“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.”
Church Invasion
Churches have been central to rural communities for generations not just as places of worship, but as gathering points, landmarks, and anchors of daily life. In many small towns, they served the role downtowns play elsewhere. The Church Invasion gallery looks at these structures as part of the larger story of place, community, and continuity.
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
Bethany Christian Church
Bethany Christian Church
Bethany Christian Church
A brick church with a tall steeple surrounded by large trees with moss hanging from their branches, and decorated with a Christmas wreath on the entrance.
Night view of a brick church illuminated by bright outdoor lights, with stairs leading up to the entrance and trees on either side, against a dark sky.
Stained glass window with religious figures and a red cross on brick wall.
Red brick building decorated with two Christmas wreaths on the white door, outdoor stairs, and trees at night.
Nighttime view of a brick church with a large illuminated cross above the doorway, decorated with Christmas wreaths, and surrounded by trees and a lit pathway.
Bright red church doors decorated with two Christmas wreaths and a large wooden cross mounted on the brick facade above the entrance at night.
Nighttime view of a brick church with a tall steeple and an American flag in front. The church has a covered porch with stairs, illuminated by exterior lights. There is a sign in front of the church displaying service times and activities. The night sky is clear, showing stars, with bright streetlights and trees surrounding the building.
Front porch of Baybore Missionary Baptist Church decorated with Christmas wreaths and potted Evergreens.
Night view of a red brick church with a tall steeple and illuminated windows, decorated with a holiday wreath on the door, surrounded by leafless trees.
Nighttime view of the brick exterior of a church, with decorated doors and stained glass windows, adorned with Christmas wreaths.
Night view of a white wooden church with tall steeple and cross, illuminated by exterior lighting, surrounded by trees and a landscaped garden
Front porch of a house decorated with holiday wreaths and red bows on the door, with a brass bell hanging on the side, black wrought iron railing, and yellow siding under a large roof.
A white church with a tall steeple illuminated at night, featuring stained glass windows and a historic Christian nativity scene with crosses in front.
A white church building with a tall steeple, decorated with red wreaths, illuminated at night, surrounded by leafless trees and outdoor crosses.
Nighttime view of a brick church with a tall steeple, illuminated by streetlights.
Nighttime exterior view of a white wooden church with a steeple, decorated with Christmas wreaths, surrounded by trees, illuminated at night.
Nighttime view of a wooden church with tall steeple, illuminated by bright exterior light, with several narrow stained glass windows and a windmill structure nearby, and tall trees in the background.
A church with a tall steeple, brick walls, and large arched windows, surrounded by trees with Spanish moss, illuminated by outdoor lights at dusk.
A historic red brick church with a tall central tower and stained glass windows, surrounded by trees on an overcast evening.
A brick church with stained glass windows, lit lamps, and leafless trees in the foreground during dusk.
The exterior of a brick building with stained glass windows and two lit street lamps, with bushes and tree branches in the foreground.
Two tall stained glass windows on a red brick church with leafless tree branches in the foreground, a small brick structure with a door, a lit streetlamp, and bushes.
A brick building with a tall tower and arched windows, surrounded by trees and a park with a bench, illuminated by a streetlamp at dusk.
Downtown street at sunset with a white church and orange autumn trees.
Street view with large trees featuring red and orange autumn leaves, white historic buildings with black shutters, a black fence, sidewalk, and a streetlamp in the foreground, during late afternoon or early evening.
A church building with a white facade, surrounded by vibrant fall trees with orange, red, and yellow leaves, in a peaceful neighborhood setting.
A historic white house with a dark door, surrounded by autumn trees with red and orange leaves, and a brick pathway with fallen leaves leading up to it, in a park-like setting.
A large historic church with stone walls, red peaked roof, and two tall towers, surrounded by landscaped bushes and flowers, in a town setting at dusk.
A church illuminated at night with flags in front and a starry sky overhead.
A large, historic church illuminated at night with a front entrance, stairs, and surrounding landscaped grounds with bushes and trees.
Nighttime view of a historic brick church with illuminated windows and a stop sign in the foreground, surrounded by a tree and a black fence, with a dark cloudy sky in the background.
Night view of a white church with tall steeple, surrounded by trees and lit by streetlights.
Night view of a well-lit church with a tall tower, surrounded by trees and bushes, streetlights, and a parking lot in the foreground.
A dark, nighttime view of an old, white, two-story building with black shutters. A lit lantern is above the front door, illuminating the entrance. There is a white picket fence with a sign that says 'Mill Creek' along the fence in the front yard.