Mt. Zion Church and Cemetery (Elkhorn, Tennessee)
Mt. Zion Church and Cemetery (United Baptist Church) is a historic church building near Elkhorn, Henry County, Tennessee, United States. It was built sometime between 1872 and 1899,[2] most likely in 1893, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1] It is the only surviving building in the "Old 23rd District" of Henry County, an extinct community since 1944.
This building might be confused with Mount Zion Church located approximately twenty miles south near Big Sandy, Benton County, Tennessee, which was destroyed by fire in the 1990s,[3] possibly 1992.
The building is on a small, remote peninsula colloquially referred to as the "Old 23rd District."[4] Today, this land is part of the Big Sandy Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. Between about 1821 and 1944, a small community of families lived and farmed there. Besides farming, the community produced timber and lumber, railroad cross ties and cleaned mussel shells for the button-making industry. The remote location also made moonshining quite lucrative. In the community, there were two churches, two or three stores, a sawmill and a post office at various times.[2] The first post office was Gillie, Tennessee, established in 1888 and absorbed by Pace, Tennessee in 1899. Pace, Tennessee was established in 1890 and absorbed by a rural route out of Big Sandy in Benton County, Tennessee in 1904.[2][5]
In 1938, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began construction of Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. Impounding the river meant that flood waters would consume a large part of the community, so in 1940, TVA began buying out property and moving all families out of the area. Buildings below the flood level were given to their prior owners and buildings above the flood level were auctioned off. All buildings had to be moved out by a certain date after which TVA burned what remained. Timber below the flood level was cut and burned on a tight schedule, preventing much of its use to sawmillers. Cemeteries that would be flooded or whose access would be flooded were surveyed, next of kin contacted, and decisions made on removal and relocation or remaining in place.[2]
The Mt. Zion Church building and cemetery exist well above the flood level therefore they enjoyed some special treatment. When TVA purchased the site, an agreement was made with the church trustees to leave the building standing and allow the congregation to meet there annually for a homecoming.[2][4] This homecoming still occurs on the first Sunday in July of each year.[4][6]
Mt. Zion Church may have first met in 1829.[2] It petitioned to and was accepted by the Western District Baptist Association in 1853.[2][4]
