Education
Hear the extraordinary story of what God can do through those who are willing to show up. This is part five of the Mark Stearns story. Lincoln Village Ministry: https://lincolnvillageministry.com YouTube: Search “Lincoln Village History Huntsville AL SongLever: https://songlever.com Epic Friday Five: https://epic2.com/pages/contact Submit Questions for Q&A Episode: call 833GOEPIC2 Lincoln Village History: Located about a mile north of downtown Huntsville, the Lincoln neighborhood traces its beginnings to December 1900 when Madison Spinning Company laid the foundations for a short-lived textile factory named Abingdon Mill. In 1918, Massachusetts textile baron William Lincoln Barrell bought the factory out of bankruptcy and turned it into Lincoln Mill, a fabric-making factory. Lincoln Mill became the largest of the city’s four textile plants with its own housing community of tidy, shotgun-style rental houses a short walk from the factory. After a series of strikes, the property ceased operation in 1955. In 1957, Huntsville Industrial Associates, an alliance of 35 local business and government leaders led by Carl T. Jones, purchased the property. This center went on to bridge the era of production to technology. Brown Engineering, now known as Teledyne Brown, performed some of the early contract missile work from Lincoln. Much of the work that occurred in this building was instrumental in helping put men on the moon. Over time, these companies relocated to Redstone Arsenal or Research Park. As the companies left, their space was either abandoned or rented as storage. The abandonment of the mill led to the downfall of the neighborhood where mill workers had taken such pride in their family homes. In 2002, Mark Stearns walked the streets of Lincoln to see the living conditions and realized there were no options for under-resourced citizens to provide a decent housing option for their family. Lincoln Village Ministry was formed to help address this issue. The median income in the Lincoln community is $21,365 for a family of four. Many of the families served are victims of childhood trauma and most lack a support system. The Lincoln community consists of 98% single parent households, 100% working families, and widespread generational poverty. Thirty-seven children receive counseling from an on-site NOVA counselor.