To mark and celebrate lifting the 99-year-old Scotland AME Zion Church from its original battered foundation, the Scotland community and civic leaders will host a media event at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28.

The church at 10902 Seven Locks Road, built by hand and opened in 1924 by the Black congregants who lived nearby, was catastrophically flooded on July 7, 2019. The milestone of lifting the church so that a new foundation can be poured marks a significant milestone in the more than four-year effort that has drawn local, state, and regional attention and support. “Those of us who thought the church might be lost forever see this moment as a miracle,” said Chuck Williams, chairman of the capital campaign committee that has raised more than $3 million to date.

The expected year-long building project at the site consists of three phases: 1) repair of the historic church structure; 2) regrading of the site to avoid future floodwaters; and 3) expansion of the church to include a new worship space. The campaign committee needs to raise an additional $4 million to fulfill all aspects of the plans.