BURLINGTON — The current owners of the historic Macedonia Missionary Church on Macedonia Road want the Lawrence County Commissioners to take over ownership of the church.

The church was put on the National Register in the 1970s. It was a place of worship for slaves who found their freedom in the Burlington area.

Now a group of churches from Huntington, W.Va., have asked the commissioners if they will take the church.

That request prompted the commissioners to seek an opinion from Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson on whether or not the county can accept a donation of land.

According to Anderson’s office, the Ohio Revised Code allows that “a county may receive by gift, devise or bequest monies, lands or other properties for their benefit.”

Since the county can accept the church, Commission President Bill Pratt said the next step is to determine what the current owners expect the county to do with the property.

“If we accepted the Macdeonia church it might be possible to apply for a Nature Works grant like the city of Ironton to get the water on the hill,” Pratt said. “We are checking into that.”

The Fayette Township Trustees are working to bring water lines into 26 households on Macedonia Road. Currently those homeowners have well water or water carried to their homes.

The church owners and the commissioners plan to discuss that matter at the commission’s Thursday meeting, which this week will be in conjunction with the Burlington Concerned Citizens at the Commons park at 6:30 p.m.