Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground
About this property
Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground is a historic African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church camp meeting ground located near Iron Station, Lincoln County, North Carolina. Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting begins the 3rd Saturday of August, and continues until the 4th Sunday, also called 'Big Sunday'. Throughout the week of Camp Meeting, hundreds of camp participants move to the grounds to attend worship services and fellowship with family and friends. African American families in the Lincoln County area have come together for spiritual renewal and fellowship at camp meeting since after slavery ended. Mary Tucker, wife of a local landowner, gave the land for Tucker's Grove. Five United Methodist churches (Tucker's Grove, Brevard, Ebenezer, Rock Hill and St. James) and Gold Hill Baptist Church, sponsor the campground. The camp meeting has been operating continuously since 1874. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The arbor, located in the center of the grounds, is a heavily timbered structure covered with a large tin roof. The trustees and others built the arbor using a grove and peg method. There were no spikes or nails used. Over the years, metal supports were added to strengthen the arbor. The original floor was dirt, then later saw dust or sand was used. It has a raised platform with a pulpit and in front of the platform a long wooden bench known as the mourners' bench, "seeker's bench" or "anxious seat." It was renovated in 2017 with grant funding from the Duke Endowment. The height of the entries to the arbor was raised, some of the wooden beams were replaced with like-aged beams, and the tin on the roof was repaired or replaced. The arbor is surrounded by rows of 98 wooden frame 'tents' which form an almost continuous enclosure, roughly square in form. Each tent has a dining room, kitchen and one or more bedrooms. During the early days, people would walk to the campground, or arrive by horse and buggy and bring all of the essentials needed to camp out on the grounds. The camp participants would bring live chickens, and the 'Ice Man' would bring blocks of ice for people to buy in order to keep their food from spoiling. In recent years, some tent owners have added a second level with additional bedrooms, As the wood deteriorates, camp participants repair their tents with new or used wood. Most repairs take place prior to the opening of camp meeting. Many camp members who have moved to other areas plan their vacation so they can travel home to camp meeting. Upon entering the camp ground on the side facing the church, concession stand vendors sell a variety of food, clothes, jewelry, and misc items. The photography stand has been a permanent fixture on the grounds since 1958.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground
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Questions about this property
When was Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground listed on the National Register?
Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1972.
What type of historic resource is Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground?
Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground?
The period of significance for Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Tucker's Grove Camp Meeting Ground will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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