Mt. Lebanon Chapel

Mt. Lebanon Chapel welcomes all who would worship here. We urge all who enter to spend a moment of quiet surrounded by the peace of God which passeth all understanding.

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HISTORY

In the early 1830s, Dr. Thomas Henry Wright conceived the idea to build Mt. Lebanon Chapel. The chapel was to serve those members of St. James who lived in the vicinity of the Greenville, Wrightsville, Masonboro and Middle Sounds, and those who vacationed in the area during the summer months. Dr. Wright paid for the construction of the chapel, with the exception of a few contributions from other members of St. James Parish.

The chapel was completed in 1835. The land was part of a 320-acre tract known as "Mount Lebanon," named for the surrounding cedar trees that recalled the Biblical "Cedars of Lebanon." Dr. Wright decided to give the chapel to St. James Parish. However, he died without having deeded the building and its surrounding acreage. The property passed to his son, Adam Empie Wright. Adam also died without formally passing the title to St. James Parish. Not until 1875 was the property deeded to St. James Parish by his son's guardian, Mrs. Marion Potter for the sum of one dollar, as per the intent of Dr. Thomas Wright.

Airlie Gardens, a 155-acre tract that included much of the Mount Lebanon estate was owned, conceived, and developed by Sarah Green (Mrs. Pembroke) Jones. When she bought the land from the Wright family, she named her new acquisition "Airlie" after her husband's ancestral home in Scotland. Her husband owned Pembroke Park (now Landfall), and as long as he lived, services were held at Lebanon Chapel. After Pembroke Jones' death, his widow helped finance the building of St. Andrew's on-the-Sound in 1923. It was at this time that the little chapel was abandoned.

In 1972, the Rev. Herbert L. Aman approached the Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright, Bishop of East Carolina (and great-great-grandson of the original owner of the property now known as Airlie Gardens), to see what could be done with Lebanon Chapel since vandals had nearly destroyed the property. The mutual feeling was that it should be restored as a living monument to the past, an inspiration for those yet to come, and above all, to the Glory of God. Work began in 1973, and services were conducted by the clergy of St. Andrew's On-the-Sound in the summer of 1974.

The year 2000 began a new chapter for St. James as its clergy and laity participated in summer worship at Lebanon Chapel for the first time in 70 years.

Mt. Lebanon Chapel is now used for summer services and for special services throughout the year.

Mt. Lebanon Chapel at Airlie Gardens is also available to parishioners and non-parishioners for small Episcopal wedding ceremonies (fewer than 100 people).

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For more information, contact the Church Office at (910) 763-1628 or email email [email protected].

Getting to Lebanon Chapel

Mt. Lebanon Chapel
814 Airlie Rd.

Take Oleander Drive East (Rt. 76) over Bradley Creek to Airlie Drive.
Turn Right on Airlie Drive and go past the entrance to Airlie Gardens.
Take the next right to the grounds of Mt. Lebanon Chapel.