WELCOME TO SUPPERLAND.
Learn about this place.
A Restoration Story
of a Mid-Century Church
We truly think of this spot as a “land” because there’s a lot you can do on the property from our two buildings, the patio and our garden in between. But we weren’t always a restaurant.
A great joy in restoring an old building is finding ways to keep the past alive. Maybe it’s the responsible thing to do, but it also helps pull forward history, tell our neighborhood’s stories, and give our city unique places to build upon.
Architecturally, we’ve held on to the structures of the buildings themselves, but also the windows in the large building, the center aisle in the main dining room, the staircase and the wood floors in the larger building. Find out more about our design choices here. When we open our doors, our menu will be influenced by the “place” we’re in too—you’ll find a steakhouse vibe with southern touches because we’re rooted in the south, and it’s all woven together with whimsical inspiration from church potluck picnics.
Here’s a brief timeline of the history of the property, people and place before we restored the building to bring you Supperland:
Plaza Midwood Established
Plaza Midwood was established as a streetcar suburb of Charlotte
First Church of Christ Worship Service
The first Church of Christ worship service was held in July with just six adults and three children. This was the first Church of Christ worship service in all of Charlotte. They met on the second floor of Redman’s Hall at the corner of Belmont and Pegram Streets before moving to the YMCA building on South Tryon Street later that year.
Building Fund Started
The congregation moved to the Chamber of Commerce building and a building fund was started with just $70. The money was sent from a Church of Christ in Tennessee.
Commonwealth and Thomas
The church congregation first purchased two lots at the corner of Commonwealth and Thomas Ave for $2,200 – it would become the Commonwealth Church of Christ, but they had to meet elsewhere until they had enough money to build on the lot.
Plaza Theatre Auditorium
The group moved to the Plaza Theatre Auditorium for $7.50 a week. The building fund continued to grow.
Purchasing the Property
The two lots on Commonwealth and Thomas were sold for $6,000. The church purchased a new lot nearby at the corner of The Plaza and McClintock. Their congregational name was changed to The Plaza Church of Christ.
At this point, a plan was made to build a small building on 1216 The Plaza (now the cocktail bar at Supperland).
First Church of Christ Building
The small building was built intentionally at the back part of the property to keep room for an eventual larger church. This was the first Church of Christ building in Charlotte. On May 23, 1948 the congregation met for the first time in the small building. It sat 120 people and it was built for $10,000.
New Building Fund
A new building fund was again started with just $560 in the hopes of building a larger meeting place.
Second Site in Dilworth
Part of the congregation left to start a Dilworth congregation in a remodeled house on Myrtle Ave.
New Building Completed
The new larger building was completed in May 1956 for $48,371. The furniture inside cost $4,000. On May 18th, 1956, the first service was held in the new building.
Starting New Site in Westside
Twenty people from the Plaza Church of Christ left to start the Westside Church of Christ.
Herald of Truth
The Herald of Truth TV program started with leaders from The Plaza Church of Christ.
Starting New in Mooresville
A new Church of Christ congregation was started in Mooresville off the Plaza Church congregation.
Planning Providence Road
The congregation purchased 8 acres of land on Providence Road for $56,000 to start the Providence Road Church of Christ.
Sugar Creek Church of Christ
Also, in 1968, the Sugar Creek Church of Christ—a new congregation which would eventually call 1212 The Plaza (Supperland’s address) home—met for the first time in a remodeled house.
Providence Road Church of Christ
Construction on the new church building on Providence Road began.
A New Home
The Sugar Creek Church congregation agreed to purchase the property at The Plaza and McClintock for $42,000. They kept the Plaza name and moved into the building when the original congregation moved out to the Providence Road property. Wednesday March 7, 1973 was the last service for the original congregation at the Plaza location. On Sunday March 11, they met for the first time out at Providence Road.
A New Start
The new Plaza Church (originally the Sugar Creek congregation) that had been meeting at The Plaza and McClintock building—merged with the Providence Road congregation, and the 1212 The Plaza building was no longer used as a church.
Since 1979, the building has been home to a frame shop and gallery, along with a bead shop. We’re proud to be a part of its history going forward, and glad we could work with the building owners, Manor & Park, to protect and restore a tiny slice of Plaza Midwood.
We wish to thank Pastor Lee Thrasher from Providence Road Church of Christ for his assistance in finding the historical information on the building and the people who worshiped there.
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“It’s been a privilege to restore this tiny slice of Charlotte and give this old building a new life as a restaurant.”
