{"nrhp_refnum":"76001349","name":"Rehoboth Methodist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"E of Skinnersville on U.S. 64","address_restricted":false,"city":"Skinnersville","county":"Washington County","state":"NC","lat":35.93960200600003,"lon":-76.52272137099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-05-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival temple-form frame church on the south side of U.S. 64 near Skinnersville, Washington County, North Carolina, built between 1850 and 1853 on land deeded by Joseph H. Norman.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is an unusually academic example of Greek Revival design compared with other county buildings. It is also considered the 'mother church' of the Methodist Protestant denomination in Washington County, and was the leading church of the Albemarle Circuit by membership in the 1860s. Its surviving original interior, including a gallery used by enslaved worshippers, adds to its value.","narrative":"Rehoboth Methodist Church is a modest Greek Revival building in rural Washington County, North Carolina, set among a small graveyard and large trees draped with Spanish moss. Built between 1850 and 1853 on land deeded by Joseph H. Norman, a major local slaveholder, it is traditionally said to have been built by his slaves. The weatherboarded frame structure has a pedimented front, dentil cornice, paired entrances and large sash windows. Inside, the original finish and furnishings survive, including pews, a communion rail, a reed organ and a gallery reached by a winding stair, where enslaved members probably sat. The church replaced earlier interfaith chapels in the community. In 1861 it had well over a hundred white and Black members, and it has been called the mother church of the Methodist Protestant denomination in the county. It remained Methodist Protestant until 1939. Only metal handrails and concrete stairs have been added, and the county historical society now maintains it.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Tradition holds it was built by local slaves of Joseph H. Norman","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as unaltered and in excellent condition, in religious use, and maintained by the Washington County Historical Society; the congregation numbers only four.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:58.497762-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/56/7227/47722756/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/76001349.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47722756","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehoboth_Methodist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7309844"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/washington-county/rehoboth-methodist-church-76001349/"}