Historic Preservation

The other day a friend in Georgia posted a photo of an historic LDS church in his area that was really deteriorating. Honestly, I'm not sure I would be willing to walk inside. But it got me thinking about the condition of some of the historic LDS Churches in Tennessee.

Sadly most of them have been torn down. A few burned down. I was looking at a photo of one in Nashville that is now a multi million dollar home (photos of that one to come later). Probably the oldest still standing is in Northcutts Cove. Built in 1909, it was replaced by a stone church in the late 1940's. It too was replaced with a more modern structure in the early 80's that is still used today.

So this weekend I took a trip to Grundy County. It is only about an hour from my house. But it feels like it is so much further.

It was a gorgeous day. Perfect for photos. Also perfect for checking out the damage. You see, last year, there was a terrible ice storm in this part of Tennessee. And I heard that this chapel had sustained more damage than the owners were capable of repairing themselves. Efforts were made to raise money for repairs. I wanted to see how they went. Right away I didn't see anything. I compared it to to some photos I took on my last visit. It looked pretty good. There were big cracks in the steps, but those have been there for years.

I had heard that the owners keep it unlocked so people can visit and look around whenever they like. I guess it is easier than trying to run over there to open it up for every one who wants to stop by. So on this trip I went up to the from door and sure enough, it wasn't locked. Not that there is anything inside worth taking, but where I come from, everything is locked.

Immediately the ceiling lights jumped out at me. I can't help but think they are original. Others lights have been added along the side walls are obviously not original.

Stories are told about how the pews were hand made, so I had to take a picture of them too.

It is a simple building, with nothing more than the absolute essentials. A raised section at the far (east) end of the building. A podium, which looks newer than the rest, and a wood burning stove. It does get cold in Tennessee. Remember the ice storms?

I did find some holes in the wall, and in the ceiling. None of them appeared to go all the way through to the outside. It is an old building, so that doesn't surprise me. It does appear that someone has been doing enough work to keep the elements at bay. In 1979, thanks to efforts of the owners the building made it on the National Register of Historic places.

It is perhaps an example of preservation that is working. I know that the owners are descendants of the original converts who donated the land. Ownership reverted to them once the church replaced the church in the 40's. They should be commended for keeping it as it was. I can cite another church the was in a similar situation that did not survive. The owners tore it down to build a new home.  And another that is being used as a personal storage shed. But those are stories for another day.

Marilla Sophia Wagner Foulger (1892 -1981)

[A reader, Leanne Law, sent in an autobiography of her grandmother. She joined the church with her family in Tennessee. Because of its length I have taken just some excerpts from it.]

I, Marilla Wagner Foulger, was born in Sequatchie, Marion Co., Tennessee to Christian W. Wagner and Anna Augusta Scheef on December 2, 1892, the ninth child of a family of fifteen children.

My father was a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade and was born in Binnign, Baselland, Switzer1and, October 28, 1849 to Jacob Wagner and Barbara Eicher. My mother was born July 2 1859 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois to Gottlob Frederick Scheef and Barbara Kohn of Germany.

[Marilla’s parents married in Minnesota in 1879 and lived much of their early married life in South Dakota. But eventually the family took an opportunity to move to Tennessee, first to Cleveland, then Sequatchie, and finally Tracy City all within a 20 mile radius of Chattanooga.]

My father had a little planing mill in Sequatchie where we lived. We moved away when I was about 7 years old to a large fruit farm on the rolling hills of the Cumberland where my father owned a large tract of timber land. Our home was a large two-story house set in the middle of a yard of beautiful flowering trees and bird houses. It was made of rustic logs with large rooms and a huge fireplace at one end of the living room. I loved the winter evenings around the fireplace. There was always singing and sometimes stories until we were sent to bed. The kerosene lamps were filled every day and the chimneys were sparkling and clean.

We weren’t members of any church but always went to Sunday School at the Methodist Church. I loved stories and was given pictures of Jesus which I prized dearly. One of my sisters joined some church when she got married. At one time we children all learned the ten commandments from memory.

Father would never join any church because he I couldn’t find what he was looking for until about 1902 when he heard of some young missionaries in our community. He went to hear them explain the principles of the gospel. He became interested at once and invited them to our home. They were treated dreadfully by other people. One was ridden on a rail and thrown in the river. There were threatened with tar and feathers but ended up being pelted with eggs and tomatoes.

