Calvary Episcopal Church (Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. James Episcopal Church
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off TN 48, Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001268 |
| Added to NRHP | August 22, 1977 |
The Calvary Episcopal Church, once known as St. James Episcopal Church, is a really old church in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee. It's part of the Episcopal faith, which is a type of Christian church. You can find it just off Tennessee State Route 48.
A Church with a Past
The St. James Episcopal Church started in 1878. Its small, white wooden building was finished in 1879. It was built in a style called Gothic Revival, which means it looked like old European churches. A church leader named Bishop Charles Quintard officially dedicated the church in August 1882.
Who Built This Church?
The church was built by Captain James Pierre Drouillard and his wife, Mary Florence Kirkman. Mary Florence Kirkman Drouillard was the granddaughter of Anthony Wayne Van Leer. Her family was famous in Pennsylvania and known for being against slavery.
Mary Florence's grandfather, Anthony Wayne Van Leer, bought the important iron works in Cumberland Furnace. She inherited these iron works and about 20,000 acres of land nearby.
Captain Drouillard went to West Point, a famous military school. He was an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. Mary Florence Kirkman surprised many people in Nashville when she married him in 1864. At that time, Tennessee was still fighting against the Union.
For several years, the Drouillards lived in Cumberland Furnace. They managed the iron works there. In 1870, they built their large, three-story home. It was designed in the Italianate style and is now called Drouillard House. It sits on a hill overlooking the community. They also built a school for all children, both black and white. This school was on the land where the church's parish hall is now.
In 1882, the Drouillards gave the church to the Protestant Episcopal Church of Tennessee for a very small amount of money ($5). The Drouillards left Cumberland Furnace in 1886 and moved to Nashville. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means it's a special historic place.
Changing Names and Missions
In the 1980s, St. James Church helped start a new church in Dickson. Later, in the 1990s, the church in Dickson became the main St. James Episcopal Church. The original church in Cumberland Furnace then became a "mission church" and was renamed Calvary Church.
