Mt. Zion Christian Methodist Episcopal Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Mt. Zion Colored Methodist Episcopal Church
|
|
Front and southern side
|
|
 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Corner of North Greenwood and East College Streets, Union City, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Union City, Tennessee MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000140 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 2001 |
The Mt. Zion Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as Mt. Zion CME Church, is a historic and important church in Union City, Tennessee. You can find it at the corner of North Greenwood and East College Streets. This church has a rich history, especially for the African-American community in the area. It was once called the Mt. Zion Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.
Contents
A Church with a Long History
The Mt. Zion church community started in 1870. This was the same year that the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church was formed. This new church group was created by African Americans who had been part of another church called the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
In its first years, the Mt. Zion church met in a simple wooden building. This building was located in Union City's African-American neighborhood. By the 1890s, more people joined the church. Its members also became more successful. This led them to decide they needed a bigger, brick church building.
Church members themselves helped build the new church. It was finished and officially opened in 1896. The building's style is a simpler version of Gothic Revival architecture. This style was very popular in the late 1800s.
Inside the Church Building
The main part of the church, built in 1896, holds the church's main worship area, called the sanctuary. It has a balanced design with pointed ends on the roof, called gables. There is also a bell tower.
One special thing inside is its unique ceiling. It's called a hipped ceiling and is about 30 feet (9 meters) above the floor. This ceiling has three parts made of narrow wooden planks. The middle part of the planks is flat, like the floor. The side parts angle down towards the brick walls.
The light inside the sanctuary comes from four old-fashioned metal light fixtures. These were made during the Victorian-era. They were first used for gas lighting but were changed to electricity around 1920. Each fixture has sixteen light bulbs. A large round shade above the bulbs helps direct the light.
As of 1996, the church still had its original pews. These are the long benches where people sit. The ends of the pews have decorations that look like Gothic arches. These designs match the shape of the church windows.
Community and Education
In 1917, the Mt. Zion church helped build a new schoolhouse. This school was for African-American children. The new brick school, named Miles School, was built right across the street from the church on North Greenwood Street.
The church and the school worked together. They were very important centers for the local African-American community. The first Miles School building was later replaced by a newer one in the 1950s or 1960s. However, this spot continued to be where Union City's separate black school was located. Today, this location is still used for education. It is now the site of the Miles Early Head Start center.
Around 1940, a new building was added to the back of the church. This addition was used for community events and classrooms. In 1956, the church's main group changed its name from "Colored Methodist Episcopal" to "Christian Methodist Episcopal." Because of this, the Mt. Zion church also changed its name to its current one.
The church community stopped meeting in 2005. But it started up again in 2007. Darrell Turner, who grew up in the church, became its new pastor.
A Historic Landmark
The Mt. Zion Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This means it is recognized as a very important historic site. When it was added, people described it as Union City's "oldest remaining architectural artifact of African-American craftsmanship of the late Victorian era." This shows how special the building is and how much it means to the history of the area.
