catherine Burch and John Marsh Link. Dr.
Maddry,who then lived in Richmond, Virginia, exemplified a characteristicofthe
early days of the church: the inter-relationships between the
familiesattending. He was a cousin of the bride.
Mrs. Link still recalls that wedding ceremony vividly. Fannie
Brockwell,known for her artistic talents, supervised the decoration ofthe
church,which was dominated by a tall arch that was covered with ivy,
QueenAnne's lace, and other wild flowers. It stood in the middle of the Burch-Link Wedding - 1937
communionrail. The bride wore a gown of ivory duchess satin with
empirelines; the sleeves were tapered to the wrist, satin-covered buttons
reachedto the elbow, and a court train was attached at the shoulders. The
ensemblewas topped with a floor-length veil of illusion. She carried
gardeniasand valley lilies.
Thebeauty ofthe Burch-Link wedding was not atypical for the church
atthetime. The women of the church loved to use flowers in season to
makeallevents more attractive. "Miss" Alice Hogan, for example, recalls
atimewhen the women of the church staged a lawn party on the grounds.
'Thechurch and grounds were beautiful at that time because the whole
yardhadjust been sown," she said. "It was in the spring, and the flowers
allaround were beautiful. All around the circle we had iris and wild
flowers,mostly bridal wreath - some others. When we got it fixed with
allthelittletables and flower pots [each lady had charge of two tables 1, it
wasbeautifulout there. We served from the Hut as they came - twos or
foursor whatever - and we sold whatever we had. I wanted to tell about