A church that practices and preaches racial equality and acceptance sits on land with a...
Robert Gray, a lawyer that Ehrenpreis described as “the wealthiest man in the county,” built Hilltop Farm. The Gray family, who actively supported the Union during the Civil War, owned as many as 17 slaves.
Hilltop Farm, 1867
Formerly enslaved African-Americans from Rockingham and the surrounding counties gathered together and formed the community of Newtown, which stood on land formerly a part of Hilltop Farm.
Newtown, 1867
The Hilltop farm house burned down. Five men purchased three lots of the estate at the price of $250 a piece to establish Newtown Cemetery. The cemetery still stands today.
While Newtown maintained its identity as primarily African-American community throughout the next 80 years, the community endured a hard hit during the 1950s and 1960s.
Urban renewal, which was championed with the mantra “replace the old, guard the new,” resulted in the destruction of more than 150 houses and other important cultural and historical buildings. The owners and occupants were almost exclusively African-Americans living in the Newtown area.
Making it New from Caleb Ayers on Vimeo.
“Urban renewal robbed them of their homes, their churches, and their businesses, and, destroyed their community in a particularly violent way.” –David Ehrenpreis
Just a few blocks from where Immanuel stands today, the city destroyed the building for First Baptist Church, a primarily African-American congregation. The church rebuilt elsewhere in the community, but they lost their building—and a piece of their history—without their consent.
(See below)
First Baptist Church, 1962—{2}
Former First Baptist Church, 2015—{1}
Segregation laws prohibited African-Americans from visiting the lone local pool. The Newtown community built their own — Harris pool. It sat cattycorner from the Newtown Cemetery, on land that was once part of the Gray plantation.
Harris Pool
With desegregation firmly established, the city of Harrisonburg decided they didn’t need two pools. They closed the Newtown pool, leaving an empty lot for a decade.
After the population of foreign-born residents staying around 1 percent throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, immigration in Harrisonburg sees a major upswing during this time. Factors such as economic depressions, conflicts and wars led more immigrants to Harrisonburg, while policy changes and new organizations made it easier for them to integrate into the community.
The founders of Immanuel Mennonite Church chose Newtown with the goal of making a tangible impact in the community.
A group of people left Broad Street Mennonite Church because of irreparable differences in beliefs about Jesus.
The group adopted the name Immanuel Mennonite Church.
After conducting services in a local high school, Immanuel purchased the land that used to be Harris Pool, where a few members had been coming during lunch to pray.
Construction began on the church and an affordable child care center to service the neighborhood and surrounding community.
The first service was held in the church.
Roberta Webb Child Care Center opened.
Basil Marin became the pastor. In the next 12 years, Marin led the church through a period where diversity and attendance flourished.
News article published on September 16, 1995 by the Daily News Record announcing the beginning of Basil Marin’s tenure with the church.
Marin completed his time as pastor, and Immanuel began a part-time pastor model. Over the next eight years, the church hosted five different pastors and pastoral teams.
The church established their Kid’s Club ministry, which brings neighborhood kids in for food, games, and Bible lessons.
"It’s a real privilege to be known and trusted.” –Matthew Bucher
“[The sign] fits so well with this church because the church has been working at this for twenty-five years.” —Matthew Bucher.
Matthew Bucher became the church’s pastor after roughly two years as an intern.
Bucher comes up with the idea to put up a welcoming, multi-lingual sign, which has since turned into a national movement.
Melissa Howard, a regular attendee at Immanuel who has artwork around the community, completed the original sign that now stands outside the church.
After deciding to spread the message in the community, the first batch of yard signs are given away.
They sold over 200 signs at the annual Mennonite Relief Sale, with some of those going to out-of-town customers.
As of the 2017 census data, 16.6 percent of Harrisonburg’s population is foreign-born, a stark contrast to the 1 percent during the 1960s.