-
Beautiful Bethlehem Methodist Church
The congregation was formed in the early to mid 1800s and was built on land granted to Revolutionary veterans in 1783. The original structure was a log building that was used for both a church and a school. This building was later constructed in 1899 and dedicated in 1900. It was declared that “Bethlehem Church…
-
Adams, Tennessee Church in Ruins
This is the old United Methodist Church in Adams, Tennessee. I don’t have a date for its construction, but the buildings in this area were built around the late 1800s. The campaign sign hanging above the door is for Emerson Meggs that served as County Executive from 1982-1994 so that sign alone could be as…
-
Darien Church Rebuilt after Civil War
St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Darien, Georgia began in 1841. The original church was built in 1844, but was destroyed along with the rest of the town by fire during the Civil War. It is said that Colonel Robert Gould Shaw of the Union troops was ordered to burn the church and city. Following orders,…
-
Oldest Continual Catholic Church in Tennessee
St. Michael Catholic Church in Cedar Hill, Tennessee. The original log structure was built 1842 and the brick bell tower was added in 1942, the church’s centinnial year. When it was built, the church’s location was a stagecoach stop on the route between Nashville and Clarksville. This is the oldest continuously functioning Catholic church in…
-
Roberts Chapel – Maury County
This old building is Roberts Chapel (aka Sedberry Meeting House) in Maury County, Tennessee. The church was organized in 1841 with about 66 members. This meeting house was built around 1846 on land donated by Merrit Sedberry. The Reverand was William Orton Roberts hence the name Roberts Chapel. He’s buried in the cemetery beside the…
-
1923 Church Still Going Strong
This beautiful church is Claiborne Chapel AME Church in Williamsport, Tennessee. The congregation was established in 1875 with this current building being constructed in 1923. For decades the church was known for its “Big Day” where huge crowds would gather to worship and could be heard for miles around. This is still an active church…
-
Church Used as Powder Magazine During Civil War
Holy Trinity Church in downtown Nashville. The structure was modeled after an English parish church and built in 1852 by Wills and Dudley of New York. During the Civil War, it was taken over by the Federal Army and used as a powder magazine and stable. Still a very active church, it’s been in continuous…
-
Rural Church is Over 181 Years Old
This looks like it belongs in the middle of a city, but it’s actually quite rural. St John’s Episcopal Church is in Ashwood, Tennessee inside Maury County. It’s considered possibly the last of the plantation churches in Tennesssee. The Polk family were almost entirely responsible for the erecting of this beautiful church. Colonel William Polk…
-
Cathedral of the Assumption – Louisville, KY
Located in Louisville, the Cathedral of the Assumption was constructed in 1852 and the main tower and steeple (a steep 287 feet high) were completed in 1858. The cost? $80,000. The bell inside the tower weighs 400 pounds. The exterior of brick and limestone has essentially remained the same since it was built, wow! The…
-
Primitive Old Church Remains in Murfreesboro
This rustic old building is the Beesley Primitive Baptist Church in Rutherford County, Tennessee. The church began in 1805 as the Overall Creek Baptist Church and services were held in this very spot. The congregation eventually transitioned with the Primitive Baptist Movement and changed its name. An initial log building was erected here in 1805…
