Wentworth Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Also known as: Wentworth United Methodist Church
Why it's listed
Set in partly wooded ground just west of Wentworth, the frame church was built about 1859 on a fieldstone foundation with a weatherboard exterior, a pedimented gable front of standing seam metal, and a small open belfry. Its simple meeting-house form, with symmetrical facade, six-over-six windows and an original slave gallery, is described as a handsome and largely intact example of rural antebellum church design in North Carolina. The congregation traces its Methodist presence in the town to 1833 and the present building to an 1836 organization. Rev. Numa Reid, a prominent 19th century Methodist minister and superintendent of the Greensboro district, is buried in the churchyard, and his sons Frank L. Reid and James W. Reid, a U.S. Congressman, are linked to the church. The cemetery holds late 19th and early 20th century markers, including obelisks for three sons of state senator George D. Boyd who died in the Civil War. Its separate section for black members, marked mostly by fieldstones, is considered a source for understanding social stratification of the period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a handsome and largely intact example of an antebellum meeting-house church in rural North Carolina, and the oldest Methodist church building in Rockingham County. It is also associated with Rev. Numa Reid and his sons Frank L. and James W. Reid. The cemetery is said to hold a fine collection of mid-19th to early 20th century tombstones and to reflect social divisions through its separate white and black sections.
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 86000391, listed March 13, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NC 65 W of SR 2124, Wentworth |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | March 13, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000391 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1859 |
| Architectural style | Antebellum meeting-house form |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sanctuary remodeled in 1953 with a two-story annex added; the nomination describes the building as a functioning congregation's church. |
| Acreage | 2.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.40097, -79.77755 (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 86000391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7983027
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.