The Cox Chapel United Methodist Church recently presented Maplesville with a check for $10,000 to assist in the construction of a music pavilion in town.

Mayor Kurt Wallace said the congregation is looking for a public place to hold gospel performances and other church activities.

“Their belief is that if we will openly worship God in our community, God will bless our community,” Wallace said. “I fully support their belief.”

Cox Chapel United Methodist Church is located just north of Maplesville.

The pavilion will be built just outside the center field fence of the town’s original baseball field, located behind the state rest area on Shanks Drive. It will be a 32-foot-by-20-foot structure raised four feet off the ground with a cantilevered roof. It will be surrounded on three sides by walls with the front open facing the baseball diamond. The lighting around the baseball field will allow the facility to be used at both day and night.

Maplesville does not have a facility to hold any type of public meetings or large-scale outdoor fellowships other than its high school, Wallace said.

“This will be a public facility and will be available for use by all citizens of this community,” Wallace said. “It will be a great place to hold movies in the park, birthday parties, homecomings and many other public or private events where a band or public speakers could set up and address a large crowd.”

Wallace said there would be a slight rental fee required to cover the electricity cost from each event. The pavilion will be available on a first-come-first-served basis through the town hall.

They hope to complete construction in early July.

Wallace said the town is too tight on its budget to build this kind of structure, so any outside contributions help the cause.

He said any churches or individuals in the community who want to donate toward the project should contact Town Clerk Sheila Haigler at (334) 366-4211.

“Any monies donated will be used solely to build or enhance this structure,” Wallace said.