Mobile Home Sales in Mayesville, SC

The 11-foot, 3-ton statue of the civil rights leader will be the first of its kind in the nation's capitol.

MAYESVILLE, S.C. — Sumter County celebrated one of its own Friday, Mary McLeod Bethune, in the town of Mayesville. Her statue will be the first African American woman to be represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Bethune, the daughter of two freed slaves, is known as a civil rights leader, an education advocate and leader in the Black community. She's often referred to as the "Mother of Struggle".

It’s the first time an African American woman is going to be represented in statue form by the state of Florida in the U.S. Capitol.

Bethune’s statue is making the trip from Florida to Washington D.C., where it will replace a confederate General, representing Florida—where Bethune founded Bethune-Cookman University.

Dozens of locals celebrated the history of a woman whose legacy stands firm in the 11-foot, 3-ton marble statue.

Her legacy can also seen throughout the town where the Mary McLeod Bethune Learning Center and Art Gallery and the Mary McLeod Bethune History Museum is dedicated after her.

Mayesville resident Shameka Benjamin-Hamlin said she's excited for the statue to help educate others on Bethune's legacy. "Everyone else can experience the love and get to know more about Mary McLoed Bethune, as well as learn, if you haven’t learned, to learn more about our hero," said Benjamin-Hamlin.

@Reporter_RRipp and I are here in #Mayesville SC where the statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune is making a stop before it continues its journey to Washington D.C. SC Congressman Jim Clyburn is among the attendees. @WLTX pic.twitter.com/vfdFd8Yl94

— Becky Budds (@BeckyBuddstv) December 17, 2021

South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn was also in attendance. "I think that this statue, the symbolism of it, demonstrates to young people what education can do in one’s life," said Clyburn.

Growing up, civil rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune was one of my mother's greatest heroes.It was an honor to welcome Dr. Bethune's statue to her hometown of Mayesville, SC today as it makes its way to the U.S. Capitol to join the National Statuary Hall Collection. pic.twitter.com/LNy0ujG4uP

— James E. Clyburn (@WhipClyburn) December 17, 2021

President of the Lee County National Council of Negro Women Merdis Bryant said Bethune is a role model at the organization. "We at the Lee County section love her, and we just wanted to be here to recognize and be in the presence of the statue being unveiled of her," said Bryant.

Nine other states are following suit by replacing confederate general statues.

"Having broken through the ceiling, and the fact that Arkansas has now followed suit, Virginia has followed suit," said Clyburn.

”The Nifty Nineteen” was the title organizers gave to representatives from Bertie, Hertford, and Martin counties, Pilot Mountain, Archdale, Carthage, China Grove, East Spencer, Garysburg, Hildabran, Jonesville, Liberty, Mars Hill, Marshville, Mayesville, Rosman, Spruce Pine, Vass, & Wilson’s Mills who participated in the Rural Community Capacity Program.

Photo: N.C. Dept. of Commerce

The Town of Pilot Mountain has been selected as a recipient of a Rural Transformation Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and received $49,999 for professional development and education programs to build local government capacity, specifically developing a cohesive marketing strategy for the town.

Rural Community Capacity Program was one of the grant categories and it provided educational and professional development opportunities for the staff of local governments throughout the summer and fall of 2022. The program allowed the participants to apply what they had learned during the six-month program to develop funding proposals for projects in their local areas.

Upon graduation in October, Jenny Kindy, the Main Street coordinator for the Town of Pilot Mountain, submitted a successful grant application in the Rural Community Capacity category. Gov. Roy Cooper announced in December that 42 local governments in rural areas across the state had been awarded grants from the Rural Transformation Grant Fund, supporting rural economic development projects in North Carolina.

The Rural Transformation Grant Fund provides local governments within Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties with grants and “expert guidance to improve economic vitality and overcome the unique challenges many rural communities face.” As reported, Surry County recently been downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 1, meaning the county has returned to the ranks of counties identified with the greatest opportunity for economic improvement.

Rural Transformation Grants were offered to those counties within four categories: Main Street/downtown revitalization, creating resilient neighborhoods, development of community enhancements to spur economic growth, or with professional development and education programs to build out local government capacity.

