It’s not just a steeple - It’s history.
According to the year posted on the cornerstone, 3501 Tuckaseegee Road in Enderly Park has been home to a church since at least 1955. Now home to Freedom Communities and all that goes on at the Tuck Opportunity Hub, there is still a church worshiping there on Sundays.
Originally built as McQuay Presbyterian Church, the main building included the sanctuary along with a basement with bathrooms and classrooms for children.
The traditional steeple tower and spire clearly indicated to the community that this was a house of worship. Freedom Communities purchased the property in 2019 after the last pastor passed away and the church merged with another congregation.
After learning that the Freedom Drive Corridor was a childcare desert and that many of the local schools’ best readers could be traced back to Bright Future Learning Center, our first initiative was to convert the former Sunday School building into an expansion site for that center owned and operated by long-time community residents, Gloria and Ray Dukes. The Dukes have spent the last 30 years building trust and working with children and families in the neighborhood. We opened in January of 2022 with the capacity to serve over 70 children ages 0-3 years old.
In addition to an expanded site for Bright Future, the church is also home to our Moms Moving Forward (MMF) program, our offices, and community gathering space. The Sanctuary has transformed into a space that’s utilized for a variety of purposes including church on Sundays, MMF Cohort meetings on Monday and Thursday nights, and NA meetings on Saturdays. Other activities such as computer classes, neighborhood meetings, and educational programming take place on an on-going basis.
Soon after occupying the building, we started noticing leaks in the ceiling beneath the steeple tower, especially after a hard rain. In late 2022, a storm damaged the copper cross at the top of the spire, leaving it dangling from the tip. Upon closer inspection by a steeple specialist, it was apparent that the wooden steeple had deteriorated beyond repair and had become a hazard that could fall at any time.
After investigating options including how other churches had addressed similar issues, we determined the most practical and cost-effective solution was to rebuild the steeple tower but eliminate the spire. In keeping the tower, the building remains the tallest structure in the neighborhood, maintaining its legacy and acknowledging the values of the work that happens inside. The original cross will be placed at the top of the Tower in honor of all the congregations that have called 3501 Tuckaseegee Home including G-1 Ministries that worships there today.
While a variety of activities are scheduled every week at the Tuck Hub, one especially exciting event begins in early May when QC Family Tree will display art work from their artists/creative team in the sanctuary. The exhibition will be on display through June and will be open to the entire community to enjoy the paintings and other artistic creations of Helms Jarrell and her team of artists.
The renovation of the new steeple tower and attaching of the old cross at the Tuck Opportunity Hub is scheduled to begin the week of March 20. Feel free to stop by and check out the progress and then remember to come back in May to see the creative displays of QC Family Tree.