{"nrhp_refnum":"72000951","name":"St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"510 Middle St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New Bern","county":"Craven County","state":"NC","lat":35.10982887100005,"lon":-77.03898529599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-03-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular frame Catholic church at 510 Middle Street in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, built 1840-1841 from a plan by Bishop England, with a projecting entrance tower added in 1896.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the oldest Catholic congregation and oldest Catholic church structure in North Carolina. It is also described as a fine example of the Greek Revival style adapted to Roman ecclesiastical use. It is one of the cornerstones of a religious complex at Middle and New Streets.","narrative":"St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church is a two-story frame building on Middle Street in New Bern, constructed in 1840-1841. It is three bays wide and four deep, with a gable roof and a pedimented west front. A square entrance tower with a conical spire and Latin cross was added in 1896. The floor plan follows a design prepared in 1839 by Bishop John England of Charleston, who helped establish the parish after visiting New Bern in 1821. Inside, a gallery on slender columns runs along the back and sides, though the interior has been remodeled often and painted altar-wall illusions did not survive the latest renovation. The church has been used continuously, including through the Civil War, when records were kept for Catholics in the Union forces stationed in the city. It is identified as the oldest Catholic congregation and church building in North Carolina and as a Greek Revival design adapted for Catholic worship.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Plan by Bishop John England (Diocese of Charleston), 1839; the 1896-1897 rectory was designed by Herbert W. Simpson","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"In continuous use as a church since its erection; condition marked good and altered; interior remodeled several times.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:56.074871-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/66/7197/47719766/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/72000951.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000951/a7d3023146-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000951/a7d3023146-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Thomas T. Waterman, Photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Paul%27s_Roman_Catholic_Church,_510_Middle_Street,_New_Bern_(Craven_County,_North_Carolina).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Thomas T. Waterman, Photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Paul%27s_Roman_Catholic_Church,_510_Middle_Street,_New_Bern_(Craven_County,_North_Carolina).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719766","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul%27s_Roman_Catholic_Church_(New_Bern,_North_Carolina)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7591189"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/craven-county/st-pauls-roman-catholic-church-72000951/"}