After several months we were baptized. Father, Mother and seven children were all baptized on November 12, 1902 in Foster Falls near Tracy City, Tennessee. From that time on we had Sunday School, Sacrament and Fast Meetings in our home. There we learned the principles of the gospel. In the mission field you really feel the spirit of the gospel. A few of our friends and neighbors came to Sunday School but they didn’t belong to the church until after we left Tennessee.

My oldest brother, William, and sister, Mamie, came to Salt Lake a year before we did. Mamie married a missionary, Ernest Harker, from Taylorsville, Utah. We came to Salt Lake in [August] 1905.

My father sold his beautiful home and possessions and barely received enough money to pay for our train fare. The man who bought it never paid what he owed and father had nothing to fight with so he lost it. He said many times that he was much better off than the man who cheated him out of his money.

[The Tracy City News, wrote an article about the family and their decision to moved to Salt Lake City. The editor attributed their decision to three successive years of crop failure due to frost. He went on to say Chris Wagner was an “A-1 carpenter” and possessed sturdy qualities that would have made him an excellent town builder had he chose to stay. He estimated it cost the family $400 in train fare to get to Utah.]

My brother, Will, met us at the station where we stayed until he and father found us a place to live at 122 West 2nd North. It was so beautiful. We were tired from our trip and it had a lovely bath tub. We lived in the 19th Ward and Washington school district.

I was 10 years old at this time. I worked for the lady next door, washing and preparing vegetables for dinner. She paid me 75 cents a week. Then I took care of her daughters children too. She paid me in tithing money so I couldn’t buy much of anything there so I saved until I had enough money for shoes. I always seemed to find some little job to do to get money to buy my shoes. From the time I was 10 my father never bought my shoes, which made me very proud of myself.

[Marilla must had a beautiful singing voice. From 1912 to 1915 she was a soprano with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. On July 14th 1914 she married Clarence Adelbert Foulger, and they had several children. At least one joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as an adult. Clarence died at his home Dec 7th 1945. Marilla passed away July 23rd 1981 at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.]

Northcutts Cove 1909

It never fails. Just as I finish a post, someone sees it and says "I have something you want." And so it is with this photo. Dated 1909, this photo of the Northcutts Cove Chapel at Larsen Tennessee, (just north of Altamont, Tennessee) may have been taken at the dedication which was in October of 1909. Part of me thinks I can see Charles A. Callis in the photo. He spoke at the dedication and at the public debate immediately following it. But the images are just too small to tell.

Chapels in the History of Altamont Tennessee

On my way home from a long work assignment, I realized I would be driving "close" to Altamont, Tennessee. Altamont is the county seat of Grundy County and sits on top of the Cumberland Plateau. Grundy county also has the largest concentration of LDS members in the state of Tennessee.

I say I was on my way home, but Altamont isn't on the way to anywhere. Like Cane Creek, it is an hour from the nearest interstate. I left I-24 and followed Hwy 50 East. I passed through some small towns before the road begins the climb. Almost immediately it turns back on itself again and again in a series of switch backs. All told the elevation climbed 800+ feet in just 3 miles. Seven miles further was the town of Altamont; population 1,300.

It is here that the oldest LDS chapel in Tennessee is found. Dedicated in 1909, The Northcutts Cove Chapel certainly wasn't the first, but it has survived where the other have not. I kind of knew where the Chapel was, so I figured I wouldn't get lost. But there is another chapel I wanted to see, built in 1947 to replace the first. It is beautiful, built from colorful stone. It isn't being used anymore, so GPS would be of no use here. But I knew it was somewhere near the courthouse. As I turn from Hwy 50 left onto Hwy 56 I mentally look around for the court house. I hadn't driven a 1/8th of mile when I saw the stone chapel. It is closer to the road than I had imagined, but nothing is quite how you imagine it. The Church doesn't own it anymore. The last I heard the city was using it to store records.

I drove north on Hwy 56 and completely missed my turn, and had to drive quite a ways before I could turn around. The road I wanted was appropriately named Northcutts Cove Road. The Northcutts family figured prominently in local Church history. The Cove, known as Larsen when the chapel was first built, was the birthplace of the church in the area. A friend sent me a photo of the Chapel from 1913. The first thing I thought when I saw it was "I wonder if I could get a photo from the same vantage point."

