Jones Gap Baptist Church-Henderson County, North Carolina

Built in 1913, the Gothic Revival Jones Gap Baptist Church sits atop a hill in Henderson County, North Carolina. The church traces its history to Mount Crystal Baptist Church, a church built on Jump Off Mountain in 1892.

The church was the site of arson in 1971. James Robert Arrowood, a volunteer fire fighter, set fire to several schools and churches in the area and then fought the blazes. It is believed there were copycat arsonists at work, too. It was never determined if the damage was caused by Arrowood or one of the copycats.

The congregation is still active. They built a modern structure down the hill, which they’ve used since 1998.

Reference: Terry Ruscin’s article in Blue Ridge Now, “Jones Gap Church originally stood on Jump Off Mountain”

Leave a Reply