Pictures of Black Churches, Benton County, Tennessee

TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS FROM BLACK CEMETERIES
IN BENTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
(Revised Edition with Maps)
Compiled by Jonathan K. T. Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 1995

(Page 77)

PICTURES OF BLACK CHURCHES

TOLES CHAPEL C.M.E.

The first meetinghouse for this congregation stood on the bill where the old Toles Chapel cemetery is located; in February 1907 the church trustees, OLIVER TOLES, GEORGE WYLY and RICHARD McAULEY, bought for $6 a parcel of land on Flatwoods Road, a point about 50 yards north of the present church on Wren Avenue. Eventually the congregation moved to the block building, a former schoolhouse, it now occupies. Sources: Benton County Deed Book 2, pages 48-49; Mr. Ovell Travis, Camden.

MT. LEBANON BAPTIST CHURCH

Established in 1869; housed in a frame building but since 1954 in a brick building; improvements have been made to the edifice from time to time. Sources: Mr. Roland McElrath, Camden; articles appearing in THE CAMDEN CHRONICLE over the years about this very active congregation. Source: Mr. Roland McElrath, Camden.

(Page 78)

WILLIAMS GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

Established about 1950; met at first in schoolhouse but about 1958 a block building served the purpose but eventually the sanctuary was an attractive frame building. Among the early members were NORA KELLEY, GEORGE and VERNITA THARPE, THOMAS WILLIAMS, ODIE THARPE, GILBERT and HATTIE WILLIAMS, HORACE and MARY SUE WILLIAMS, BEN THARPE, VICTORINE THARPE, ERNEST and GERTRUDE THARPE. Source: Mrs. Audry Williams Tharpe, Camden.

MOORE CHAPEL-FRIENDSHIP C.M.E.

Land provided by JOHN L. MOORE for site of frame church that stood on a portion of the south (front) of Moore Chapel cemetery; about 70 years ago. Congregation was renamed Friendship C.M.E. and eventually abandoned the old building; met in the block schoolhouse just east of the cemetery until about 1989 when the present block church was erected on a strip of land donated by Mr. BUD MENZIES. Sources: Mr. James Jennings, Camden; Mr. Ernest Menzies, Benton County.

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