Escapees May-June 2023

that we could see. The frescoes are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. From these two towns in the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway, we began our travels to the other six locales. One of the more interesting “viewings” was in the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium build ing. “The Muses and the Sacred Dance” is on the ceiling in the lobby with carpeting on the fl oor where visitors may lie to study it. We ended our tour in Charlotte, where the St. Peter’s Catholic Church had one of Long’s earlier frescoes until 2002 when vibrations from construction next door caused its collapse. Two years later the church settled for $950,000 in damages. There now are four frescoes in Charlotte, three secular and one religious. Some of the locations have brochures to explain their fresco. Sometimes we had to ask for one and other times they were present to take. At a few places there was merely a plaque with the title, date that the frescowas fi nished along with Benjamin Long’s name, while other plaques included a bit of information about the fresco. If we had more time, we would have enjoyed site-seeing in several of the towns and cities where the frescos are located. The hours to see the artwork are different at each location and were not always as posted on websites, so we called each place to fi nd out when we could visit. Our truck camper is 21-feet long, so we had no trouble fi nding a place to park for each location. If you are much longer, it would be best to take your “toad.” In Charlotte, we were able to park across the street from the First Presbyterian Church, at the church parking lot, and then walk to the other three locations. Call the church (704-332-5123) to fi nd out if the parking lot is available when you want to go.

Benjamin Long Fresco Locations in North Carolina

ESCAPEES RV CLUB RACCOON VALLEY RV PARK HEISKELL, TENNESSEE • SEE PAGE 80 FOR PARK DETAILS

WestJe ff erson MARY GREAT WITH CHILD (1974) JOHN THE BAPTIST (1976) THE MYSTERY OF FAITH (1977) St. Mary’s Episcopal Church 400 Beaver Creek School Road 336-982-3076, (Open 24/7) Glendale Springs THE LAST SUPPER (1980) Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 120 Glendale School Road 336-982-3076, (Open 24/7) Wilkesboro ST. PAUL’S CONVERSION (2002) ST. PAUL WRITING HIS EPISTLES. (2002) St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the commons area 200 West Cowles Street 336-667-4231 Mon.—Fri. 10 am to 4:00 pm Crossnore SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN E.H. Sloop Chapel at The Crossnore School 100 DAR Drive 828-733-4305 Mon.–Sat. 9:00 am–4:30 pm (unless a wedding is scheduled there) Montreat THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON (1998)

Morganton SACRED DANCES ON THE CEILING (2004) City of Morganton Auditorium 401 South College Street 828-438-5294 or 800-939-7469 Mon—Fri 12:00–5:00 pm Statesville IMAGES AT THE CROSSROADS (2002) Statesville Civic Center 300 South Center Street 704-878-3493 Mon.—Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Charlotte THE GOOD SAMARITAN (2001) First Presbyterian Church 200 W Trade St. 704-332-5123 UNTITLED (1996) (Depicts the various roles police o ffi cers play) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Law Enforcement Center 601 East Trade Street 704-336-7600 Mon—Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CONTINUUM: THE CONTINUOUS NATURE OF LIFE, FROM BIRTH TO DEATH, DESTRUCTION TO REBIRTH (1998) Transamerica Square – Look up at the dome in the archway 8723 Cameron Blvd. 704-388-8230 UNTITLED SPACE IN THREE PANELS: MAKING/ BUILDING, CHAOS/CREATIVITY, AND PLANNING/ KNOWLEDGE (1992) Bank of America Corporate Center 100 South Tryon Street 704-386-2424

JOYCE and her husband, Larry, retired in 2001 and sold their house in Pittsford, New York. They have spent the last 21 years traveling in an RV or enjoying their family cottage on Lake Hortonia, Vermont. In 2013, they shipped a camper to keep in Amsterdam for exploring

Chapel of the Prodigal at Montreat College 358 Texas Rd 828-669-8012 ext.3820

Europe. In 2018 they shipped it to South America and traveled from Cartagena, Colombia, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Joyce enjoys sharing their travels through her writing and photography.

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May/June 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine