A HISTORY OF THE BELFRY PROJECT
by
Gerald W.  Walton

In 1867, the widow of William Stearns, who had been a professor of law at the University of Mississippi, deeded some land to Harrison Stearns, who had been one of William Stearns servants. Harrison Stearns, one of three freedmen to serve as Oxford City aldermen in 1870-71, then conveyed a portion of the land to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oxford. The Burns Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1870. A white frame building with a light blue ceiling was constructed. Several white citizens contributed to the building of this church for the African American community, which was constructed on the edge of Freedmen Town. (Both Freedmen Town and the Burns Church building have historical markers.)

By 1910 it was clear that the congregation needed a bigger and better church, and African American community leaders started a fund-raising effort. Many church members mortgaged their homes in order to finance the new brick building; men donated their time and hauled materials, made mortar, carried brick, and assisted in construction; women delivered baskets of food to the workers. Pews from the original church were used in the new brick structure, and the church bell was put in the belfry.

The new building, which was built for about $3,000, was heated by two large pot-bellied stoves, one on each side of the sanctuary. A foot-pedaled organ provided music. Brass kerosene lamps, hung on chains from the ceiling, provided light; a janitor cleaned the chimneys and filled the lamps weekly. Electricity was added in 1914.

The men’s Amen Corner was on the west side of the sanctuary; the east side was for the ladies of the congregation. The church served a social purpose as well. Box suppers, feasts in the wilderness, and church plays were held in the church building. The Burns Church then played a major role in the lives of many African Americans in Oxford from 1910 until 1974.

A local attorney and businessman purchased the building from the Burns Church Congregation in 1978. The couple who purchased the building from him gave it the name The Belfry and saved it from the wrecker’s ball. At that time the church parsonage was adjacent to the church building on what is now the parking lot. In order to have parking space for the occupants of the offices that would be housed in the old church building the couple moved the parsonage to their farm; it is still there. A weather vane once atop the belfry has been removed. The original bell that was in the bell tower was removed by the Burns congregation and taken to their new church. Original stained glass windows have been broken and have been replaced. A few of the old pews were salvaged, some of which are now in the new Burns Methodist Church. The owners lowered the original floor in order to accommodate a second story and changed the original church entrance somewhat.

The building has been vacant recently. For several years members of the Oxford Development Association have been hoping that they might be allowed to use the building. The Oxford Development Association is composed of local African Americans. The purpose of their organization is to promote and advance the general health, education, welfare and economic development of the poor community through charitable and civic means.

Author John Grisham was the last owner of the building. The building itself is valuable, and the land is perhaps even more valuable. A number of real estate agents and business entrepreneurs wanted to purchase the property. A new office building was recently built next to the church. Members of the Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation, working closely with the Oxford Development Association, asked Mr. Grisham to deed the building to the Heritage Foundation, with a clear understanding about its proposed use by the ODA. Mr. Grisham responded that he preferred “to give the building to some organization that will preserve it, rather than selling it to someone who will destroy it” and deeded the building to the Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation.

The architectural significance of the Burns Church building can be seen in this description of the building:

As the above paragraphs make clear, the Burns Church building is an extremely valuable part of the history of Oxford and the surrounding area. It was a most important part in the lives of numerous African Americans for well over half of the twentieth century. Our goal (our reason for undertaking this major project) is  to preserve the current building in its current location and to restore it so that it can be continue to play that role and, further, to provide historical documentation about the lives of the African American community.

The photographs and comments in this application may not adequately demonstrate the building's state of deterioration. The brick veneer is not adequately tied to the wood stud framing behind it, allowing it to move laterally and separate from the substrate. The wood studs are rotting from the bottom up, and moisture penetrating the wall assembly has attacked the interior gypsum board finishes, which were installed in a 1978 renovation, which saw the insertion of a second floor and a host of other ill-advised alterations. The roofing has deteriorated and the roof rafters are fatigued, requiring temporary shoring, and permanent reinforcement. The  exterior building envelope requires complete restoration; all building systems (plumbing, HVAC, electrical) will be replaced; and the interior finishes will be completely renovated.

When the building is restored, however, it will be an ideal--and certainly  most appropriate--home for the Oxford Development Association.Roughly two-thirds of the building will be open space for meetings, the area of the previous sanctuary.  The meeting room would be used for ODA's annual programs, Heritage Commemoration programs, etc. That space could also be used as a meeting place for non-profit organizations, church groups, and civic clubs, in some cases assessing a use fee in order to provide income to offset operating expenses for the building.

A major portion of the remaining space will be used as a museum/library. That space will contain meaningful artifacts useful for local students and other citizens who are interested in the history of the area and state and will be especially important for scholars wishing information about the African American community. Rotating displays will be assembled and made appropriate for tour groups.

The renovated structure will provide rooms for housing the important historical papers and current documents of the Oxford Development Association. Publications such as the monthly Soul Force will be kept on file. The building will also have a kitchen and restrooms.

We are most grateful that we received $100,000 in Round 2 of the Community Heritage Preservation Grant Program. We immediately began raising funds for the required match and are pleased that we have received over $20,000 in that effort. We are thankful that the funding received will allow the necessary first steps of stabilization. A building committee has been formed, and members are working with the architect, who is in the process of planning stabilization work in early 2004.  The City of Oxford, aware of the significance of the project provided free utilities so we can have water and electricity in the building. To date we have done some clean-up work and have taken steps to prevent water damage and need to begin major stabilization work very soon. Given the precarious condition of the building, nothing short of restoring it to a fully usable condition so that it can be beneficially occupied and maintained will guarantee its stability and ultimate preservation. We will definitely continue our fund-raising efforts, but many of the persons most interested in restoring the building do not have funds to contribute; thus we must rely on funding of the type provided by the state.

In the year 2000, the Mississippi Heritage Trust listed the City of Oxford as one of Mississippi’s Ten Most Endangered Places. The MHT booklet reported that

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