What followed was some geometry based on the apparent angle at which the Chapel is seen in the old photo (14 degrees) off perpendicular. My math was rustier that I thought and I had to look up the formulas. Add in a Google Earth photo of the chapel to determine where the vantage point was. The best I could do was a line drawn across the map. Somewhere along that line the photographer stood. Further guessing that there was an elevation difference of about a hundred feet, I could pretty easily pinpoint on the map my destination.

Driving along Northcutts Cove Road, I notice road signs that let me know I am getting close to the right spot. I passed Ray Fults Drive and W. Smartt Road, both family names linked with the building of the Chapel in 1909. It was W. Smartt Road I was hoping to take to my destination. But the rusty iron gate padlocked across the chert gravel road, made me change my mind.

I drove on, down the hill to the cove far below. Almost immediately the small white chapel came into view. There were few things different from the photos I had already seen. Tall bushes hiding the front of the building had been cut down. And a new stone marker had been added to the grounds commemorating the 100th anniversary of its dedication.

Recently placed wreaths in the cemetery behind the church, remind me that people connected to the church still live nearby. A piece of me secretly hoped someone obviously connected to the chapel would see me drive up and come to introduce themselves. The land has since passed into private hands, but they are members of the church, I am told, and are proud of their connection to their piece of history. None of the homes in the distance are obviously connected to this property, and I'm not enough of an extrovert to just walk up to the homes of people I don't know. Yes, tracting was horrible.

I turn to the south and look up at the point I was hoping to get to, but couldn't. Part of me is consoled by the fact that today, the hillside is covered with trees. It is unlikely I would be able to get a clear shot roughly approximating the original.

As I get in my car to continue my trip home (two hours later than I was expected), I think of the narrow window of opportunity this community sat in during the turn of the last century. Had the missionary success happened a few years earlier, many of the converts would have emigrated to the west, leaving little lasting imprint of their proselyting efforts on the local community. A little later, and there would not have been enough time for the local church to grow as it has here.

[As I am nearly home I realize I didn't stop at the newest chapel, the one the saints in Altamont use today. The third would have rounded out the visit. Perhaps even have been a interesting way to mark the growth of the church. Architecture as a proxy for history. Mmmmmmm.]

Larson, Tennessee

Situated in the hills of southern Tennessee is a small one room church house. In 1913, when this photo was taken, the closest post office was at Larson, Tennessee. At the time the chapel was just four years old. and was the start of a very successfull branch of the LDS Church. By the time the photo was published the post office closed down. Eventually the area came to be called Northcutt's Cove after the LDS family that lived there. Accompanying the photo was the following description.

Elder Marion P Hutchings, President of the East Tennessee Conference, reports that the work of the Lord has never looked more encouraging than in that place at present. "The counties and towns in the past who have bitterly opposed us to us are now receiving the elders. The churches and school houses are being opened up for our use all through the conference and the people seem to be much more anxious to hear the glorious truths of 'Mormonism.' On July 24th, six of the elders met with the saints and friends at Larsen, where we have a beautiful little church and about fifty members. This was the first entertainment of the kind ever held in this section of the country. The elders laboring here are:  James L Marler, Lewiston, Idaho; George A. Sampson, Delta, Utah; Charles R Bennett, Holbrook, Idaho; Conference President Marion P. Hutchings, Beaver, Utah; Orson M. Sprague, Mesquite Nevada; Earl B Hales, Riverside, Utah."

From Tennessee to the Temple at Eighty-five

[The following comes from the Church News on 6 October 1948, on Page 21]

John H Tipton sets many firsts while attending his first general conference from Laager, Tenn.

4 Firsts for Octogenarian

His first view of a temple, his first attendance at a general conference, his first airplane ride, and the first time he has been more than200 miles from his home; such is the record for venerable John H. Tipton, 85, who arrived in Salt lake City last week from Laager, Tennessee.

[At the age of 85 he still lived near his old home. Laager, Tennessee is just 16 miles from the chapel he built.]

Accompanying “Uncle John” as he is familiarly to the saints in the East Central States Mission, was Elder Ray Summers of Salt Lake City, now serving as a missionary in that area.

[When John first met the missionaries, probably in 1905 1895, he turned them away. As they left, one of them dusted his feet. John’s wife saw them and realizing the significance, insisted that John listen to what they had to say.]

