SPENCER — The 5th annual Spencer Candlelight Tour of Churches takes place Friday and will include six churches this year.

The tour is free to the public and will be from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with entertainment provided at each church.

A $2 trolley ride is available for all riders older than three, however space is limited.

The trolley ride will board passengers at 5:30 p.m. at the former Park Plaza, across from the N.C. Transportation Museum. Although the trolley is available, attendees may walk or drive to the churches.

The tour stops are as follows:
• Stop No. 1

Spencer Presbyterian, 113 First St., 6 p.m.-6:20 p.m.

The Spencer Presbyterian Church obtained the property at its present location in 1902 and the cornerstone for the church was built a year later. The building was not completed for several years. Spencer Presbyterian’s sanctuary is the oldest of the Spencer churches. The church is also on the National Historic Register.

• Stop No. 2
Oakdale Baptist, 200 Charles St., 6:30 p.m.-6:50 p.m.

Oakdale Baptist Church began as a Sunday school in the Oakdale School House, located on Snider Street. The church was officially organized on December 27, 1925 and the present building was built a year later. The church has undergone many renovations and improvements throughout the years. The family life center was dedicated in October 1973.

• Stop No. 3
Dorsett Chapel United Church, 1280 Hollywood Drive. (3rd St. turns into Hollywood Drive), 7 p.m.–7:20 p.m.

The founders of Dorsett Chapel initially met in a small schoolhouse. Jim Dorsett provided land for a church and a school. The original name was Dorsett Chapel Congregational Christian Church. In 1913, the church was made of white weatherboards that sat on pillars. In October 1965, Dorsett Chapel Congregational Christian Church merged with the United Church of Christ of the Western Association. In 1971, Dorsett Chapel became a fulltime church.

• Stop No. 4
Calvary Lutheran, 303 Fifth St., 7:30 p.m.-7:50 p.m.

Calvary Lutheran Church began in August 1904, with a Sunday school organized by Mr. E. L. Ritchie, a theological student who was supplying Christ Lutheran Church in East Spencer.

In September 1905, Calvary was officially organized. The first worship service was held in the old Wachovia Bank Building at Fifth Street and Salisbury Avenue.

• Stop No. 5
First Baptist Church of Spencer, 215 Fifth St., 8 p.m.- 8:20 p.m.

In December 1897, First Baptist Church of Spencer was established in the home of Mrs. E.M. Barnes, the first charter member. In 1898, the small group of worshipers moved into the second floor of the Railroad building, Smith Hall, which stood at the corner of Fifth Street and Salisbury Avenue. In August 1898, a building committee was created to make recommendations for building a church.

• Stop No. 6
Central Methodist, 200 Fourth St., 8:30 p.m.– 9 p.m. Refreshments will be served at the final stop.

Central United Methodist’s neo-classical sanctuary was built according to the Akron Plan, a popular church building style from the 1870’s until the Great Depression. Another significant feature of the church is the mosaic of “Jesus, the Good Shepherd,” which was completed in 1967 with the education wing.

The event is sponsored by the Spencer Hometown Holidays Committee and the Spencer Council of Churches.

The committee is comprised of volunteers who help plan local events including holiday events and decorations.

For more information about the Spencer Hometown Holidays, visist www.spencerhometownholidays.com.