History

Dating back to the late 1800s, Bonterra’s home has a spiritual and storied history. Originally built and named the Atherton Methodist Church, it was the first permanent prayer structure in the area for local residents’ use. In 1914, the building’s original wooden façade was given the brick facelift it maintains today and was re-christened the Dilworth Methodist Episcopal Church South. It was later occupied by the First Church of Nazareth (1926-1973) and the Greater Providence Baptist Church (1973-1987). But, our favorite histories revolve around the unconfirmed stories about the church providing food and shelter to field laborers arriving by railroad from the Lowcountry and Columbia regions to pick tobacco in the Charlotte area.