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For the Long Run The Lingle Hut restoration

from Currents Magazine October 2022

by Lake Norman Currents

from Currents Magazine October 2022, page 96

Article from: Currents Magazine October 2022

A Pet for You

More than Just a Building

Lingle Hut’s Dedication Celebration

Historic Lingle Hut is one of only four community-built buildings still in existence in Mecklenburg County.

by Karel Bond Lucander | photography by Jon Beyerle

An important piece of history has come back to life in Davidson. After three years of renovations, Reeves Temple AME Zion Church is excited to invite everyone to their Lingle Hut “Dedication Celebration” on Oct. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at 219 Watson Street.

This little Rustic-Revival-style structure is one of only four community-built buildings that still exists in all of Mecklenburg County. Built in 1932, mill workers, Davidson College students and church members worked side-by-side to construct it.

“Lingle Hut tells the story of the mill community as we lose most of our mill houses,” says Stewart Gray, historic resources program manager for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. “It helps to tell the blue-collar history of the town. And it also tells the evolution of the African American community. Today, Lingle Hut is pulling the community together and helping everyone understand the importance of maintaining the history of the enduring African American community of Davidson.”

Castella Connor, long-time Reeves Temple congregant whose mother helped the church purchase Lingle Hut decades ago, says, “To see where we started and where we are now is a blessing!”

In 2018, Reeves Temple congregant Lela Johnson told her friend Maria Naas about the hut’s deterioration. The foundation was crumbling, and it needed extensive overhauls. Naas and Connor recruited volunteers to help publicize and raise funds for the hut. David Holthouser, director of facilities and engineering at Davidson College, provided renovation guidance. In 2019, McMillan Design Build began working on major reconstruction. In 2020, Pacific Builders poured the concrete floor and reinforced the foundation. JM Builders installed a new roof. Now, Patrick Parente of Poppys Handyman Service is handling final restorations.

It has taken a village to get it to this point, and Connor says there are so many to thank. Funding has come from Covington Foundation grants and individual donations. To help finance the last necessary repairs, anyone can purchase a brick to honor a loved one. These will be displayed near the hut. Volunteers will also continue fundraising with an upcoming carnival and future fish fries.

This project has had challenges. Everything was put on hold during the pandemic shutdown. And there was a setback in September 2021 when six juveniles and one adult vandalized the hut multiple times. “The floor was covered with fire-extinguisher remnant, some ceiling was torn down and logs chucked out,” Conner says. The court system is currently addressing this crime. Yet, they’re close to the finish line. It’s been a long time coming, but this historic Davidson treasure will now stand for future generations. “Lingle Hut will be used not only as the church’s social hall but also be made available to the public,” says dedicated volunteer Kurt Naas. “It is a unique opportunity to restore a sense of community and explore history.”

Contact Castella at 704.605.1298; castellaconnor@gmail.com; fundraisingbrick.com/reevestemple/