Old paint chips fly in the air then fall to the ground, as
the eight man crew blast the building with high pressure hoses. A ring of soggy
paint chips encircles the church as the crew prepares it for an overdue coat of
paint. The church is Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church, the oldest building in
America’s first chartered African American town, Princeville, North Carolina.
Retired U.S. Army 1st SGT Michael D. Bennett
hired the crew of professional painters to paint the church because “I’m tired
of Princeville looking like this.” He told Associated Press reporter Calvin
Adkins “I used to walk pass this church as a little boy. I was scared because
it seems like that statue was staring at me.” That statue of the church’s
founder, Abraham Wooten has sat on the porch of Mt. Zion since 1896.
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| The old town hall was renovated and turned into an African American cultural museum in 2009. The building was originally built as a school for black children in the late 1800s. |
Princeville has had its share of misfortune. On September 5,
1999, hurricane Dennis dropped 16 inches of rain on the town. Ten days later, on
September 16th hurricane Floyd dropped another 12 to 20 inches of
rain on the town. The waters of the Tar River rose and rose until the banks of
the river could contain it no more. The water topped the levies and rushed
through the streets of Princeville, destroying more than 700 homes. Photos of
caskets floating down the streets of Princeville appeared in newspapers and on
television broadcast across the United States. With the help of the federal
government, state government, and donations from celebrities like musical artist
Prince, the residents rebuilt.
On July 30, 2012 North Carolina’s Local Government
Commission took control of Princeville’s financial books because the town was
close to defaulting on its debt. To help pay down the town’s debt the
commission is collecting unpaid taxes and overdue utility bills, paying the
town’s day-to-day bills, and reducing town operations. The commission has not
said when they will return fiscal control back to the town. When the commission
impounded the books the first time, in 1997, it was almost a year before they
gave fiscal control back to town officials.
1st SGT Bennett also hired a crew to remove the
dirt and over grown grass from the sidewalks of two blocks of Church Street;
the street where he grew up. Bennett renovated two buildings on Mutual Blvd,
where he plans to open a used car dealership. He also purchased another 11 acre
lot in town. Bennett said “I could have started my business anywhere I wanted
to, but I chose Princeville because this is my hometown and it is very near and
dear to my heart, I want to give back to the town that gave so much to me.”
“… I believe I owe Princeville.”
