First Congregational Church
Why it's listed
This small stone church sits on a 1.3-acre lot at Wade and C Streets in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. It was built between 1918 and 1921 by Robert Franklin Lynn, a local stonemason and deacon, with help from Calvin Bost, after fire destroyed the congregation's 1906 frame building in January 1918. The walls are irregular, mortared, random-coursed stone, with weatherboard on the gables and belfry. Raised buttresses between lancet-arched windows give it Gothic touches. Inside, the original pews, pressed-tin ceiling, plaster and tongue-and-groove wainscoting survive. The congregation was organized in 1900 under missionary J.C. McClean, with the Rev. A.J. Tate as first pastor, and was linked to New England Congregationalists and the American Missionary Association, whose work aided freed Black people. It is an established institution in Mount Pleasant's Black community and has stayed independent of later Congregational mergers. A fellowship hall and bathrooms were added in 1974.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the church to the evangelical and missionary work of the New England-based Congregational Church and the American Missionary Association among newly freed Black people. It is also associated with missionary J.C. McClean, the Rev. A.J. Tate and builder Robert Franklin Lynn. It is argued to embody vernacular construction with Gothic Revival traits, a popular church form in Cabarrus County before 1930.
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 86000030, listed January 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Corner of Wade and C Sts., Mount Pleasant |
|---|---|
| County | Cabarrus County |
| Listed | January 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Robert Franklin Lynn, assisted by Calvin Bost |
| Architectural style | Vernacular with Gothic Revival traits |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a religious building; described as excellent and unaltered, with a congregation of about fifty active members. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.39929, -80.42759 (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 86000030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452812
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.