Briceville Community Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Briceville Community Church and Cemetery
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Briceville Community Church and Cemetery
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | State Route 116 |
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| Nearest city | Briceville, Tennessee |
| Area | 3.2 acres (1.3 ha) |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000697 |
| Added to NRHP | July 24, 2003 |
The Briceville Community Church is a special church in Briceville, Tennessee, United States. It's called "nondenominational," which means it doesn't belong to just one specific Christian group. Built way back in 1887, this church was super important for the people living in the Coal Creek Valley. It was a main spot for social life and community events when coal mining was a big deal in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
In 2003, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical building. It's also a great example of "Gothic Revival" style, which was popular for churches in rural areas.
Mining companies found lots of coal in the Coal Creek Valley in the 1860s. By the 1880s, many mines were open. A railroad line reached Briceville in 1888, just one year after the church was built. The church even served as a temporary jail during the Coal Creek War. This was a big labor disagreement that started in 1891. Later, the church held memorial services for victims of two terrible mine accidents: the Fraterville Mine disaster in 1902 and the Cross Mountain Mine disaster in 1911. Many victims from these disasters are buried in the church's cemetery. The church was a Methodist church until 1995, and it's still used today for different community gatherings.
Where is the Church Located?
The Briceville Community Church sits on top of a small hill. This hill is part of "Root Hog Ridge," which is near Vowell Mountain. The church is right in the middle of Briceville. The hill is about 20 feet (6 meters) tall, so you can see the church from almost anywhere in the community!
The church building is at the edge of the hill. The cemetery spreads out behind the church, going up the hillside. Some gravestones are even right at the edge of the trees. State Highway 116 runs along the bottom of the hill. The Briceville area is at the end of the Coal Creek Valley. This valley is a narrow strip of land between Walden Ridge and the Cumberland Mountains.
A Look at the Church's History
A railroad line was finished from Knoxville to Coal Creek (now called Rocky Top) in the late 1860s. This led to a huge mining boom in the Coal Creek Valley. In 1888, a special train track was built up the valley to Slatestone Hollow. This happened because Senator Calvin Brice from Ohio pushed for it. So, the Slatestone community was renamed "Briceville" after him.
The Briceville Community Church was built in 1887. Volunteers from the community helped build it. John Moore donated the land for the church. At first, the church was for all Christian groups. But by 1896, it became a Methodist church. This was because the Baptist and Presbyterian groups in Briceville had grown enough to build their own churches.
Historians say that places like churches helped people in the Coal Creek Valley feel like a strong community. This feeling played a part in the Coal Creek War. This was a labor dispute that started in 1891. The Tennessee Coal Mining Company decided to use "convict labor" to break a strike. Convict labor meant using prisoners to work in the mines.
The conflict began on July 14, 1891. Miners surrounded the company's prison camp in Briceville. They marched the prisoners out of the valley. Briceville was a key place during this uprising. The conflict ended in August 1892 when the Tennessee state militia stepped in. After the conflict, the Briceville Community Church was used as a temporary jail. Dozens of miners arrested by the militia were held there.
On June 8, 1902, memorial services were held at the church. These services were for the victims of the Fraterville Mine disaster. This mine explosion killed 216 miners at the Fraterville Mine, just north of Briceville. Another terrible mine accident happened on December 9, 1911. This was at the Cross Mountain Mine, about a mile west of the church. It killed 84 miners.
Many victims of the Cross Mountain explosion were buried in a special circle. This is known as the Cross Mountain Miners' Circle. It's on the slopes of Walden Ridge. However, some victims were buried in the Briceville Community Church Cemetery. One of them was Eugene Ault (1889–1911). His gravestone has a "farewell message" carved into it. This was a message Ault wrote on a mine wall as he was dying.
After World War II, mining companies slowly left Briceville. People across the country needed less coal. Because of this, fewer people attended the Briceville Community Church. Between 1947 and 1965, the church's pastor, Ralph Cline, and a church member, Anna Mae Evans, started new programs. These programs helped the community get more involved with the church.
Some of these programs included:
- Summer Bible school classes
- A community Thanksgiving service
- An annual New Year's Eve service, where the church bell rang at midnight
Pastor Cline also helped build a fellowship hall in the church's basement. Regular Methodist services continued until June 1995. Then, the Methodist Church gave the building to two local trustees. The church is still used today for community events like weddings and funerals. It also serves as a safe place for Briceville Elementary School (which is across the street) in emergencies.
How the Church Looks
The Briceville Community Church has walls made of painted wood. It has a basement and a roof that slopes down on two sides (a "gabled roof"). The building would look quite simple if it weren't for its two special towers. These towers are built at an angle to the front of the church. They are in the "Gothic Revival" style.
Both towers have openings with slanted slats (called "louvers") for bells. They also have pyramid-shaped roofs. The east tower is taller than the west tower and looks a bit different. The east tower holds the church's bell, which was made in 1919. A brick chimney was added behind the west tower in the 1950s.
Doors at the bottom of both towers lead into the church's main area, called the sanctuary. The sanctuary has a wooden floor covered with carpet. It has oak pews (long benches) that were put in during the 1950s. There's also a pulpit (where the speaker stands) with wooden panels. Wooden stairs lead down to the church's basement. The basement has a fellowship hall and Sunday school classrooms, which were built in the 1950s.
The church's cemetery is also very important. It's part of why the church is on the National Register. The cemetery covers almost an acre of land on the west and north sides of the church. The oldest gravestone belongs to Henry Mears, who passed away on March 31, 1891. Most of the gravestones face east-west. They are usually simple stone slabs or tall, thin monuments called obelisks. You can see many symbols carved on them from the Victorian era. These include open Bibles, praying hands, stars, and doves. There are also symbols for groups like the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Freemasons.
