Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
Why it's listed
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church is a small brick Gothic Revival sanctuary at Bern and Cedar streets in New Bern, completed in 1924. It replaced an earlier frame church lost in the Great Fire of 1922. The congregation began in 1878, when Black members of First Presbyterian Church organized separately, and it became one of the oldest Black Presbyterian congregations in eastern North Carolina. After the fire, members bought a new lot, borrowed from local banks and Presbyterian mission boards, and donated money and labor. Trustee H. F. Sutton, a builder and undertaker, is traditionally credited with designing and building the church. The building has glazed brick walls, buttressed sides, a bull's eye window in the front gable and a largely original interior with pine pews and brass chandeliers. Its basement hosted the city's soup kitchen in the 1980s. The church is the only Black Presbyterian church remaining in northeastern North Carolina. It was listed for its religious and ethnic heritage associations.
Significance in brief: It houses one of the oldest black Presbyterian congregations in eastern North Carolina, founded in 1878 and one of the five oldest African American churches in New Bern. The congregation rebuilt after the 1922 fire with mortgage help from the national Presbyterian Church, and it is the only black Presbyterian church remaining in northeastern North Carolina. The Keeper's amendment removed Criterion C and architecture as an area of significance, leaving Criterion A.
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 97000573, listed June 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 720 Bern St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | June 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000573 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Sutton, H. F., Builder |
| Architectural style | Gothic (Gothic Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church. Membership is about thirty-five, and the building is described as well preserved, with 1970s window replacements and bathroom additions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New Bern Historic District (Boundary Increase II) |
| Coordinates | 35.11188, -77.04573 (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 97000573.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5331728
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.