Founding Immediately following the
American Civil War, St. Matthias was founded as the "Freedmen's Church," a separate congregation of recently emancipated enslaved people at
Trinity Episcopal Church with the understanding that as soon as possible, it would be housed in a building of its own. Because the church was founded so close to the end of the Civil War, it considered to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, African American Church in Asheville.
Construction As early as 1879 members of the Freedmen's congregation saw a need for a new building. It was several years later when construction on St. Matthias finally began. Although the architect of the church is unknown, the contractor for the project was
James Vester Miller. Miller, himself born into slavery, was a member of Trinity Chapel and one of the most well respected brick masons and contractors in Asheville of his time. Miller is also responsible for the construction of
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Asheville, the
Asheville Municipal Building, and many other projects across the state. Congregants gathered to lay the cornerstone of the building on February 22, 1894, two days before the Feast of St. Matthias. It was at this occasion that the present Bishop, Joseph B. Cheshire, bestowed the congregation with the name "
St. Matthias" in honor of its new, independent status. ==References==