Belgrade and St. David's Church
Why it's listed
Two modest buildings in rural Washington County, North Carolina, preserve the legacy of Charles Pettigrew, an Episcopal priest and planter. Belgrade, a one-story frame house with a finished attic, was framed at his first plantation in 1797 and moved to the new site. Its Georgian finish is largely intact, and a kitchen, smokehouse and water tower survive behind it. Nearby stands St. David's Church, begun as Pettigrew's Chapel around 1804 and built at his own expense. The cruciform frame church was greatly remodeled and enlarged in 1857, and a later tower was added. Pettigrew was elected first bishop of the North Carolina diocese in 1795 but never traveled to be consecrated. His plantation was widely considered the area's most efficient, and it prospered under his son and grandson until the Civil War. The congregation moved nearer Creswell in 1898, leaving the old chapel seldom used.
Significance in brief: The buildings represent the contribution of Episcopal priest and planter Charles Pettigrew, elected first bishop of the North Carolina diocese but never consecrated, to the region's history. Belgrade was regarded as the most efficient plantation in the area. The chapel he built on his own land became a parish church, St. David's, in the 1850s.
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 78001983, listed January 26, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Creswell St., Creswell |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | January 26, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001983 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1797, 1804 and 1857 |
| Architectural style | Georgian (Belgrade); vernacular country church (St. David's) |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent to good condition, and little altered; the old chapel is seldom used by the St. David's congregation, which moved to a new church in Creswell in 1898. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 35.87243, -82.38198 (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 78001983.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4882654
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.