Current News

News Archives

Family & Friends

Links

Home Page

Mount Carmel Baptist in Biddleville, 412 Campus St., Gothic Revival, 1921

Mount Zion Lutheran in Cherry, 1605 Luther St., Gothic Revival, 1896

Old Holy Comforter(demolished)in Dilworth, 1510 S. Blvd., Gothic Rev., 1908

Hawthorne Lane United Methodist in Elizabeth, 501 Hawthorne Ln.,Goth.Rev.,1916

Advent Christian in 1st Ward, 101 N. McDowell St., Gothic Revival, 1919

First Baptist Church(Spirit Sq.) in 1st Ward, 318 N. Tryon, Byzantine Reviv.,1909

First A.R.P. in 4th Ward, Crn.N.Tryon & W. 11th,Gothic Revival, 1926

Settlers Cemetery in 4th Ward, W.5th St., 1776

Hopewell Presbyterian in N. Meck.,Beatties Ford Rd.,Federal, 1831

St. Mark’s Episcopal in N. Meck.,Mt.Holly-Huntersville Rd., Gothic Rev.,1886

Grace A.M.E. Zion in 2nd Ward, 219 S. Brevard St., Gothic Revival, 1902

Murkland Presbyterian(burned) in S. Charlotte,7001 Old Prov. Rd.,Gothic Rev., 1912

Harrison Methodist(burned) in S. Charlotte, U.S. Hghwy #521, Vernacular, 1902

Providence Presbyterian in S. Meck.,10140 Providence Rd.,Federal, 1858

Dinkins Property Cemetery in Steele Creek, Nation’s Ford Rd., 1798

Steele-Creek Presbyterian in Steele Creek, 7404 Steele Creek Rd., Goth. Rev.,1889

Good Samaritan Hospital Chapel(moved) in W.Charlotte,4232 Hovis Rd.,Goth.R.,1891

CHURCHES/Charlotte & Mecklenburg by Bishop Herbert Spaugh - 1967

Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, settled chiefly by Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in search of religious and political freedom, from the earliest beginnings have attracted church-going people. For many years Charlotte enjoyed recognition as the greatest church-going city in the world with the exception of Edinburgh, Scotland. This statement might be difficult to prove. But at any rate, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County certainly are inhabited by church-going people. Before 1770 there were Presbyterians. Lutherans, German Calvinists and a few Baptists in the settlement. But Presbyterians predominated, and by 1800 they had more churches and more members than all the other denominations combined.

In 1815 Charlotte set apart a lot on Trade and Church Street to be used for religious purposes and a cemetery. The church building was begun in 1818 but was not completed until 1823. It was a town project used by various denominations. In 1832 the Presbyterians assumed the debt on the church and in the following year erected a larger building. This church, greatly enlarged, stands on the original site in its spacious grounds. It is know as First Presbyterian Church.

The year of 1860 found Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics well established in Charlotte, each with their own churches and pastors. There was virtually no growth in the number of churches during the War Between the States, but thereafter the expansion of religious institutions kept pace with the growth of the town. In 1903 Charlotte had 64 churches. In 1940 there were 146.

The 1875 directory lists seven major denominations - Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Associate Reformed Presbyterians, and Roman Catholic. This list of denominations remained constant until 1918 when a Synagogue was listed. The Seventh Day Adventist Church was added by 1914; Christian Science Church in 1920; and the Moravian Church in 1925.

Notations below are from The Story of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County by

LeGette Blythe & Charles Raven Brockmann - 1961

- About 1750 a Presbyterian congregation was formed at Rocky River with the installation on Nov. 6, 1758 of Alexander Craighead as minister. He thus became the first pastor of the first church of any kind to be established in Mecklenburg County.

- In 1755 another group of pioneers organized Sugaw Creek Presbyterian with Rev. Mr. Craighead serving there and at Rocky River until 1766.

- In the few years that followed the establishment of these first two churches in Mecklenburg, six additional Presbyterian churches were organized: Steele Creek(1760), Hopewell(1762), Poplar Tent(1764), Center(1765), Center(1765), Providence(1767) and Philadelphia(1770).

- Almost fifty years elapsed between the building of the first seven churches in Mecklenburg County and the building of the first church of any kind in Charlotte. First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte was organized in 1832 with 36 members. The first small structure was replaced by the current building November 17, 1895. Second Presbyterian and Westminster Presbyterian united in June 1947 to form Covenant Presbyterian.

- The first Methodist sermon and probably the first sermon of any kind ever preached in Mecklenburg was delivered by Reverend George Whitfield in October 1742 at Davidson College. The first Methodist Church was Harrison Methodist, a log structure built around 1810. First Methodist Church in Charlotte was established in 1833. The original small structure was replaced by the current building in 1859. Dilworth Methodist was founded about 1907 and Myers Park Methodist in 1925. The original building of the Dilworth church was on the corner of Worthington and Cleveland until 1926 when the sanctuary on E. Blvd. was completed. Members of the Myers Park Methodist Church worshipped in the chapel of Queens College pending occupancy of their own church, designed by Louis Asbury, in 1930.

- The last of the three largest Protestant denominations to become organized. The first Baptist church in Charlotte was constituted in 1833. The church had eleven members dismissed from Flint Hill Baptist just across the S. C. line. It did not prosper and after a decade passed out of existence. The first permanent Baptist church in Charlotte was constituted in June 1855 and name Beulah Baptist Church of Christ. This began the First Baptist Church. Pritchard Memorial Baptist was formed November 10, 1901, St. John’s in 1922 and Myers Park in 1943.

- St. Peter’s was established in 1834 on W. Trade St. The N. Tryon site was completed in 1858.

- St. Peter’s, the first in Charlotte, was dedicated in 1852. The original small church on S. Tryon was replaced in 1892. St. Patrick’s, the second Catholic Church, was dedicated in 1939.

- Morning Star Lutheran near Matthews, organized 1775, antedates all other denominations in Mecklenburg except the Presbyterian. On Feb. 1, 1959, St. Mark’s, oldest Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charlotte, celebrated its centennial anniversary. The first building was located at College and 7th Sts., the second, occupied from 1885 until 1960, was located midway between 7th and 8th Streets, on the east side of N. Tryon Street, and the latest building is on Queens Road.

- The Associate Reformed Presbyterian churches in the countryside around Charlotte were Gilead/1787, Prosperity/1888, Sardis/1790, Steele Creek/1794 and Back Creek/1802.

- Temple Israel is the outgrowth of the Hebrew Benevolent Society which, in 1875, was a flourishing Charlotte organization. An early Jewish leader in Charlotte was Samuel Wittkowsky. Temple Beth El was organized in 1942.

- Dates in Charlotte from 1914. 1011 E. Morehead St. dedicated in 1951.

- Formed in Charlotte in 1920. The Little Church on the Lane (now the chapel) was built in 1924.

- Organized in 1900 in Charlotte. The E. Morehead site was dedicated in 1945.

- First services were held in Charlotte in 1947 at the Broadway Theater.

- October 1, 1959 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints held the first service.

- In 1929, the first congregation purchased a building on S. Blvd. vacated by Westminster Presbyterian. In 1954, 600 E. Blvd. became the site of the church

- Organized in the spring of 1960

.

Click To Continue