Chapel Added To State Registry

Society Hopes Chapel Will Serve As Living History By Jenny Jones 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." Full Story:http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=6437&CHID=2