A convert of the Church for more than 40 years, Elder Tipton has been a mainstay in Church activities in the East Central Mission for years and is called “The Man of Love” by literally hundreds of missionaries and Saints throughout that area.

Although a farmer by profession, Elder Tipton in 1909 single handedly built and gave to the Church a chapel in Northcuts Cove. It was used by the Altamont Branch for many years. He also served as President of this branch for four years.

[While Elder Tipton did indeed provide the land on which the chapel was built, and provided a considerable amount of the labor, he did not do it single handedly. He was part of a committee who worked to turn the dream into a reality. Although the historical record does say how much each person did, Henry Smartt and Albert Fults, were identified as having built the pews in the chapel. Also named were Bill Tanner, Reuben Smartt, and Beecher Smartt. And what is all the more amazing is that John Tipton did all this work before he was a member. His wife Belle had joined the church in 1905 and three of his daughter in 1908. But John did not get baptized until 27 Oct 1909, 3 days after the completion of the chapel - Dedicated 24 Oct 1909, by Charles A. Callis.]

Elder Tipton was married in 1885, and he and his wife had five daughters, three of whom are still living. Mrs. Tipton died in 1945.

[John married Mary “Belle” Nunley on 19 January 1885. Their other two daughters eventually joined the Church as well, in 1914 and 1921. John took the opportunity of his visit to Salt Lake City, to go to the temple and be sealed to his wife.]

The Utah School of Beersheba Springs, Tennessee

Beersheba Springs is a small historic resort community in Grundy County northeast of Altamont, Tennessee. It has retained a significant number of historic buildings including the cabins built as vacation homes. These cabins are owned by families which have been passed down for nearly 150 years. The atmosphere remains small with a population of about 500 and family centered.

When one of the two schools burned down, all the students were sent to the other school. But residents did not like their children having to walk the extra distance to remaining school [It was only a mile]. So in 1913 a school board member promised to provide a new one room school and a single teacher. Land was donated by the McCarver family. Because of the large number of Mormons in the area, several of whom were "from the State of Utah", the school board named it the Utah School.

The school was built using logs and housed grades one through eight. At some point the log building was replaced with a brick one built by Henry L. Brown. The brick building was used until 1959 when the schools in the area were consolidated and bus service was provided for the students to go to Altamont, 5 miles to the southwest.

Old Altamont Mormon Church

Below is an article written by Gordon B Hinkley about this beautiful chapel in Altamont, Tennessee.

 "Salt of the Earth…." January 3, 1948

Persistence Wins For Southern Leader

By Gordon B. Hinckley

All men dream. Some men work to make their dreams come true. The labors of Lewis F. Fults over the past 25 years have brought the fulfillment of a dream that has proved a blessing to the Church and to the community in whichhe lives.

Altamont, Tennessee is a town of only 300 people. Almost half of theseare members of the Church. Twenty-six years ago when Elder Fults and his wife moved to the community, they were the sole members. The only knowledge the people of the area had of the Mormons came from the occasional passing visits of two missionaries moving through the county, each carrying a heavy suitcase and an umbrella. Brother Fults dreamed of the day when there would be a congregation and a chapel in which to meet. And then he set to work to makehis dream a reality.

He became postmaster, and operated a general store and filling station. He forced his opinions on no one, but those who traded with him, received more than letters and groceries and gasoline. They learned something of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He ran for the office of county registrar, and was elected and is now serving his fourth term, each of four years. For the past ten years he has also been mayor of Altamont for which he receives no pay beyond the gratitude of his fellow citizens.

As many people of the community and the county observed him at work and listened to his philosophy they began to realize that he had something which they wanted. With the aid of missionaries serving in the area, he brought some of them into the Church. The congregation of which he dreamed slowly became ma fact.

But that was only half his dream. They needed a chapel. He consistently hammered at the idea and in 1938 President William T. Tew of the East Central States Mission, secured from the Church an appropriation of $1,000 with the nderstanding that the Altamont Saints would furnish whatever else was necessary to complete the project.

Members and non-members turned out enthusiastically to begin work on a spring day in 1939. But excavation for the foundation had to be cut through solid rock which underlaid a thin layer of topsoil. Enthusiasm died, and only three men continued at the tedious job of drilling, blasting, cutting, and then moving the debris in wheelbarrows.

