Waldensian Presbyterian Church

 The history of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church is so intertwined with the history of the town of Valdese, it is impossible to study one without learning of the other. One example of this is the fact that when it was apparent that the community could not economically survive based on agriculture, the Church loaned money to help start industry. In education and industry, as well as in the religious life of the community, the Church served and serves today as the center of the Waldensian life in Valdese.

Each Christmas, the Presbyterian Church stages an outdoor Christmas scene that reenacts the story of Jesus' birth. The scene takes place at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the front lawn of the Church and is scheduled for December 19th and 20th for the 2007 Christmas Season.

The "Celebration of the Edict of Emancipation of February 17, 1848"  is celebrated each year at the church. This date commemorates the granting of political and civil liberties to the Waldenses and is celebrated in Waldensian churches through out the world . The celebration concludes with a bonfire.  This tradition actually began on the night of February 17, 1848 as the villages throughout the valleys lit fires to celebrate the rights they had finally been given.

Please contact our Tourism Director, Barbara Hefner, anytime with questions about any facet of visiting Valdese. Phone 828.879.2126 or e-mail at bhefner@ci.valdese.nc.us.