Pilot Mountain’s application was found in the final category “The Rural Community Capacity category is a university-based collaborative that will provide educational programming in community level engagement, and targeted training programs that increase local government efficiencies, build capacity, and help position communities for economic growth and prosperity… in rural and distressed communities.”

The proposal from the Town of Pilot Mountain read it part, “The Town of Pilot Mountain seeks to hire and use a consultant/firm to create a marketing plan & strategy for the town. They will produce community branding, including a brand logo or image, and a social media strategy and content samples to attract visitors and tourists to Pilot Mountain.”

“Ultimately, hiring a firm/consultant to assist with developing a brand strategy and marketing strategy will meet these primary goals and objectives: Uniformity, Community Identity/Pride, Community Economic Development Promotion, Flexibility, and Endorsement.”

The goal is to create a message that presents Pilot Mountain as an authentic and forward-looking community. “The brand should convey a unified message and image to audiences that promotes what makes Pilot Mountain distinct and appealing in a regionally competitive environment for investors, businesses, retailers, visitors, and residents.”

The proposal said the message needs to “promote a healthy economy, attract private investment, new residents, and young professionals, and retain critical businesses. A defined message will market the Town of Pilot Mountain locally, statewide, and nationally, as a great place to live, work, play and do business.”

The other categories provided grant support for revitalization projects of Main Street or downtown improvements which, “Are intended to help local governments grow and leverage their Main Street and downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity.”

In supporting resiliency of neighborhoods, the grant sought to focus on affordable permanent housing, small business assistance, nutrition programs, and mixed-use developments. All programs that would “create resilient neighborhoods through community development… and quality of life improvements.”

Spurring economic grown through community enhancement could entail seeking grant funding to secure abandoned properties, demolition, and lot clearing. This could be considered akin to the City of Mount Airy’s efforts to remediate the problems surrounding property blight like the one found along West Pine Street at South Street where there is now a patch of land with lichens spreading and grass popping through where Koozies once sat thanks to Bobby Koehler and his crew.

Kenny Flowers, the Commerce Department’s assistant secretary for rural economic development said when discussing the grant recipients, “These economic development grants will bring new vitality to many rural communities, and I look forward to working with these communities as we work to transform the economy in rural North Carolina.”

A third window for grant applications is expected to open in the spring.

A full list of the projects being awarded funding throughout the state is available at the Department of Commerce website. More information about the Rural Transformation Grant Fund is available at nccommerce.com/transform.

Special to The Sumter Item

Sunday's hymn festival at Mayesville Presbyterian Church will bring back the 19th-century revival practice of tent meetings that proliferated in the western U.S. The church invites the public to join in singing some of the best-known hymns from that era that are still sung today.

The 4 p.m. festival, like the camp meetings of the 1800s, will comprise "fellowship, singing and preaching (as) delivered by traveling evangelists," according to organist and choir director Tammy Williams.

The Rev. Brian Peake will portray evangelist Dwight L. Moody, a popular preacher of the 19th century, and Mayesville Presbyterian deacon Kell Compton will have the part of Ira D. Sankey, Moody's music director. The two published several books of Christian hymns together. They will invite the congregation to sing a variety of hymns sung at the revivals conducted by Moody and other evangelists. These will include "Blessed Assurance," "My Faith Looks Up to Thee," "He Leadeth Me," "Shall We Gather at the River," "Jesus Loves Me" and several more.

Among Sunday's congregants will be several well-known hymn writers portrayed by members of Mayesville Presbyterian, Williams said. They are Angie Bland, Don Bowman, Carol Ann Compton, Rafe Dixon, Denise Josey and Rose Rhodes.

Dr. Don DuBose, also a church member, playing the chairman of a 19th-century town council chairman, will welcome Moody and Sankey to the revival. At the beginning of Sunday's program, Becky Wilson, of both Mayesville Presbyterian and Lynchburg's First Baptist churches, will provide introductory commentary, and dialogue among the characters in the program will add background on the hymns and their writers.

Singing will be led by the Mayesville Presbyterian Church choir, and Peake, pastor of the church for 17 years, will welcome friends and church visitors.

