Brevard's Chapel United Methodist Church

Brevard's Chapel is more than just an old church. It's one of the few surviving African American places of worship from the post-Civil War era.

After the Civil War, African Americans were no longer welcome at some white churches and wanted their own place of worship. In the 1870s Henry Brevard gave an acre of his land for a new church that was named Brevard's Chapel. Brevard's Chapel was constructed by hand by African Americans who once worshiped at white churches.

The fanciful Carpenter Gothic style was popular elsewhere in the late 1800s but was uncommon among United Methodist churches in North Carolina, making Brevard's Chapel particularly unique.

In recent times, Brevard Chapel's congregation has suffered from declining membership and has been unable to pay dues to the United Methodist Conference. In February 2025, the United Methodist Church Western North Carolina Conference announced plans to demolish the church after engineers determined the structure could not be saved. However, others believe preservation is possible and are joining forces to save the building.

As of March 20, 2025, the United Methodist Church Western North Carolina Conference has suspended demolition plans and has agreed to allow the community to develop a plan to stabilize and restore the structure. Stay tuned for updates.

Bernard, Michelle T. "Local entities rally to preserve Brevard's Chapel United Methodist Church." Lake Norman Citizen (Denver, NC) March 14th, 2025. Volume 25, Number 11 ed, 1-12.

Phillips, Laura AW. Legacy of Faith: Rural Methodist Churches in North Carolina.. Edition First. Charlotte, North Carolina. The Duke Endowment, 2010.