Editor’s Note: Historic Churches of Western North Carolina is an ongoing 828newsNOW series exploring the sacred spaces that helped shape mountain communities. Many of these churches began as small mission chapels or neighborhood gathering places. Their histories reveal how faith, culture and daily life intertwined across Western North Carolina. By documenting these buildings and the congregations connected to them, we hope to preserve part of the region’s church history and honor the people whose stories continue to shape the mountains today.
CROSSNORE, N.C. (828newsNOW.com) – Sloop Chapel sits at the center of the Crossnore Communities for Children campus, a stone sanctuary built nearly a century ago to serve children who came into the mountains seeking stability, care and a sense of home. The chapel also holds one of the most moving frescoes in Western North Carolina, painted by artist Ben Long. Today the story of the chapel’s mission and its artwork, remain inseparable.
Crossnore Communities for Children began in 1913 when Drs. Eustace and Mary Sloop, both physicians, settled in the Blue Ridge to provide medical care and education for families living in rural communities. Their work expanded into a children’s home and school that offered classroom instruction, vocational training and a structured, supportive environment. As the campus grew through the 1920s, the Sloops and their supporters built the stone chapel that would later bear their name.
The chapel was constructed in the late 1920s and early 1930s from local stone gathered in the surrounding hills. The simple design reflected the Sloops’ belief in humility over ornamentation. The chapel became the heart of campus life, used for Sunday services, daily gatherings, weddings, and memorials.
Its importance was formally recognized in 2009, when the chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Crossnore School Historic District. The district’s designation highlights its significance in education, social history and mountain architecture.
The story of the chapel entered a new chapter in the early 2000s when the Crossnore community invited artist Ben Long to create a fresco for the sanctuary. Long was already known in Western North Carolina for his work in true fresco, a Renaissance technique he studied in Florence, Italy. At Crossnore he found a subject that aligned closely with the mission of the community and the history of the children who had passed through the campus.
The result was “Suffer the Little Children,” a fresco that shows Christ welcoming children with open arms. Many of the faces in the painting belong to real children connected to Crossnore, along with staff members who modeled during the project.
The fresco reflects the Sloops’ belief that every child deserved dignity and care, and it mirrors the organization’s mission more than a century after its founding.
Ben Long Frescoes of Western North Carolina: A Visitor’s Guide – Asheville’s 828 News NOW
Sloop Chapel continues to serve as a place of worship for Crossnore Communities for Children and for the greater mountain community. The chapel is open daily for visitors, who are welcome to attend services or spend time in quiet reflection.
The chapel’s role extends beyond worship. It anchors campus ceremonies and community gatherings. Its stone walls have heard decades of songs, prayers and stories.
Sloop Chapel remains a place where history, faith and service continue to meet. For visitors traveling the fresco trail, the chapel offers more than a work of art. It offers a look at one of Western North Carolina’s most enduring missions and a reminder that meaningful art often lives in places built on compassion and community.
A complete guide to the Ben Long frescoes across the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail is available here.