1922 Bronze Monument to "Faithful Slaves" at Hawfields Presbyterian Church

In 1922, Hawfield's Church in Mebane, North Carolina dedicated three bronze tablets during their annual homecoming gathering. Thousands of people were reported to have attended the unveiling of these monuments which memorialized former pastors, church founders, and enslaved persons buried in the church's cemetery. The first two tablets were inscribed with the names of the honorees. The only name that appears on the tablet for the enslaved was Stephen Alexander White, whose family presented the tablets. This monument was part of a larger movement by white Southerners who wished to vindicate the antebellum South by minimizing the horrors of slavery, and in this case, suggesting that "faithful slaves" were valued members of families and churches who accepted their "place" and the racial hierarchy of the Old South.

The Hawfields community was known as the "Haw Old Fields" when the first European Explorers visited the area. The Church was reportedly organized in 1755, although some sources suggest an earlier date. The original church was a log structure located just over three miles from the present church. In 1780 the church moved to an area on the edge of the current cemetery. The 1780 structure is believed to have included a separate section for enslaved African Americans to sit. In 1852, the construction of a third church began where the current church stands. A separate entrance was built for the enslaved members who numbered fifty at that time. The children of Stephn A. White offered the church $10,000 to add on to the church.

The dedication of the bronze tablets was covered by several newspapers who each offered widely differing coverage. Some of the language used in the newspapers has been omitted here due to its offensive nature, but the sources section of this entry offers links for those who wish to experience language that was considered acceptable by most white residents during the 1920s. At the dedication, a paper was read written by Stephen Alexander White titled "Slavery in the Hawfields." The paper has since been lost. The names of the enslaved persons are not inscribed on their monument. However, the name of at least one enslaved person was revealed in an article. The tablet to the enslaved members of the church was unveiled by James Scott Albright, son of John White who was owned by Stephen White. Albright is alternatively listed as "Master" James Scott Albright.

The church appears to have had a connection to slavery extending far into European-American history. The church's first pastor Henry Pattillo wrote in his will that he intended for his "Negro Peter' to pass into his son John Patillo's ownership. Pastor Patillo issued the caveat that since Peter was purchased with money from friends, should they request their money, Peter was to be sold. W.A. Scott was an enslaved African American who attended Hawfields. Scott founded a church just north of Hawfields during the last rear of the American Civil War in an area that would become the community of Mebanesville, and then the City of Mebane. One newspaper article reported that the family of Stephen Alexander White decided to create the "Faithful Slave" monument because of White's long-standing concern for enslaved persons and their free descendants.

Hawfields Presbyterian Church Slave Monument, Commemorative Landscapes. Accessed May 14th 2021. https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/245/.

The Second Hawfields Burying Ground: 1783-1975. Mebane, North Carolina.

Scott, Elizabeth . historical Sketch of Hawfields Presbyterian Church. Unknown, 1940.

Turner, Herbert Snipes. Church in the Old Fields: Presbyterian Church and Community in North Carolina. Chapel Hill, North Carolina. University of North Carolina Press, 1962.

Lawson, John. A New Voyage to Carolina. London, England. Unknown, 1709.

Historic African American Church to Celebrate 150th year, The Times News. September 23rd 2014. Accessed May 14th 2021. https://www.thetimesnews.com/article/20140923/News/309239803.

Holloway, Kali. 'Loyal Slave' Monument Tells A Racist Lie About American History, The Nation. March 25th 2019. Accessed May 14th 2021. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/loyal-slave-confederate-monuments-civil-war-slavery/.

"Annual Home-Coming Services at Hawfields Church Today." Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro) June 4th 1922. , 22-22.

"Hawfields Home-Coming and Dedication Services, June 4th." The Alamance Gleaner (Graham) May 25th 1922. , 5-5.

"Home-Coming Day at Hawfields Church." The Twin City Sentinel (Winston Salem) June 5th 1922. , 8-8.

MacNeill, Ben Dixon. "Unveil Memorial Tablets at Hiostric Old Church." The News and Observer (Raleigh) June 5th 1922. , 1-8.