St. Michael's Catholic Church (Cedar Hill, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Michael's Catholic Church
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3553 S.Carter Rd, Cedar Hill, Tennessee 37032 |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1842 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001817 |
| Added to NRHP | July 5, 1973 |
St. Michael's Catholic Church is a very old and important church located near Cedar Hill, Tennessee. It's a Roman Catholic church that has been open and used continuously for a long time. In fact, it's the oldest Catholic church still operating in Tennessee!
Part of its building is a log cabin from 1842. This makes it the oldest Catholic church building in the whole state. Because of its long history, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Long History
The story of St. Michael's Church began with four families. They settled near Turnersville between 1838 and 1840. These families bought one acre of land to build their church. The land came from the nearby Wessyngton plantation.
Building the First Church
The original church building was a log meetinghouse. It was finished in 1842. This log building was about 22 feet wide and 32 feet long. It was officially opened on May 8, 1842. This day is known as the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael.
When the church was first built, its location was a busy place. It was a stagecoach stop on the main road. This road connected the cities of Nashville and Clarksville.
School and Special Visitors
From 1846 to 1855, the church also ran a boarding school. It was called Saint Michael's Male and Female Academy. The school was located very close to the church building.
Later, in 1864 and 1865, a special priest served the church. His name was Father Abram Ryan. He was known as "the poet-priest of the Confederacy" because of his writings.
Changes and Additions
The log structure of the church got a big makeover in 1934 and 1935. It was covered with clapboard siding. This siding came from an old Episcopal church that was taken apart at Glen Raven.
During this time, the church building also got a major addition. This made its shape look like a "T" from above. In 1942, a bell tower was added to the front of the building. This was done to celebrate the church's 100th birthday! The bell inside the tower came from the same old church that provided the siding.
A Mission Church Today
For many years, St. Michael's was the only Roman Catholic church in Robertson County. That changed in 1944. That's when Our Lady of Lourdes church was started in Springfield.
Today, St. Michael's operates as a "mission church." This means it is connected to and supported by Our Lady of Lourdes. The church building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 1973.
