“In every town across Eastern North Carolina, the heart of the place stays the same — whether the tourists are here or gone. That steady, everyday heartbeat is what the Invasion Series is here to show.”
Arapahoe’s Invasion
Arapahoe, NC, settled around 1703 near New Bern, began as "Bethany Crossroads" on an old Indian trail, with its post office established in 1886 and official town incorporation in 1920; its name came from a local man's horse, not the Native American tribe, despite the name's association with Plains tribes, making it a quiet, rural community known for its connection to the Neuse River and its laid-back coastal lifestyle today.
I randomly select towns across Eastern NC to invade. No not like that, just with my camera and lens. My eye looks for the things that build the heart and soul of a downtown area. My hopes are to bring attention to these towns and remind people of where these towns once stood tall and with pride. The history that lives in the streets and in the brick and mortar of every town.
-Jeff
Araphoe Free Will Baptist Church
Masonic Lodge
Original Fire Department
Bethany Christian Church
Bethany Christian Church
Bethany Christian Church
The Original Methodist Church
Arapahoe Post Office
Dollar General but once lived First Citizens Bank
A two-story wooden house with an American flag and a black, red, and yellow flag hanging from the front. There is a large tree next to the house with a swing set and various tools and containers scattered around.
A rustic wooden building with weathered horizontal planks, multiple windows, and a small porch. There are American flags and various construction or maintenance items outside.
An old, weathered brick building with boarded-up windows and a wooden door, under a twilight sky with leafless trees in the background. The Mill Creek logo is visible in the lower left corner.
The CrossRoads
Part of Bethany Christian Church but was moved here and was the original Belangia's Store or Mr. Elmo's
Arapahoe Elementary School & Gym
Arapahoe Elementary School K-8
Diversified Auto but was originally Bert Price's Garage
Arapahoe Town Hall
Belangia's Grocery/Clover Farm