{"nrhp_refnum":"04001523","name":"East Avenue Tabernacle Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church","other_names":["Great Aunt Stella Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"927 Elizabeth St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charlotte","county":"Mecklenburg County","state":"NC","lat":35.219493562000025,"lon":-80.83425043599993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-01-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick church complex at 927 Elizabeth Street at the edge of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, made up of a 1914 sanctuary and a four-story educational wing added in 1925, both designed by James M. McMichael.","why_significant":"The church is argued to be significant under Criterion C for architecture as a signature work of James M. McMichael, Charlotte's leading church architect. It shows the development of his classical style, which he later repeated with variations in other cities. The sanctuary and 1925 addition keep their architectural integrity, having received only minimal alterations.","narrative":"Located at the edge of uptown Charlotte, this brick church complex combines a two-story sanctuary built in 1914 with a four-story educational wing added in 1925. Architect James M. McMichael, who designed fifty-two churches in Charlotte and its vicinity, planned both parts. The sanctuary follows a Greek cross plan around a central octagon, topped by a copper dome on a masonry drum, and its front is marked by a monumental porch with Ionic columns and a brick pediment. Limestone trim, stained glass windows and decorative brick panels enliven the walls. The educational wing continues the same detailing, with windows that shrink in height on the upper floors. The East Avenue Tabernacle congregation chose McMichael after reviewing designs from fifteen architects and built the church to match its prominent site. The design is considered a signature work in his development of classical church architecture, and it kept its integrity through only minimal alterations. The building now serves as a community center and houses a charter school.","period_of_significance":"1914,1925","architect_builder":"McMichael, James Mackson","architectural_style":"Late 19th and early 20th century Revivals (Classical Revival)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Now used as a community center (Great Aunt Stella Center); a charter school occupies the first and second floors of the educational wing.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:54.716945-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/39/7212/47721239/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/04001523.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001523/20122887bf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001523/20122887bf-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Bagatar","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Avenue_Tabernacle.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bagatar</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Avenue_Tabernacle.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721239","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Avenue_Tabernacle_Associate_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5327765"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county/east-avenue-tabernacle-associated-reformed-presbyterian-church-04001523/"}