churches
Stedman, Eastover and Wade
Its been quite a while since my last blog about the municipalities of Cumberland County. Back in April, I decided it would be interesting to research and write short pieces about each of the municipalities in Cumberland County. In my research, I’ve found that each of our municipalities has its own assets – and I’m happy to share them here.
Stedman
The town of Stedman was settled in 1841 when John Culbreth Blocker built a stagecoach house and post office on land that he had purchased. The town was incorporated in 1917.
Today, the 1.4-square mile town has a population of 664. It is named for Civil War Major Charles Manly Stedman. Stedman was raised in Fayetteville; and served in the Civil War as a private in the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry during the Civil War. Stedman was the Lt. Governor of North Carolina from 1885 to 1889 and served in the US House of Representatives from 1910 to 1930. He was the last Civil War veteran to serve in the US Congress and is interred at Cross Creek Cemetery in Fayetteville.
If you are visiting Stedman, consider stopping at the Stedman Soda Shop for breakfast or lunch. Great food and great atmosphere! If you are into trains and historical stations, be sure to check out the Stedman Library, which is housed in a circa 1890 Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley train depot.In season,
Stedman offers a number of farms for fresh produce
1. Bullard Farms - watermelons, 2280 Stedman Cedar Creek Road, Stedman, NC 28391. Phone: 910-303-3795. July 8th thru August 15th
2. Bunce Brothers Farm, Inc - strawberries, restrooms, handicapped accessible. 6267 Blake Road, Stedman, NC 28391-8656. Phone: (910) 483-500. Open: Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm; Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm. Also, the following prepicked vegetables are available in season: pumpkins, greens, tomatoes, watermelons, and cantaloupes.
3. Stedman Blueberries – Blueberries, 5991 Sidney Bullard Road, Stedman, NC 28391. Phone: (910) 531-3110. Open: Monday to Friday 6 am to 6 pm. June 20 thru July 30
Eastover
Cumberland County’s youngest town, Eastover, was incorporated in 2007. The 4.1 square mile town has 1,376 residents. However, Eastover Township was formed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1865.
In my research, I found that Eastover has some interesting historical tidbits about the schools in its community.In 1919, Eastover opened the first accredited high school in Cumberland County. Shortly thereafter, the Eastover school district extended the school term from 6 to 8 months. The school was considered one of the best in the county.
Eastover’s hallmark special event, Eastover Heritage Day – celebrates the heritage of this tight-knit community. The day starts with a parade, and it seems the entire community is their either watching or in the parade. Afterwards at the Eastover ballpark, festivities have included hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, a bake sale, crafts, farm exhibits, a car show and raffles, as well as children’s activities. Musical. Proceeds, according to organizers, provide recreational opportunities for all ages in the Eastover community. The special event is sponsored by the Eastover Civic Club.
Wade
Wade, a 1.3-square mile town of 486 residents, was settled around the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad and named for NG Wade. Mr. Wade was a local business man who sold crossties to the railroad. Wade was originally chartered in 1869, but that charter was abandoned. The town was again charted on March 8, 1913.
Wade was originally 1 square mile. In 1990, tracts of land were annexed, taking the town to its current size.
One of the region’s oldest churches and cemeteries, Old Bluff Church, is located in Wade. Organized in 1758, Old Bluff Presbyterian Church is one of oldest Presbyterian churches in Cumberland County. This church along with Long Street Presbyterian and Barbecue Presbyterian Churches provided the Scottish population of the Upper Cape Fear Valley with longtime formal congregations. The adjacent cemetery is one of the oldest in the county. Many early Scottish settler and merchant families are buried there: including Colonel Alexander McAllister (a leading county patriot in the American Revolution), Farquhard Campbell and David Marshall (Carbine) Williams (invented the semi-automatic M1 Carbine rifle used in World War II). The present Greek Revival structure was built in 1858. Additionally, Old Bluff Church is one of the community’s significant Civil War sites. Confederate troops gathered on the grounds prior to the Battle of Averasboro.
