Christ Temple AME Zion Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Christ Temple AME Zion Church
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View from the west. The church faces northwest.
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 235 E. Meeting St., Dandridge, Tennessee |
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| Architectural style | Gable-front |
| MPS | Rural African-American Churches in Tennessee MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001221 |
| Added to NRHP | November 09, 2005 |
The Christ Temple AME Zion Church is a special historic building located at 235 E. Meeting Street in Dandridge, Tennessee. It is also known as the Belmont Annex Fellowship Hall. This church has a rich history, especially for the African-American community in the area.
Contents
A Church's Journey: Its Early Days
The original church building was first built around 1888. It was located in the southwestern part of Dandridge. This first location was right behind another church called Bethel Presbyterian Church.
A New Name and Dedication
In 1912, the church congregation decided to rededicate their building. They gave it a new name: Christ Temple AME Zion. To mark this important event, a special rectangular marble stone was placed in the church's foundation. This stone proudly showed the new name and the year it was dedicated.
Moving Day: A Church on the Move
In 1935, something big happened. The church building had to be moved! The Jefferson County Board of Education needed the land where the church stood. They wanted to build a new school there. This new school was part of a government program called the New Deal. It was also a "white-only" school, meaning only white students could attend due to the segregation laws at the time.
How the Church Found a New Home
The school board bought a different piece of land on East Meeting Street and Lake Drive. This land belonged to another church group, a Missionary Baptist congregation. The school board then traded this new land with the Christ Temple AME Zion congregation. In return, the AME Zion church gave up its original site. This way, the new school could be built on the former church property.
Rebuilding at the New Site
The church building was carefully moved to its new location. It was then rebuilt using parts of the original 1888 structure. Some new materials and features were likely added during this rebuilding process. The church is a single-story building with a pointed roof at the front, known as a gable-front. It sits on a brick foundation and has weatherboard siding. The roof is covered with metal. The front entrance is arched and set back, with two square windows on each side. Above the entrance, at the peak of the roof, there is a wooden vent.
Later Years and National Recognition
The church continued to serve its community for many years. However, by 2002, only five active members remained. Because of this, the church stopped its regular services.
Becoming an Annex
The building then became an annex, or extra part, of the Belmont AME Zion Church. This main church is located on Swannsylvania Road, also in Jefferson County.
A Place in History
In 2005, the Christ Temple AME Zion Church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. At the time it was listed, there were plans to remove some changes made around 1970. These changes included carpet, fake pine paneling, and a dropped ceiling inside the church. Removing these would help restore the church to its earlier look.
