Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church
Why it's listed
Brick Gothic Revival church on Cool Spring Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, erected in 1893-1894 on the site of the city's first Methodist congregation. The present building is the fourth church on the site and the first of brick. Its twin front towers, lancet windows with colored glass, and two-story gable-front facade reflect the revived Gothic style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Black carpenter James Williams and bricklayer Joseph Steward carried out the major construction, and Williams also made the beaded-board interior woodwork, including the heavily beamed ceiling in herringbone pattern. The congregation traces its origins to Henry Evans, a free-born black shoemaker-preacher who founded the Methodist church here around 1800 and ministered to a mixed congregation, which was unusual in the region at the time. After emancipation the church became the focus of Fayetteville's black Methodist community, and it later became part of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is tied to Fayetteville's first Methodist congregation, founded around 1800 by the free black preacher Henry Evans, which served both black and white members in an unusual way for early nineteenth-century North Carolina. Its present building is cited as a notable example of late nineteenth/early twentieth-century Gothic styling and as the work of black artisans James Williams and Joseph Steward, with notable beaded interior woodwork.
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 83001850, listed July 7, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 301 N. Cool Spring St., Fayetteville |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | July 7, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001850 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893-1894 |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Fayetteville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.05348, -78.88115 (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 83001850.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5415937
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.