West End Church of Christ Silver Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West End Church of Christ Silver Point
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West End Church of Christ Silver Point
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 14360 Center Hill Dam Rd. |
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| Nearest city | Silver Point, Tennessee |
| Area | Approximately one acre |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | P. H. Black |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001270 |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 2007 |
The West End Church of Christ Silver Point is a special brick church in Silver Point, Tennessee. It's a rural community without its own government. This church is a great example of "folk vernacular" style. This means it was built using local traditions and materials.
An African-American Church of Christ group has met here since it was built in 1915. In 2007, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This shows how important it is to the history of the Upper Cumberland area. The church's story is tied to a mission school that helped many people.
Contents
Where is the Church Located?
The West End Church of Christ Silver Point is found on Center Hill Dam Road. This road is also known as State Highway 141. The church is in the western part of Silver Point. Silver Point is a small community. It's spread out around the crossing of State Highway 141, State Highway 56, and Interstate 40. The church is about halfway between Cookeville and Smithville.
The church property also has a modern cemetery. There is also a small monument. This monument remembers when the church was first started. The area around the church is rugged and hilly. This is typical for the Highland Rim region.
The Church's Interesting History
Why Education Was Needed
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was hard for African-American people in the Upper Cumberland area to get an education. There were very few schools for them. A famous writer named W. E. B. Du Bois wrote about a simple schoolhouse nearby. He taught there when he was a student at Fisk University in the 1880s.
How the Mission School Started
In 1909, a preacher named George Phillip Bowser was asked to start a church in Silver Point. He agreed, but only if he could also start a mission school. This school would be for African-American children in the area. His idea was approved.
Later in 1909, Bowser opened the Putnam County Normal and Industrial Orphanage. This was the first name for the school. Other Church of Christ leaders helped him. Students paid a small fee for classes and to live there. The school also grew food in an 8-acre (3.2 ha) garden. They also sold wagons to help pay for things.
The school also published a newsletter called the Christian Echo. George Bowser started this newsletter in 1903. It was sent to people all over the country.
Help from Others and a New Building
Even with all their efforts, the school had money problems. A teacher asked David Lipscomb, a minister from Nashville, for help. Lipscomb then asked A. M. Burton, a rich businessman, for support. Burton agreed to help the school financially.
In 1913, the school changed its name to the Silver Point Christian Institute. It taught students from first to eighth grade. With better funding, a new building was constructed in 1915. An African-American architect named P. H. Black from Nashville designed it. This new building was used by both the school and the West End Church of Christ. The church group was also formed in 1915.
George Bowser left the school in 1918. He was frustrated because the school didn't have steady money. He later started other schools in Michigan and Texas. The Christian Echo newsletter is still published today! Classes continued at the West End Church until 1959. At that time, students began going to public schools in Putnam County. But the church group still meets regularly today.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
The West End Church of Christ Silver Point is a simple, country church. It shows an African-American "folk vernacular" design. This means it was built in a traditional style common in the area. The building is shaped like a rectangle. It is made of brick and has a concrete base. The roof is sloped and covered with asphalt shingles.
The south side of the church has a covered porch. This is where the main double-door entrance is located. The north side used to have two back doors, but they are now closed up. Both the east and west sides of the church have four windows. Each window has a brick arch above it. There is a concrete block at the top of the south wall. It might have once held a stone with the church's or school's name.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has a very basic layout. There are two groups of pews (church benches). A main aisle goes down the middle, leading to the pulpit. The church does not have a piano or organ. This is because the group believes musical instruments are not used in worship, based on their understanding of the Bible.
The pews are not the original ones. They were brought from another church building. Two rooms are next to the pulpit. These rooms are used for Sunday school classes. In the 1970s, the walls were covered with wood panels. Sound-absorbing tiles were also added to the ceiling.
A granite monument stands near the church's driveway. It remembers the founding of the church and the Silver Point Christian Institute. A modern cemetery is located behind the church building.
