Treasures for the Ages

The Parish of the Holy Communion in Ashe County NC includes St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Jefferson and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs. They are often referred to as the Churches of the Frescoes.

During the 1970s, internationally renowned fresco artist Ben Long created magnificent enduring works in two small antique churches in Ashe County. Each is significant to the Christian community. His first frescoes were done in Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church on the southwestern edge of West Jefferson. There you can see his images Mary Great with Child, John the Baptist, and The Mystery of Faith. This was followed a few years later with a life-size depiction of The Last Supper at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs.

Thousands of people visit the frescoes each year - both for their religious significance and because they are magnificent works of art. Many people visit repeatedly. And for those of us who live in Ashe County, we go often because it is the favorite place to take guests.

Ashe County Frescoes Foundation

Ashe County Frescoes Foundation was created by community members for the express purpose of protecting and preserving these works of art. Our organization is established as a North Carolina nonprofit corporation with a board of directors – a majority of whom cannot be members of the Episcopal congregation. Donations to our organization are used only for expenses related to these unique and great works of art.

Friends of the Frescoes

FRIENDS OF THE FRESCOES is a project of the Ashe County Frescoes Foundation (www.ashefrescoes.org).  Each contributor to the foundation becomes a Friend, and will receive a certificate of recognition.  Checks may be made payable to Frescoes Foundation, and mailed to Post Office Box 912, Jefferson, NC 28640 or placed in a collection box at one of the churches.  Secure online contributions may be made with a credit or debit card by accessing the web site www.ashefrescoes.org.  More information about the work of the foundation can be found on this web site and through brochures found at each Church and at the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center in West Jefferson.