Long View Center
Encyclopedia
The Long View Center is a historic church building located in the Moore Square Historic District
of Raleigh
, North Carolina
, United States
. The facility sits directly across from Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre (1.6 ha
) parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan. Built between 1879 and 1881, Long View was originally known as Tabernacle Baptist Church. The name of the building was changed to Long View Center in 1998 after a local developer purchased the property to be used as a mixed-use facility. Currently, the sanctuary
is used by the Unity Church of the Triangle. In addition to Unity, Long View is now used for artist performances and weddings. The first concert at Long View was performed by Irish
folk
singer Susan McKeown
.
During the influenza epidemic of 1918
, the church opened a soup kitchen in the 1880 Hall and delivered over 2,000 meals to residents of the city. In the 1940s, the church operated a World War II
serviceman's center in a building next to the sanctuary. Throughout the war, an estimated 2,000 men visited the center. During this time, the church membership rose to almost 4,000 people and Tabernacle became the largest Baptist
church in North Carolina. Because of this increasing membership, two additional buildings were added.
When suburbanization
became popular in the 1960s, membership began to decrease as more people moved out of the downtown area. By the late 1990s, there were only 650 members left. In 1998, the congregation decided to relocate to north Raleigh and sold the property to developer Gordon Smith for $3.07 million dollars. While their new facility was being constructed, Tabernacle members continued to use the building until 2001. Long View began hosting weddings, concerts, and other special events while the educational buildings were renovated into commercial office space. In 2006, Gordon leased the sanctuary to Unity Church after attending one of their religious services.
architecture
. Originally a simple framed structure, Tabernacle was renovated throughout the early 20th century as the Moore Square district developed. The most notable renovation took place in 1910.
The facility consists of a series of four buildings totalling 50,000 sq ft (4,645 sq m). The buildings are Freedoms Hall, 1880 Hall, North Carolina Hall, and Futures Hall. A fifth building, Long View Hall, is being planned.
Freedoms Hall is the original sanctuary and is adjacent to Exploris Middle School. Freedoms contains 64 stained glass windows
, the bell tower
, parlor, and features natural acoustics
. Most events at Long View take place in Freedoms Hall. The 1880 Hall, named after the year the dining hall was completed, is home to the art gallery, reception area, and smaller performances. The Futures Hall is a renovated two-story office building and the North Carolina Hall contains the Conference Room, as well as additional office space.
after outgrowing their original location on East Whitaker Mill Road. In regards to the church's decision to move locations, Neusom Holmes, the church's minister, said "A downtown location is the perfect place to welcome a broader constituency. This brings us into the heart of downtown. It allows us to put into practice some of the teachings of being open and inclusive." Unity, part of the Unity Church
school of thought, is a liberal
congregation of 360-members that is open to all faiths, cultures, and sexual orientations. The church uses the Center for worship twice every Sunday, and for meditation
every weekday.
In addition to Unity Church, the facility is used for non-denominational
weddings, concerts, meetings, and as an art gallery. An Acoustic Concert Series takes place each month with national and international touring artists. Musicians who have performed at Long View include Arlo Guthrie
and Tift Merritt
. The Long View Gallery, owned by Rory Parnell, is a joint project between the Collectors Gallery at City Market and Long View. Artwork is rotated on a quarterly basis.
Long View is also home to offices for the North Carolina Trust for Public Land, International Affairs Council, Triangle Interfaith Alliance, Fountainworks, Disabilities Education Support Center, and Rabbi
Raachel Jurovics.
Long View serves as one of the venues for citywide special events, such as First Night Raleigh.
Moore Square Historic District
The Moore Square Historic District is a registered historic district located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the district is centered around Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan...
of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The facility sits directly across from Moore Square, one of two surviving four-acre (1.6 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
) parks from Raleigh's original 1792 plan. Built between 1879 and 1881, Long View was originally known as Tabernacle Baptist Church. The name of the building was changed to Long View Center in 1998 after a local developer purchased the property to be used as a mixed-use facility. Currently, the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
is used by the Unity Church of the Triangle. In addition to Unity, Long View is now used for artist performances and weddings. The first concert at Long View was performed by Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Susan McKeown
Susan McKeown
Susan McKeown is an Irish songwriter, folk singer and producer.-Early years:Susan McKeown was born on February 6, 1967 to John Ryan and Jane Ann McKeown in Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. She was greatly influenced by her mother, an organist and composer who died in 1982...