The task seemed too great. Everyone was discouraged, but Elder Fults determined in his mind and prayed in his heart that somehow the work would be completed. Meanwhile weeds grew in the shallow excavation, and people suggested that the hole be filled and that the idea forgotten. Then this man of quiet determination went to work alone, literally chipping away at the stone that stood between him and his dream. His spirit became infectious. Others again pitched in. Then came the war. Costs soared, the young men went into the Army, and many of the older ones went to work in other places. The thousand dollars dwindled, but the project had gone so far that the Church added another two thousand to complete it.

Elder Fults schemed and shopped to keep costs down. He went to 25 different mills to save $300 on the doors and windows. As county registrar in the building adjacent to the chapel site he had a little free time now and again, and always kept his tools handy to put in a few strokes as opportunity arose.The outside walls were constructed of native stone much of which was gathered out of the mountains, and hauled on sleds drawn by mules. Hardwood flooring was impossible to buy during the war, and so he purchased oak tie siding, stacked it and allowed it to dry for several weeks, and then had it cut and planed by a local mill.

Elder Fults pays glowing tribute to those who faithfully worked on the project. But the fact remains that he laid most of the rock veneer, laid the brick trim around the windows and doors, did much of the inside finish work, and more important than all else, pleaded and coaxed, crusaded, and schemed to see the building begun and completed.

On November 2 of this year Elder Henry D. Moyle of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the chapel. People gathered from near and far, many of them not members of the Church, bringing baskets of food for a day of rejoicing. A dream had come true.

Today Lewis F. Fults sits in his office in the moldering old red brick courthouse of Grundy County. Many people call in to do business with mayorregistrar. But the thing that forcibly catches their attention is the little church building over the way, neatly framed in the office window. They invariably ask questions. And Lewis Fults, the builder and the branch president, knows the answers. A few tracts are on the table. The visitors leave with a desire to read and learn more.

The pick-and-shovel, trowel-and chisel, saw-and hammer days are over for Lewis Fults. He is 61, and a little tired. But he is happy. The dream of his younger years has come true. Altamont, county seat of Grundy County, has a congregation of Latter-day Saints. Altamont has a Latter-day Saint chapel. Prejudice is gone and the people of Grundy County know the truth about the Mormons, largely because of his pioneering efforts. He is happy in the satisfaction of a task unselfishly and well done.

The chapel was in use from 1946 to 1981. It was also used to house the County Court offices in 1990 and the county legislative body in 1991. I'm still trying to find out what it is being used for today.

Northcutts Cove Chapel

When missionaries approached John Tipton he turned them away. But before they left one of the Elders dusted off his shoes. John’s wife noticed what had happened and insisted that they hear what the Missionaries had to say. The next day he invited the missionaries in and was later, baptized into the Church. By 1896, several families in what is now called Northcutts' Cove, joined the LDS Church.
They originally met in members homes, but it didn't take them long to decide they needed a chapel in which to meet. Accordingly they formed a committee: John Tipton, Bill Tanner, Reuben Smartt, Henry Smartt, and Beecher Smartt. The land was donated by John and Belle Tipton and built by the donated labor, both of the members of the branch, non-members and missionaries.
Henry Smartt and Albert Fults made the wooden benches for the seating (see photo). The chapel was dedicated on October 24, 1909 by Charles A. Callis. Though regular services are not held there today, it is still in use for special occasions, such as the annual Easter service. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 18 April 1979.
The Northcutts Cove Chapel of is located just north of Altamont, in Grundy County, Tennessee. It sits at the top of the Cumberland plateau.
It served as the headquarters for the Eastern Tennessee Conference. (Missions used to be divided into conferences) It was the site of a three day debate (24-26 Oct 1909) between Charles A. Callis and Reverend Mansfield a Church of Christ (Campbellite) minister. This little church is believed to be the oldest existing chapel of the LDS Church in the southeastern United States.
The location of the Chapel is quite rural, due to the practice of proselyting outside urban areas. Originally this was done to avoid the organized persecution that was known to happen in cities. In truth, persecution was just as organized and virulant in rural areas as it had been in urban areas. The Cane Creek Massacre is the most tragic example of this.
As of 2000, Grundy county has the highest percent of LDS Church members of any other county in Tennessee. Just over 2%, which is almost 5 times the state average of just over 0.4%. By way of comparison, California's statewide average for the same period was 1.5%