Statesville in Iredell County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 11, 2023
1. St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church Markers
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
[Bottom plaque]
Catholic Church
1898-1956
built in memory of
Philip Barton Key
by
Anna Washington Thorton Key
family and friends
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 35° 46.926′ N, 80° 53.066′ W. Marker is in Statesville, North Carolina, in Iredell County. It is at the intersection of East Sharpe Street and South Tradd Street, on the right when traveling east on East Sharpe Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 150 E Sharpe St, Statesville NC 28677, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Stoneman's Raid (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Col. Silas Alexander Sharpe (about 800 feet away); Images at the Crossroads by Ben Long (about 800 feet away); U.S. Post Office and Federal Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Vance Hotel (approx. 0.2 miles away); N.C. Association for the Blind (approx. 0.2 miles away); Statesville in the Civil War (approx. Ό mile away); United Spanish American War Veterans Memorial (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Statesville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Statesville in the Civil War (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
Key Memorial Chapel (St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church),built in 1898, was the first Roman Catholic church in Iredell County and remains as one of the few nineteenth century religious structures in Statesville.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 11, 20232. St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church
Philip Barton Key was a native of Maryland and a grandnephew of Francis Scott Key. His wife was Anna Maria Washington Thornton, a great granddaughter of the niece of Martha Washington. Before moving to North Carolina Key had been a prosperous planter in Louisiana and had served as an officer in the Confederate Army. During the late nineteenth century Key became a prominent figure in Statesville commerce and industry, where liquor and tobacco had begun to play a large role in the economy. Statesville, in fact, had become a major shipping point for liquor, and Key took on a large part of this trade when he opened his wholesale liquor business, P. B. Key and Company, on February 1, 1883. In 1892 Key's company branched off into the tobacco business, and by 1896 the company had built one of Statesville's largest factories.
Key died in 1896. His wife, who at this time was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church sponsored the building of a small Roman Catholic Chapel in memory of her husband. Key had been raised in the Catholic faith. A lot was purchased on the southwest corner of Tradd and Sharpe streets across Sharpe Street from "Esperanza," the Keys' home. In 1901 the chapel was dedicated.
Throughout its existence as a place of worship, the structure was known as St. Philip's. By mid-twentieth century the Roman Catholic population had grown to the point that a larger sanctuary was needed, and in 1956 the congregation left the chapel.
Also see . . .
1. Key Memorial Chapel (PDF). National Register nomination for the former church, which was listed under one of its historic names in 1980. (Prepared by Laura A. W. Phillips; via National Archives) (Submitted on December 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. History of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church. The Holy Mass of the Roman Catholic Church was first offered up to the Lord in 1870 by Father Mark Gross of Greensboro. This Mass was said at J.L.P. Rouche's home at 804 Caldwell Street. The chest of drawers sitting in the present day church lobby was the first altar of the Catholic Church in Statesville. (Compiled by Jason Savage) (Submitted on December 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Additional commentary.
1. Stained glass window garden of gethsemene
is there any record of the origins of the stained glass window over the altar at Saint Phillips? Is there a record of where Mrs. Key found this window and what its age may be?
— Submitted January 15, 2025, by Alan Eisele of Statesville, North Carolina.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 538 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
