Falcon Tabernacle

The Falcon Tabernacle is an octagonal wooden church built from timber salvaged following a tornado. The structure displays early American church design characteristics with its distinctive geometric form.

Built in 1898 by Julius A. Culbreth, the structure became a meeting place in 1911 for two religious groups uniting to form the Pentecostal Holiness Church. This merger marked a significant organizational moment for the movement in North Carolina.

The octagonal shape references revival meeting tents, showing how religious gatherings evolved into a permanent church building. This design choice reveals how communities adapted traditional gathering spaces into fixed structures.

The building sits on West Street, relocated there in 1974, and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since October 1983. Visitors should note that the wooden structure remains in a rural setting.

The wooden material came from trees felled by a local tornado, giving the building a special origin story. It was one of the first gathering places for the Pentecostal Holiness movement in the state.

Location: North Carolina

Inception: 1898

GPS coordinates: 35.19361,-78.64778

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:02