{"nrhp_refnum":"82003426","name":"St. Frances Methodist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Off NC 308","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lewiston","county":"Bertie County","state":"NC","lat":36.12350019500008,"lon":-77.17756223999999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-04-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival Methodist church in the village of Lewiston, Bertie County, North Carolina, with a three-bay projecting narthex, a two-stage tower and octagonal steeple. It was built in 1845 in Woodville and moved to Lewiston in 1896.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant for its association with the Protestant religious life of an antebellum plantation community in eastern North Carolina, and as a well-detailed example of Greek Revival church architecture. It is also said to be likely to yield information on local religious history. The interior's original Greek Revival woodwork, including a slave gallery, is highlighted as distinctive.","narrative":"Built in 1845 in the Woodville community and moved to Lewiston in 1896, St. Frances Methodist Church is a Greek Revival church with a projecting west narthex, a two-stage tower and an octagonal steeple covered in patterned wooden shingles. The church was named for Mrs. Frances S. Pugh of Woodville, who left $1,000 toward its construction. Local tradition holds that Thomas Bragg, a known antebellum builder from Warrenton, was its contractor. Its interior keeps original Greek Revival woodwork, including fluted Doric columns that support a slave gallery, paneled doors, and a semicircular altar rail. The original pews, pulpit furniture and organ remain in place. The building is important as an example of the Methodist churches that served the plantation communities of eastern North Carolina, and its interior is a well-preserved example of the period's craftsmanship. In 1966 it was moved about twenty feet back from the road and given a concrete block foundation, and the ceiling was lowered about two feet.","period_of_significance":"1845","architect_builder":"Thomas Bragg (builder)","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["A","C","D"],"status_note":"Excellent condition, unaltered except for a 1966 move, foundation replacement and lowered ceiling.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:41.090849-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/51/7190/47719051/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/82003426.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003426/edb3bba9e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003426/edb3bba9e1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"HistorySearcher1970","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Frances_Methodist_Church,_Lewiston_Woodville,_NC.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">HistorySearcher1970</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Frances_Methodist_Church,_Lewiston_Woodville,_NC.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719051","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Frances_Methodist_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7587924"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/bertie-county/st-frances-methodist-church-82003426/"}