BLUEFIELD — More than 100 members of Baptist churches from across Virginia and Tennessee spent part of their summer on the campus of Bluefield College.
The Baptist missionaries with skills from carpentry to cooking worked five weeks in May and June to renovate four cottages on the BC campus to create valuable married student housing.
The cottages–former military houses transferred by train to the BC campus in 1945 as government surplus after World War II–were to be temporary facilities for guests and married students. But, since they have provided essential residential space for student couples for more than 60 years, the college decided to keep the buildings on campus. To do that, the school knew it needed to significantly restore the structures.
Bluefield President David Olive works on one the cottages being renovated by the college.
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“After 60 years of usage,” said BC president, David Olive, “plus knowing our need for the cottages to meet the demand for married student housing for the foreseeable future, we began over a year ago envisioning how we could partner with Virginia Baptists to assist us in getting these much-needed improvements done.”
Bluefield’s own students and staff began the work, installing new windows and doors in preparation for the first mission team’s arrival. That first group from Monte Vista Baptist Church in Maryville, Tenn., the church where Olive grew up, continued the work on the cottage exteriors, installing new vinyl siding.
The latter mission groups from 15 churches across Virginia restored the interiors of the cottages, including flooring, plumbing and electrical. The more than 100 volunteers who committed their time and energy to the project from Virginia Baptist churches came from Atlee Community, Black Creek, Cool Spring, Hillcrest and New Bethesda churches in Mechanicsville; Sharon Church in King William;, Hardy Central and Ridge churches in Richmond; First Church, Honaker; Port Norfolk Church in Portsmouth; Pleasant View Church in Patrick Springs.
Prior to and during the renovation, a number of additional BC supporters stepped forward to offer financial contributions to go along with the “sweat equity.” Among those who purchased or provided significant funds or gifts for construction materials, appliances, meals, and other necessary items were the Cruise Foundation, First Baptist Church of Richmond Foundation, the Dover Baptist Association, and alumnus Leroy Williams of Mechanicsville.
Last year, Fredericksburg Baptist Church began the process of restoring BC’s five cottages with funding to renovate the first of the five.