In 1857, Dr. William S. Pitts composed a song about a church in a valley near Bradford, Iowa entitled Church in the Wildwood. In the song, Pitts expresses his love for the church with the lyrics: “There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood; No lovelier spot in the dale; No place is so dear to my childhood; As the little brown church in the vale.” While the song was written many years ago, the memorable tune and the love of the community church is something that still resonates with people. For many Tennesseans and other Americans, churches and spirituality have been an important part of their lives.
At the Tennessee State Library and Archives, there are a wide variety of resources that document the religious heritage of Tennessee. Some of the resources pertaining to church records are very beneficial for genealogical research. These records can be useful because they often contain information such as membership lists, baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burial records. The church records that are found on microfilm represent different counties and denominations in Tennessee. For example, researchers can find “First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records” from Bradley County that date from 1837 – 1986, “Methodist Episcopal Church Records” from Coffee County that date from 1815 – 1940 and “First Baptist Church Records from Henry County” that date from 1833 – 1983.
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| Register of Members, Mt. Pleasant Methodist Episcopal church Records, 1815-1916. |
In addition to genealogical information, there are church related photograph collections that can be useful for historical research. For example, the “Robert E. Bell, Jr. Churches of Tennessee Photograph Collection, 1950 – 1970” consists of 606 photograph negatives of church buildings and church related events that took place in Nashville, Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee. There are also a wide variety of church related images that are part of the Library Photograph Collection. Some of the church images are historically significant such as the “Sinking Creek Baptist Church” in Washington County that was established in 1783 and is the oldest church in Tennessee. Other photographs depict distinctive architectural styles such as an 1892 image of “St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church” in Memphis. There are also photographs of churches that are currently part of park landscapes in Tennessee such as the “Primitive Baptist Church” that is located in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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| Sinking Creek Baptist Church, Washington County, Tennessee Library Photograph Collection |
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| St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Memphis, Tennessee Library Photograph Collection |
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| Primitive Baptist Church, Cades Cove, Tennessee Library Photograph Collection |
While photographs offer valuable visual historical insights, there are also manuscript collections for church research purposes. For example, the “Willard Harris Blue Papers” has resources such as church bulletins, sermons and diaries related to a Methodist minister in Tennessee from 1915 – 1960, while the “Charles Henry Boone Papers” contains materials dealing with the African Methodist Episcopal Church for which Boone served as a minister and officer.
With a wide variety of resources to choose from, the Tennessee State Library and Archives’ church related records can be beneficial for genealogists and historians who want to research religious institutions and connect with the past. For more on the church related resources available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives see the “Guide to Church Records at the Library and Archives:” https://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/guide-church-records-library-archives-manuscripts-books.
The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett
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