Feast raises money to restore historic Luray church

By KALEY CONNER

kconner@dailynews.net

LURAY -- The nearly 100 people who gathered in the community's aptly named "Old Stone Church" were shown first-hand just how good small-town life can be Friday night.

First, they were treated to a feast, comprised of locally raised meat and vegetables, and homemade dishes. They then sat back to enjoy the talent of local musician Sara Hocking.

"Everyone should realize what good things there are so close," said Doris Johnson, a Luray resident who helped organize the event.

The community's first "Home-Grown Talent and Home-Grown Feast" was the latest fundraiser for the Luray Historical Society. The group has been working to restore the historic church, which is estimated to be about 125 years old. Volunteers currently are working to renovate the basement.

To date, the roof has been re-pointed, the upstairs floor has been refurbished, and a new staircase and restrooms have been built.

There once were plans to turn the building into a museum, but the community soon realized it was better suited for a meeting place, Johnson said.

Well-known for its acoustics, the church has been the site of many concerts over the years, including an annual madrigal dinner.

Air-conditioning, however, has not yet been installed, making for a hot evening Friday. But the most sweat was shed in preparing the feast.

Preparations began early last week, with several local farmers also providing the fruits of their labor. Among them was Linda Madzey, who provided cucumbers, onions, peppers and squash from her farm outside of Luray.

"We usually give a lot of them away because we can't eat as many as there are, so this worked out great," Madzey said with a chuckle.

Other donors included Wolf Creek Angus and Hoot Owl Farms.

Outside, David Lehmann, a Hays resident who grew up in Luray, worked to barbecue meat for pulled-beef sandwiches. Even the commercial-scale smoker he operated was locally made -- Lehmann assembled the machine himself.

"This is the first time I've done pulled-beef," Lehmann said. "I did some experimenting."

The meal was topped off with brownies and homemade ice cream, then attendees settled in to enjoy Hocking's performance. The singer and songwriter now teaches music education in Minneapolis, Kan., but was thankful for the opportunity to perform at home.

"There's people who have seen me grow up and have known me my whole life," Hocking said. "And (it's fun) to kind of come back and give back what they helped create."