.
History
In 1874, ten members of Raleigh's First Baptist Church left the congregation and began Swain Street Baptist Church. After the church's facility became too small for the growing membership, Swain Street members constructed a new building at the corner of Person and Hargett Streets and changed their name to Second Street Baptist Church. The new location was dedicated in October 1881. The name of the church was once again changed in 1910, this time to the current title, Tabernacle Baptist Church.During the influenza epidemic of 1918
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
, the church opened a soup kitchen in the 1880 Hall and delivered over 2,000 meals to residents of the city. In the 1940s, the church operated a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
serviceman's center in a building next to the sanctuary. Throughout the war, an estimated 2,000 men visited the center. During this time, the church membership rose to almost 4,000 people and Tabernacle became the largest Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church in North Carolina. Because of this increasing membership, two additional buildings were added.
When suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
became popular in the 1960s, membership began to decrease as more people moved out of the downtown area. By the late 1990s, there were only 650 members left. In 1998, the congregation decided to relocate to north Raleigh and sold the property to developer Gordon Smith for $3.07 million dollars. While their new facility was being constructed, Tabernacle members continued to use the building until 2001. Long View began hosting weddings, concerts, and other special events while the educational buildings were renovated into commercial office space. In 2006, Gordon leased the sanctuary to Unity Church after attending one of their religious services.
Architecture
The Long View Center is a mixture of Gothic Revival and RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. Originally a simple framed structure, Tabernacle was renovated throughout the early 20th century as the Moore Square district developed. The most notable renovation took place in 1910.
The facility consists of a series of four buildings totalling 50,000 sq ft (4,645 sq m). The buildings are Freedoms Hall, 1880 Hall, North Carolina Hall, and Futures Hall. A fifth building, Long View Hall, is being planned.
Freedoms Hall is the original sanctuary and is adjacent to Exploris Middle School. Freedoms contains 64 stained glass windows
Stained Glass Windows
Stained Glass Windows was an early broadcast television program, broadcast on early Sunday evenings on the ABC network. The program was a religious broadcast, hosted by the Reverend Everett Parker....
, the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, parlor, and features natural acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
. Most events at Long View take place in Freedoms Hall. The 1880 Hall, named after the year the dining hall was completed, is home to the art gallery, reception area, and smaller performances. The Futures Hall is a renovated two-story office building and the North Carolina Hall contains the Conference Room, as well as additional office space.
Current use
In 2006, the Unity Church of the Triangle began using the Long View Center as a new place of worshipPlace of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
after outgrowing their original location on East Whitaker Mill Road. In regards to the church's decision to move locations, Neusom Holmes, the church's minister, said "A downtown location is the perfect place to welcome a broader constituency. This brings us into the heart of downtown. It allows us to put into practice some of the teachings of being open and inclusive." Unity, part of the Unity Church
Unity Church
Unity, known informally as Unity Church, is a religious movement within the wider New Thought movement and is best known to many through its Daily Word devotional publication...
school of thought, is a liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
congregation of 360-members that is open to all faiths, cultures, and sexual orientations. The church uses the Center for worship twice every Sunday, and for meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
every weekday.
In addition to Unity Church, the facility is used for non-denominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
weddings, concerts, meetings, and as an art gallery. An Acoustic Concert Series takes place each month with national and international touring artists. Musicians who have performed at Long View include Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
and Tift Merritt
Tift Merritt
Catherine Tift Merritt is an American singer-songwriter, musician and North Carolina native. With her longtime band, she has built what has been called a "unique" and critically acclaimed body of work of "sonic short stories and poignant performances." She has been compared to songwriters like...
. The Long View Gallery, owned by Rory Parnell, is a joint project between the Collectors Gallery at City Market and Long View. Artwork is rotated on a quarterly basis.
Long View is also home to offices for the North Carolina Trust for Public Land, International Affairs Council, Triangle Interfaith Alliance, Fountainworks, Disabilities Education Support Center, and Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Raachel Jurovics.
Long View serves as one of the venues for citywide special events, such as First Night Raleigh.