Eden’s opening brings this Plaza Midwood building back to its biblical roots
⛪ In 2002, a “potentially sacrilegious nightlife venue” opened in Plaza Midwood. The Steeple Lounge was housed in a former church at 1212 Pecan Ave., and bartenders at the trendy new place wore priest collars to reflect the blending of the history with the space’s new identity.
“The view of the uptown skyline is amazing,” noted a Charlotte Observer article on Oct. 15, 2002.
If construction across the street doesn’t get in the way, that skyline view might be available again — along with a nod to its biblical roots — with the grand opening of the nightclub Eden on Friday.
The same building once was known as Peculiar Rabbit, and before that, the Steeple. At one point it was The Spot. And then The Goblin. It once housed a call center for Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s PTL TV ministry.
Here’s a look at the many lives of 1212 Pecan Ave. over the years.
The building began as Central Wesleyan Methodist Church, opening in 1948, according to Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett. An undated photo from the Observer archives shows it as a two-story structure.
Hanchett says in the 1970s, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker used it as a call center for their PTL TV ministry.
A 1987 list of Charlotte’s bookstores says it was established in 1971 as Living Word Inc., a Christian bookstore with five employees.
By the 2002, it had become the nightclub Steeple. The “In the Loop” local gossip column in the Observer said it was “touted as ‘an alternative sanctuary’ by club owners.” Among those spotted at the opening night crowd were Hope Nicholls, the owner of the boutique Boris + Natasha and former lead singer of the band Fetchin Bones (and current lead singer and drummer of It’s Snakes).
“If you go, be sure to take a peek out of the west-facing windows — the view of the uptown skyline is amazing,” the Observer wrote.
By 2006, the place was a music venue renamed The Goblin — and the new look wasn’t entirely well-received.
“If you haven’t been to the building since its Steeple days, you’ll be disappointed,” wrote the Observer’s Tonya Jameson on April 7, 2006. “The people who ran it before Autumn and Torch, wrecked the main area. They painted the stained glass windows and removed the organ pipes over the stage. The Goblin’s people have some work ahead if they hope resurrect the character of the main room. They also need to work on the sound. You could barely hear the vocals on Monday.”
At some point, it morphed into The Spot.
And in 2012, it became Peculiar Rabbit — with its distinctive mural on the west-facing side of the building.
Now, after renovations and a refresh, the building is returning with a biblical homage in its name: Eden.
The nightclub, offering specialty cocktails and small bites, is opening in a yet-again transformed space. Inside, guests will be greeted with jewel tones, luxe fabrics and lush floral arrangements.
And of course, it’s on brand — with neon signs, “guilty pleasures” and “forbidden fruit”, including an apple painted on the side of the building.
Eden
Location: 1212 Pecan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @edenofplaza
This story was originally published August 11, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