Explore further
If you are interested in learning more about the history of Cumberland County , I encourage you to visit one or more of our Cultural Heritage Trails. The trails are grouped into themes – such as Scottish or African American History, Architecture, Civil War and Military History. You can chose one trail and explore the theme that is of interest to you. Either download the trail’s .pdf (which provides turn by turn directions) or stop by the Visitor Center at 245 Person Street to pick up a Cultural Heritage Trails guide, and you are on your way. Additionally Each tour offers an audio historical narrative that you can download and listen to prior or during your visit.
If you are looking for a fun, engaging, family friendly way to explore our history, consider Trail Trek, our geocaching trail. 10 sites throughout the community have caches “treasures.” You find the sites and the caches using GPS coordinates and clues we have provided. It’s a high-tech scavenger hunt that is educational and FUN. Enjoy!
Spring Lake, Fayetteville’s neighbor to the north
At Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau we represent all the 10 communities that encompass Cumberland County. Lots and lots is written about Fayetteville - so I’d like to dedicate my next few blogs to writing a little bit about the other nine municipalities.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour Spring Lake with the volunteer staff at the Fayetteville Area CVB. We toured several beautiful churches, went to the site of the Sandhills Farmers Market, saw the Anderson Creek development and golf course - and even saw Spring Lake itself. (Which I shamefully admit, I didn’t know existed!)
One of the churches we visited, Bethel AME Zion Church, was first started in 1873 as a mission called Little Ark. Jack Murchison built a Bush Shelter to preach to the neighboring plantations. A few years later, a Presbyterian minister preached at Little Ark and established it as a Presbyterian church. Subsequently, a Methodist minister from Fayetteville arrived and converted them to Methodism, which later became a part of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church movement.
We visited several other churches including Spring Lake Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, and Williams Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, which was founded in 1903. All the sanctuaries were beautiful; and I was impressed by the passion of the folks who gave us the tour of their churches.
Near the Bethel AME Zion Church is the site of the Sandhills Farmers Market. As Sandhills Family Heritage Association President Ammie Jenkins says “There’s more to the Sandhills Farmers Market than just vegetables.” Special events and workshops are held throughout the summer. The market is open every Saturday from June to September.
If golf is your thing, Anderson Creek Golf Course is said to be one of the best in the state. The course, the first in NC designed by Davis Love II was named the top new course in North Carolina in 2001.
The Clay Target Center is one of the largest skeet and trap shooting facilities in the country. Managed by Fort Bragg MWR, and located in Spring Lake, the Clay Target Center is open to both the military and civilian population. The Clay Target Center hosts a number of regional and national events each year.
On my tour, I also learned that Spring Lake and Fort Bragg have one of the largest populations of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the country. This is the only bird that creates its own nest inside the middle of a living tree - and the longleaf pines are a perfect home for these endangered birds.
Spring Lake also has six hotels; lots of places to shop, tons of restaurants and a number of special events throughout the year.
Since I’m sure I haven’t covered everything about Spring Lake, I gathered some links where you can learn more:
Plank Roads & other historical tidbits
Sandhills Family Heritage Association
Visit Historic Churches Downtown!
There are several churches in our Historic Downtown district that are more than 100 years old and provide welcome doors to showcase their historical architecture including the following:
- Hay Street United Methodist Church had its first sanctuary dedicated in 1835 with its present day sanctuary built in 1908. Located at 320 Hay Street, the brick Gothic Revival-style church features rare “robing glass” windows, which is truly a sight.
- First Baptist Church at 201 Anderson Street was completed in 1910 and provides an example of Romanesque Revival architecture.
- Evans Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church at 301 North Cool Spring Street was built in 1893 and features Gothic-style architecture in a two story gabled front and interior woodwork.
- First Presbyterian at Bow Street was rebuilt in 1832 and features the only wooden truss roof of its kind in the state as well as whale oil chandeliers and an impressive spire.
- St. John’s Episcopal Church at 302 Green Street features Gothic architecture with 10 pyramidal spires and stained glass windows made in Munich.
These are only a few examples of the gorgeous churches downtown, active on Sundays and during the week. You can also plan a historic church tour customized for you at www.visitfayettevillenc.com through our Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.