More on TrueVine ‘MudHole’ Baptist Church and efforts to preserve Its dignity.
Letter to Mr. Gene Taylor-Alawest, LLC
On August 9, 2009 we sent a letter to Mr. Gene Taylor, the owner of Alawest. To date, November 8, 2009, we have not heard from Mr. Taylor or any other persons associated with Alawest, LLC.
The following is an exact copy of the correspondence that was sent.
August 9, 2009
Mr. Gene Taylor -
6801 McFarland Blvd. West
PO Box 412
Northport, AL 35476
Dear Mr. Taylor,
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Terri Stalker. I am the treasurer/asst secretary of the Coalwood WV Historical Society. We are officially recognized as a 501C3 nonprofit corporation. I am writing, as a spokesperson for our group, with hopes of forming an effective correlation with you.
McDowell County is a very distressed area, which is a known fact. Certain “pockets” of the county have people that devote themselves to the betterment of their community. Coalwood is in need of advocates for this purpose and our organization is willing to take on the challenge. We have discussed at length the needs of the community and the improved quality of life some of these simple needs could fulfill. We are hoping you will take a moment to listen, contemplate, and then respond to our requests.
We are aware various persons have approached you pertaining to certain real properties in Coalwood. Our group is also contacting you with this in mind. The property we’d like to inquire about is the True Vine Baptist Church in Mud Hole. The church sits vacant, in a declining state, imminent of death, like so many of the other buildings there. The pews, light fixtures and other inside amenities have been stripped. There are four broken
windows and a roof leak that needs repair. The building was erected in 1903 as one of the first colored churches in the state. What a shame we’ve allowed this situation to occur. Our organization would like to rescue this property. What a perfect opportunity to turn nothing into something. With this in mind, we seek your assistance.
The Coalwood Historical Society would like to be recognized as successors of the church and turn it into a Community and Youth Center. The building could house a library lending center, community gathering area, and youth educational and environmental awareness center. This could become the opportunity so many in Coalwood have never had. We are confident we can foster educational awareness and community involvement from such a place. Our organization is willing to take on the expense of repairing the building and maintaining it. We are certain the Coalwood community locally and nationally will back us in this endeavor and make it materialize.
The Coalwood Historical Society would like to be recognized as successors of the church and turn it into a Community and Youth Center. The building could house a library lending center, community gathering area, and youth educational and environmental awareness center. This could become the opportunity so many in Coalwood have never had. We are confident we can foster educational awareness and community involvement from such a place. Our organization is willing to take on the expense of repairing the building and maintaining it. We are certain the Coalwood community locally and nationally will back us in this endeavor and make it materialize.
With a copy of the original dated 1956 deed in hand, we’ve come to this conclusion; nobody may really know who owns the church. It could be a costly endeavor to commence an official search, which we are hoping to avoid. We’d like for you to recognize us as successors to the original grantees on the deed, allowing us to carry out the above mentioned plans, leaving the original filed deed and its stipulations in place.
We’d like to have the opportunity to discuss this matter with you. We truly believe something good can become of this and look forward to developing a mutual working relationship with you.
Sincerely,
Terri Stalker, Board of Directors
Coalwood WV Historical Society, Inc.