Williams said that "perhaps the most satisfying element of a hymn festival is the occasion to engage in hearty singing with a church full of other hymn lovers. Mayesville's hymn festival promises to provide ample opportunity to do just that."

There is no charge for the 4 p.m. hymn-singing program; however, donations to the church music ministry will be accepted.

Mayesville Presbyterian Church will present its fifth-annual hymn festival at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, in the church's sanctuary. A reception will follow. The church is located at 109 W. Sumter St. in Mayesville.

Nathan Reed (Photo: NCC)

Nathan Reed, cotton producer from Marianna, AR, was re-elected chairman of the American Cotton Producers (ACP) of the National Cotton Council (NCC) for 2023, during the NCC’s recent Annual Meeting.

Reed served in that position in 2022 after serving as an ACP vice chairman, and he has and continues to serve on multiple ACP committees. He also is a NCC director, serves on various NCC committees and task forces, and currently chairs the NCC’s Farm Program & Economic Policy Committee.

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Elected as ACP vice chairmen were Adam Hatley, Mesa, AZ; Doyle Schniers, San Angelo, TX; and Matt Coley, Vienna, GA.

Jon Whatley, Odem, TX, was elected as a producer director representing the Southwest. Re-elected as ACP producer directors were David Dunlow, Gaston, NC (Southeast); Patrick Johnson, Tunica, MS (Mid-South); and Gary Martin, Firebaugh, CA (Far West). Reed also will serve as the ACP’s at-large director.

Serving as ACP state producer chairmen in 2023 will be:

Alabama – Nick McMichen, Centre, and Shep Morris, Sr., Shorter

Arizona – Jerry Rovey and K.C. Gingg, both of Buckeye

Arkansas – Matt Hyneman, Jonesboro

California – Bryan Bone, Bakersfield

Florida – Nick Marshall, Baker

Georgia – Lee Cromley, Brooklet, and Chad Mathis, Jr., Arlington

Kansas – Stuart Briggeman, Pratt, and Dan Metz, Oxford

Louisiana – Heath Herring, St. Joseph, and Jason Condrey, Lake Providence

Mississippi – Ted Kendall, IV, Bolton

Missouri/Illinois – Steve Droke, Hornersville, MO

New Mexico – Dean Calvani, Carlsbad

North Carolina – Brad Warren, Faison, and Kent Smith, Rocky Mount

Oklahoma – Mark Nichols, Altus, and Phil Bohl, Faxon

South Carolina – James Johnson, Mayesville, and Daniel Baxley, Dillon

Tennessee/Kentucky – Jason Luckey, Humboldt, TN, and Bill Walker, Somerville, TN

Texas – Martin Stoerner, Lockney; Richard Gaona, Roby; and Stacy Smith, Wilson

Virginia – J.W. Jones, Windsor.

Based on information provided by the National Cotton Council

The projects are a major step forward for the rural Sumter County town, according to the mayor.

SUMTER, S.C. — After more than a year of work, the day is finally near.

Mayesville's new historic museum featuring a deli, gift shop and health center is almost completed.

Four new apartments are already done.

"Excitement is the least word that we could say," Mayor Jereleen Miller said. "We've been excited since day one just to come up and plan to bring economics to the town of Mayesville, and bring it back to the history that it once was."

The projects are a major step forward for the rural Sumter County town, according to Miller who led the effort.

RELATED: Mayesville festival cancelled another year as virus remains a concern

"The small town such as Maysville, we’re not the only one, we’re starving for economics and the only way we have to bring economics, we have to be creative, think outside of the box," Miller said. "My great aunt Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune said use what you have in your hand…and Maysville has such rich history…That’s what we’re doing, using what we have.”

Dr. Bethune grew up in Mayesville becoming a world-renowned educator and civil rights leader.

RELATED: Remembering Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and civil rights trailblazer

Her story is one of many used in the museum to describe the town that once was and what it hopes to be.

"Tourism is a big market in South Carolina and Mayesville can sit right in the middle of it," Miller said. "It's just the beginning. There are more to come. We just have to work together and make the town great again.”

The projects were funded in part by grants and the Penny for Progress.

The official opening is Friday from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. downtown at 35 N. Main Street.

The following video is from a previous story.