Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground
Why it's listed
Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground is a religious gathering site in an oak grove near a spring at Machpelah, Lincoln County. At its center is an open arbor with a deep pyramidal tin roof, a pulpit platform, a mourner's bench and plank pews. Around it, frame family-owned tents form a nearly continuous square. Each is a one-story gabled building with a shed porch and rear shed room, used once a year. The camp was founded in the first half of the nineteenth century by the Methodist Episcopal Church as part of an effort to minister to enslaved people. It has operated continuously since 1876 as an A.M.E. Zion camp meeting under a board of trustees, and Mary E. Tucker donated the grove in 1879. The nomination calls it probably the oldest continuously operating black campground in North Carolina. It resembles nearby Rock Springs Camp Ground and other western North Carolina camp meeting complexes, each adapted from regional vernacular building types.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an early result of Methodist efforts to reach enslaved people, and as probably the oldest continuously operating black campground in North Carolina. It is also a well-preserved example of a regional camp meeting plan and vernacular building types. It is tied to the revival movement that reached Lincoln County as early as 1794.
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 72000972, listed October 18, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Machpelah off SR 1360, Machpelah |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| Listed | October 18, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000972 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architectural style | Vernacular camp meeting complex (central arbor with surrounding frame tents) |
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, occupied and in religious use. The east side tents burned recently and new ones are being built. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 35.46763, -81.08313 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 72000972.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21261966
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.