Glendale Springs
Home of the Holy Trinity Church of the Fresco

April, 2008

All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2008
All Rights Reserved
See links to article references at the end of the article.

"In the late 1800’s Episcopal missionaries came to this region of the Blue Ridge Mountains to provide schooling and medical help for the people living there. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church was built in Glendale Springs in 1901 and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was built in 1905 in West Jefferson. Rev. Faulton Hodge became priest-in-charge at St. Mary’s in 1972. Not only did Father Hodge bring new life to this small church, but his interest in art would also lead to a meeting with Ben Long and to the frescoes."
(www.ecva.com - Episcopal Church Visual Arts - see link below)

Recommended Reading : "Wet-Wall Tattoos: Ben Long and the Art of Fresco " by Richard Maschal

Click on the image at right to learn more . . .
"From Library Journal
This slender volume weaves two narrative threads--the life of artist Ben Long and the making of a huge fresco on the altar wall of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Maschal, a journalist for the Charlotte Observer , employs strong narrative and detailed anecdotes to describe the two-year project and its colorful protagonists. Conflict soon erupted between Long and the priest at St. Peter's, recalling the battle of wills between their more famous prototypes, Michelangelo and Pope Julius II. A former Marine combat artist, Long emerges as a complex and highly talented man committed to his vision and artistic beliefs. Recommended beyond regional collections for its vivid descriptions of a contemporary religious commission and Long's buon fresco technique.
- Russell T. Clement, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, Ut.     - Book Description from Amazon.com

The Holy Trinity Church of the Fresco is in Glendale Springs, North Carolina. This small town is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 259 and is an easy drive from Boone.

Ben Long is a North Carolina artist who apprenticed in Italy to learn the art of buon fresco. He became a master of this technique. When he came home to the U.S. he wanted to bring his fresco painting technique to this country. He was introduced to Father Hodge and offered to paint a fresco as a gift. Father Hodge is reputed to have accepted without knowing what a fresco was.

Buon fresco is the art of painting on wet plaster.The paint is absorbed into the plaster and becomes a part of the wall. This is an old technique practiced by many painting masters in Italy.

What is a fresco? "Fresco (plural either frescos or frescoes) is any of several related painting types, done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco which derives from the adjective fresco ("fresh"), which has Germanic origins."
    ~ Wikipedia.com (see link below)

The Holy Trinity Church was built in 1901 and was served primarily by clergy from Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Much of the local work was done by women, including Jenny Fields, who arrived when the Mission House was built in 1913. She was a trained midwife who also taught Sunday School.

The Church was officially closed in 1946 and not used again until 1980.

In 1971, J. Faulton Hodge was sent to Ashe County for the summer. He later returned as Priest-in-Charge. He had an interest in art and met Ben Long and the revival of The Holy Trinity Church began.

The Church is open daily. To learn more call (226) 982-3076 or visit their website at ChurchOfTheFrescoes.com