St. Matthias Episcopal Church
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Why it's listed
St. Matthias Episcopal Church is a small brick Gothic church on a steep hill in Asheville's East End, historically the city's oldest black neighborhood. Built between 1894 and 1896, it has a cruciform plan, a semi-hexagonal apse, a stained-glass rose window, and a small attached chapel. Inside, dark Gothic-style woodwork, heavy timber roof trusses, and original furnishings remain. The congregation began in 1865 as Trinity Chapel, a mission of Trinity Parish founded for newly freed slaves with the help of rector Jarvis Buxton. It ran a parochial school for black children and grew under several rectors. Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire laid the cornerstone in 1894 and consecrated the church in 1898. The nomination describes it as the oldest black Episcopal congregation in western North Carolina, helping found other black congregations, and as one of the finest churches built for a black congregation in the state. It remains a landmark in Asheville's black history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that it houses the oldest congregation of black Episcopalians in western North Carolina and shows cooperation between the races in serving freedmen after the Civil War. It also cites the church as one of the finest built for a black congregation in the state, with interior woodwork rivaling that of any late nineteenth-century church.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001685, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Valley St., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001685 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894-1896 |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, private, in religious use; condition good and unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Asheville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.59174, -82.54816 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001685.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18158392
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.