Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church and Cemetery

Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church and cemetery near Council in North Carolina, distinguished by Greek-inspired design with a columned portico. The property extends over several acres and includes both the white-painted church building and a large cemetery containing hundreds of gravestones from different eras.

George Cromartie designed the church building in 1845 to serve the growing Presbyterian congregation in this rural area. The columned portico was added in 1932, and recognition on the National Register of Historic Places came in 1987.

Visitors can see the handmade pews and the original pulpit, which show how congregations in 19th-century North Carolina furnished their places of worship. These pieces were crafted by local woodworkers and remain cared for by the community today.

The church stands at the intersection of two rural highways near Elizabethtown, making it straightforward to reach by car. The cemetery grounds are open to visitors during daylight hours, and walking shoes help when exploring the grassy areas among the memorials.

Many gravestones here connect to nearby Dowey and Cromartie family burial grounds, revealing kinship networks in 19th-century rural Bladen County. Visitors who walk carefully through the rows notice repeated family names that show how closely these families were linked across the countryside.

Location: North Carolina

Inception: 1845

GPS coordinates: 34.51610,-78.45060

Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:21