by Denise Calaman

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: September 08, 2010

Few visitors to Charlotte even realize that the city indeed hasa nickname.  "The City of Churches" is an old nickname that dates back to over 250 years when the town of Charlotte was still in its infancy. Two hundred and fifty years ago Charlotte was a bustling city of commerce and industry making it the largest city in North Carolina. Charlotte was a heavily traveled route acting as the connecting city of the industrial North to the agricultural south. Many pioneers traveling from north to south eager to buy and trade what they needed to continue their journeys would stop in Charlotte to barter or trade their goods. But how did this pioneer city of commerce and industry, a mere resting point for further points north, earn its nickname "The City of Churches"?

Like many cities in America today Charlotte was a melting pot of culture, especially religious culture. Charlotte was founded in 1750 by Thomas Polk, grandfather of President James Polk. The city was named Charlotte Town after Charlotte Sophia Mecklenburg Streliz, a German princess who eventually married King George III. The city became known simply as Charlotte, the year before its incorporation, in 1768.

The thriving, industrial city soon saw an influx of Scots-Irish and German immigrants. They brought many different denominations of Christianity with them. The Scots-Irish who immigrated to Charlotte were Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. The Germans who settled in the area were Catholics and Lutherans. They lived among the English Episcopalians who were the first to settle in Charlotte. Even though Charlotte was a growing city with immigrants flocking to the industrial capital of the south, in 1850 the population of Charlotte was only 2,500. The small population was made up of as many as 10 different Christian denominations and they all built their own churches within the different communities inside of the less than 200 square mile area surrounding Charlotte. Thus Charlotte earned the nickname "The City of Churches" by the Christian settlers who built their worship houses there.

Some of the old churches of Charlotte still have active Congregations today. The First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte on 200 West Trade St in uptown is the oldest church in Charlotte still standing in its original location. It was built in 1821. St. Peter's Episcopal Church in uptown Charlotte, located at 115 West Seventh St is Charlotte's oldest Episcopal Church. St Peter's is a beautiful church with intricate stained glass windows and it is known citywide for its wonderful organ music. These are just two of the many old churches still standing today. Many of these churches remain on the National Register of Historic Places and if they don't have active congregations some are open as museums.

Today Charlotte is still North Carolina's largest city and has remained so since its incorporation. It is North Carolina's fastest growing city outpacing other cities and its religious population remains diverse. There are more churches in Charlotte than ever before totaling over 700 in all. This figure doesn't include the many synagogues and other houses of worship for Charlottes's growing population of non-Christian residents.

Learn more about this author, Denise Calaman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.