of unequal size. On July 27, 1998, the Vatican issued a decree elevating the abbey church at Belmont to the rank of a minor basilica. The church features a baptismal font carved from a stone upon which African American slaves were once sold on the North Carolina market. St. Mary's College Father Herman Wolfe, O.S.B. and two students arrived in April 1876. The first students graduated in 1878. In April 1886 the state of North Carolina issued Saint Mary's College a charter authorizing the abbey/school to grant degrees. Two-thirds of the College Building was destroyed by fire in 1900. Rebuilding began immediately. In 1913 Saint Mary's adopted the Belmont Abbey name. On June 20, 2011, Belmont Abbey College broke ground for a residences for female students with or expecting children—regardless of religious affiliation—that can hold 15 babies, 15 women (who can stay for up to two years), and 8 toddlers at a time, with a shared living room, dining room, and laundry room. The residence, called "Room at the Inn" is operated by a Charlotte, North Carolina-based maternity and aftercare center of the same name. In May 2020, the college announced it was starting a nursing program to address the continuing healthcare needs in Gaston County. On July 14, 1993, the central campus was entered on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Belmont Abbey National Historic District." Present day The abbey is the motherhouse to Saint Leo Abbey in Tampa, Florida, as well as Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, Virginia. The monks also are the benefactors of Belmont Abbey College, a four-year Catholic liberal arts school. As of 2020, there are about twenty monks at Belmont Abbey. See also List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States References External links Official website Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Gothic Revival architecture in North Carolina Belmont Abbey College Benedictine monasteries in the United States Roman Catholic cathedrals in North Carolina Our Lady Mary Help of Christians Basilica Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Religious organizations established in 1876 Shrines to the Virgin Mary Buildings and structures in Gaston County, North Carolina 1876 establishments in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Gaston County, North Carolina Tourist attractions in Gaston County, North Carolina