St. John in the Wilderness (also known as St. John-in-the-Wilderness) is a historic church and cemetery in Flat Rock, North Carolina. It was the first Episcopal Church in Western North Carolina.
St. John in the Wilderness | |
 St. John in the Wilderness in 1934 | |
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| Location | Flat Rock, North Carolina |
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| Coordinates | 35°16′56.8″N 82°26′34.2″W / 35.282444°N 82.442833°W |
| Part of | Flat Rock Historic District (ID73001352[1]) |
A building from the 1850s is a contributing structure to Flat Rock Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
History
editIt was consecrated by Bishop Levi Silliman Ives on August 28, 1836. Charles and Susan Baring, who considered Charleston, South Carolina too hot in the summer, were among the first settlers of Flat Rock in the 1820s. Other people moved from Charleston to Flat Rock, which Bishop Ives called a "new but interesting settlement" in 1837. The church started as a private chapel for the Barings, who later transferred the title to Bishop Ives and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. 20 members "formed themselves into a congregation".[3]
St. John, named for John the Baptist, was unusual in that white people and slaves sat together in church. The first wedding performed in St. John's was between two slaves. Later, slaves and free blacks were buried in the church's cemetery.[4]
Before 1958, St. John's did not have enough members to stay open year-round, but the number of members has increased to 400. The church building was renovated in 2004.[4]
References
edit- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ "Today in Asheville, Aug. 28". Asheville Citizen-Times. August 28, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ^ a b "Parish History". St. John in the Wilderness. Retrieved October 14, 2015.