Martin Chapel

     Martin is a community located between Sengtown, Tenn. And Rapids, Ky.
     There is no record of how this area got it's name, but it had a great importance in the history of Northern Sumner County.
     Martin consisted mainly of a school, which also served as a church until 1912.
     The Martin Church was organized in the schoolhouse on Dec., 3, 1909. Meetings were held once a month. Records from the church ledger show that an 10 a.m. on Dec. 3, 1909, the organizing meeting began.
     The Mt. Union Association of General Baptist sent the Rev. J. E. Hargett to chair the meeting. The Rv. J. F. Hargett, the Rev. J. A. Thompson, J. B. Barnard, Jon Lovelady and Henee Barnard were elected the first deacons. The second step was having a satisfactory examination. The third step was the present a Bible as a rule of religion, faith and practice.
     The fourth step was having the church covenant read and adopted. The fifth step was a prayer of consecration, offered by the Rev. Hargett. The sixth step was the election of church officers.
     The Rev. Hargett was elected pastor and moderator, T. H. Stepenson was elected clerk and James Webb was elected treasurer. The next step was to add three deacons which were Curtis Hodges, G. W. Duffer and J. M. Webb. The meeting was over, having a membership of 34. Of this number, 24 were baptized in a spring below the school.
     In the year 1911, Will Duffer donated land to erect a church building. The building would be about one-eighth of a mile west of the school building. The lumber, sawed in the woods and used in the construction, was donated by R. L. Brown.
     Martin's Chapel was rebuilt in 1969.

Return to Sumner County Main Page