Church of St. Michael & All Angels

Established in 1882, and built the following year, St. Michael and All Angels is one of the oldest historically African American Episcopal churches in the North Carolina. The mission of St. Michael is to provide for the spiritual growth of children, adults and the community by proclaiming God's good news and living it. St. Michael and All Angels was started as a mission chapel in 1882. For this purpose, land at the corner of Mint and Hill Streets by the Diocese and the church cornerstone was laid in 1883. The founding of this beloved church sprang from the generous and progressive spirit of the Rector, Reverend Joseph Blount Cheshire (later Bishop of the North Carolina Diocese,) and a few prominent parishioners of St Peters Episcopal Church. More than 120 years ago in an era preceding Plessy vs. Ferguson, Jim Crow, and the American experience of the Civil Rights Movement, concerned citizens worked together across racial lines to establish a dynamic ministry. The strong spiritual fiber of the Charlotte Episcopal community was apparent through the work of this coalition of visionaries who sponsored the establishment of St Michael. Reverend Charles C. Quinn, mentored and guided by Reverend Cheshire, served as the church's first priest.