Featured Project · National Historic Registry
Harshaw Chapel Restoration — Murphy, North Carolina
A 150+ year old chapel on the National Historic Registry: original roof system removed, original timbers salvaged, new roof installed, steeple rebuilt, and the bell re-hung.
- Client
- First UMC, Murphy, NC
- Building age
- 150+ years
- Designation
- National Historic Registry
- Scope
- Roof, timbers, steeple, bell
The building
Harshaw Chapel has stood in Murphy for more than a century and a half. It is listed on the National Historic Registry, which means it isn't simply an old building — it's a protected piece of Cherokee County's history, and the way work is carried out on it matters as much as the finished result.
The challenge
The original roof system had reached the end of its life. Replacing it meant opening up a 150-year-old structure without damaging what was underneath, preserving the original timbers the church wanted to keep, and rebuilding a steeple that defines the chapel's silhouette — all with the restraint a historic structure requires.
The result
A weather-tight new roof, salvaged original timbers back in the church's hands, a rebuilt steeple, and the bell hanging and ringing again. It is the clearest possible demonstration of what W's AllWorks does: precision work, done on site, on a building where there is no margin for guessing.
How the restoration was carried out
- 01
Assessment
Understanding a 150+ year old structure before touching it — what carries load, what can be saved, and what the Registry listing demands.
- 02
Original roof system removed
The chapel's original roof system was carefully taken down rather than demolished, protecting the structure and the interior below.
- 03
Timbers salvaged
W's AllWorks helped the church salvage the original timbers — material that simply cannot be replaced or repurchased.
- 04
New roof installed
A new roof was installed over the historic structure, weather-tight and built to last another lifetime.
- 05
Steeple rebuilt
The steeple was rebuilt — the most visible element of the building and the least forgiving to get wrong.
- 06
Bell re-hung
The chapel bell was re-hung, returning the building to the community exactly as it should be.