Revere is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Madison County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, United States. It is also known as Sodom and Sodom Laurel.

Name origin

The community was originally named Sodom. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, a Baptist preacher travelling through the area commented on a group of prostitutes and compared it to

Sodom Sodom may refer to: Places Historic * Sodom and Gomorrah, cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis United States * Sodom, Kentucky, a ghost town * Sodom, New York, a hamlet * Sodom, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Sodom, West Virginia, an ...

in the Bible.

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

missionaries disliked this name, and officially changed the name to Revere. However, natives of the area continue to use the name Sodom.

Music

Revere is particularly rich in

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

singers, and noted folklorist Cecil Sharp transcribed several "Old World" ballads sung to him in 1916, some by family members of singer

Dillard Chandler Dillard Chandler (April 16, 1907 – January 24, 1992) was an American Appalachian Folk singer from Madison County, North Carolina. His a cappella performances on compilation albums were recorded by folklorist and musicologist John Cohen. ...

. In 2001,

Rob Amberg Rob Amberg (born 1947 in Washington, D.C.) is a North Carolina photographer, folklorist, and chronicler of a small Madison County mountain community, Revere, North Carolina (also known as Sodom or Sodom Laurel), which he depicted in his long-term ...

published a book ''Sodom Laurel Album'' that chronicles the traditions and lifestyle in Revere. Residents and folk singers Dellie Norton,

Doug Wallin Martin Douglas Wallin (July 30, 1919 – March 15, 2000) was a ballad singer and fiddler born in Madison County, North Carolina, and a recipient of a 1989 North Carolina Heritage Award. Biography A member of the Wallin Family, Wallin's parents, ...

, and

Sheila Kay Adams Sheila Kay Adams is an American storyteller, author, and musician from the Sodom Laurel community in Madison County, North Carolina. Background A seventh-generation ballad singer, storyteller, and claw-hammer banjo player, Sheila Kay Adams w ...

are featured in the book.

References

Unincorporated communities in Madison County, North Carolina Unincorporated communities in North Carolina {{MadisonCountyNC-geo-stub