This isn’t a story about a Mexican restaurant—though Mi Veracruz on North Main Street does serve up some pretty good Mexican food. Instead, it’s a story about the building that Mi Veracruz calls home. If you’ve visited, you might have noticed the exposed timber rafters supporting the roof in what was obviously once a church building. What you might not realize is that these rafters are actually “collapsible”—not a permanent part of the structure.

Take a closer look, and you’ll see these rafters resting on pillars set within the interior walls. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, collapsible rafters were somewhat common in buildings of a more temporary nature, like barns or military structures.

Churches, however, almost never used collapsible rafters, as they aimed to convey a sense of strength and permanence. Since this building originally served as a church, it’s likely that these rafters came from somewhere else—most likely Europe since these types of rafters were very uncommon in the U.S. One can only guess how old they really are and where they stood before arriving in Mooresville.

So, the next time you’re in a building with exposed rafters, take a close look at how the timbers connect. You might just be looking at a piece of history—collapsible rafters with a story of their own.

For a virtual tour of Mi Veracruz and a closer look at these historic rafters, check out this Google link and pan around with your mouse of finger.