Charlie Lawing 176 Laurel Way Apartment 3A Herndon, VA 20170 (703) 376-8389 clawing@charlielawing.com www.charlielawing.

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PUBLISHED IN UNIVERSITY CITY MAGAZINE (APRIL1999) AND ON NEIGHBORHOODNEWS.COM (1999) COPYRIGHT 1999-2006, CHARLIE LAWING

I GO TO THE ROCK by Charlie Lawing

Not so long ago, the narrow, climbing road was all dirt and stone. The long asphalt veneer that now blankets the old dusty trail appears mildly incongruous inside this pastoral setting. Surveying the wooded landscape from an apex where the pavement ends, the novice visitor would be surprised to behold the height of this summit. Up here, the blustery air seems a sweeter tonic than it does amid the city lights below. The surrounding treetops, their branches ripe with the magic that turns long winter nights into long spring afternoons, seem nearer to heaven. Julius Alexander Estates was the title bestowed decades ago upon this peaceful Eden hidden just beyond the clutches of a sleepless giant many call progress. Born the fourth child of slaves in 1829 to Soloman and Violet Alexander, Julius Alexander became the first in his family to own a home on this North Carolina land after the Civil War. Today, his grandchildren own and live on the inherited property. They share this close-knit community with their children (who also own parcels), grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Alton Caldwell, Julius Alexanders great-grandson, and his wife Marilyn moved from New York City to the Alexander estate in 1980. They have made the very conscious decision to continue raising their children and live out their lives in this small, family settlement. They, and the Alexanders around them, have the resources to live wherever their hearts desire. Their hearts desire here.

Theres something magnetic about this heritage, says Alton Caldwell. This is where we belong. But Caldwell fears that relics of his familys heritage are gradually nearing extinction. Back toward town lies the historic Alexander Slave Cemetery where Caldwells ancestors, Solomon and Violet Alexander, rest in peace. The couple must have been respected and well- loved, for a tombstone was erected in their memorya gesture few slaveholders would ever afford. Dan Morrill, consulting director of Charlotte-Mecklenburgs Historic Landmarks Commission, is currently at work securing historic landmark designation for the cemetery thats isolated on a small, protected plot of land. A cluster of new apartments is currently being built all around this sacred burial ground where perhaps as many as 50 slaves are buried. While he would have preferred seeing more land around the cemetery preserved to provide a greater sense of historic setting, Morrill is pleased with the spirit of cooperation hes received from A.G. Spanos Development, Inc., the development company building the surrounding apartment complex. Spanos has donated $2,500 to help establish a permanent highway marker to identify the cemetery, and is working with the Commission on plans to erect a permanent fence to properly exhibit and protect the site. The Caldwells and the Alexanders seek a similar spirit of cooperation. They have carried an appeal to local government officials, hoping to establish single-family zoning designation for nearby acreage. They believe that although change is inevitable, it is also manageable. Multifamily housing complexes abound near and abutting Julius Alexander Estates, and the number of apartment units outside the estate is steadily growing. For these descendants of Soloman and Violet Alexander, enough is enough. And while the economic value of their property lies clearly imperiled, money is not the primary motive for their appeal. Its not about dollars, says Alton Caldwell. Its about a way of life. Caldwell tells the story about a huge, solid rock that lies buried beneath the earths surface near the summit of Julius Alexander Estates. The enormous rock is so impenetrable by conventional methods that when apartment developers were allowed to tunnel through the estate to connect underground utilities, they were forced to bring in diamond-tipped bits to slowly drill through the stone. When Alton Caldwell speaks of something magnetic about this heritage, almost as if that nearly impenetrable rock innately resists outside invasion and emits a driving force to stay, his story evokes the questioning lyrics of a contemporary gospel song:

Where do I go When theres nobody else to turn to? Who do I talk to When nobody wants to listen? Who do I lean on When there is no foundation stable? For these proud descendants of Soloman and Violet Alexander, who cleave to their family and their foundation, and whose hearts beat in rhythm to the tempo of years gone by, the answer to the songs questions lie in its chorus: I go to The Rock. THE END