Merry Oaks Baptist Church is a cornerstone of the small N.C. town along Old U.S. 1 Highway in Chatham County. Its white steeple, erected in 1888, has borne witness to generations of change. But today, its future is uncertain. In March, VinFast LLC, a Vietnamese car manufacturer, announced plans for a $4 billion dollar investment in Chatham County. The project is the second-largest investment in state history and is expected to bring 7,500 jobs to the county. Recent plans from the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) show roadways leading to the new manufacturing facility will pass directly through Merry Oaks, displacing 27 homes, five businesses and one church: Merry Oaks Baptist.
Sharron Bouquin, 60, is leading the effort to preserve the church’s history. She pointed to the NCDOT plans, which show a 6-lane road replacing the church. “We’re not trying to fight VinFast as much as the impact,” she said. “For the majority of the people, this is home,” Sharron continued. “And they’re losing their home.”
The church is the last pillar of a community once touted as the next big thing in the state. A century ago, Merry Oaks sported a dance hall, train station and the first school in the county. “When the new US Highway 1 came through [in the 1950s], they needed 25 acres of our land,” Faye Crutchfield, 82, who was born in Merry Oaks, said. “That took all of the stores, the houses, everything. There was not much left.” By 1966, when The Raleigh News & Observer ran a three-part series on the town’s history, Merry Oaks was on the decline. “Somewhere along the line, in its struggle to keep up with the progress, it was simply bypassed in favor of more adaptable locations,” the article reads. “Merry Oaks is a town that was.”
Six community members recalled generations of change in Merry Oaks through oral history interviews. From top left:
Katherine Holden, 86, was born in Merry Oaks and has lived all but 12 years of her life in the town. She is a regular at the church’s services.
Kay Hinsley, 68, has lived her whole life in Merry Oaks and attended the church for many years. NCDOT plans show roads to VinFast will cut through her front yard.
Faye Crutchfield, 82, was born in Merry Oaks and spent the first 17 years of her life in the town. Her father was one of the town’s main employers through his various business ventures. She moved back to the area a year ago.
Karen Holden, 60, was born down the road from Merry Oaks and has spent her whole life coming to the church. She met her husband, Jerry, in the church’s youth group. Today, she plays piano and sings each week at the church’s services.
Sharron Bouquin, 60, Katherine Holden’s daughter, was born and grew up in Merry Oaks. Today, she regularly attends church services.
Jerry Holden, 70, was born in Merry Oaks and has attended the church his whole life. He met his wife Karen Holden through the church, and today has taken on the job of caring for the church’s property.
In October, Merry Oaks Baptist Church held its annual Homecoming service. Generations of members returned to worship together and share in fellowship after the service. Katherine recalls growing up that more than 50 people showed up to church every Sunday. “The church would be packed,” Katherine said. “You’d have Bible school, and the choir was filled and there were kids everywhere.” Today, the church’s regular attendees have dwindled.
Luncheons are a regular occurrence following Merry Oaks’ Sunday services. Food is a symbol of community and an important part of the Christian theology. The breaking of bread, which Jesus and his disciples shared, is now a symbol of fellowship. The regular meals congregation members at Merry Oaks share together after services represents the strong bond they have with one another.
For the 100 year anniversary of Merry Oaks Baptist Church in 1988, each family in the congregation sewed a quilt square. The result is a visual record of the community’s history. The quilt now hangs in the fellowship hall as a reminder of the bonds between generations.
Sharron placed a bouquet of flowers on the gravestone of her grandparents at Merry Oaks Cemetery. Sharron is the third generation in her family to call Merry Oaks home. NCDOT plans show a 12x12 tunnel will replace the current entry and exit to the cemetery, with a raised six-lane road adjacent to the gravesites. “If you start looking at what [the plans] mean,” Sharron said. “The thought of this, and then a short distance, [a six-lane road] in the sky? We stand here and we watch a beautiful sunset. You’re gonna see a [six-lane road].”
After services on Wednesday evenings, Jerry shuts the doors and locks up the church. “We’re gonna act like we aren’t going anywhere,” Jerry said. “I’ve had people in the community tell me — who have seen me down here cleaning up — ‘You’re wasting your time. It’s gonna be torn down.’ I say, ‘Have they told you that?’ ‘Oh yeah, I know that,’ they say. ‘Well, they haven’t told us that,’ I say.”