The Zion Presbyterian Church is a historic building in
Maury County, Tennessee. The church was built between 1847 and 1849 of brick in the
Greek Revival style.
President
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...
attended a
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...
conducted by the church.
The property was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
on June 13, 1972.
History
Zion Presbyterian Church was established in the early 19th century by
Scots-Irish families from
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
who moved to Maury County, Tennessee. In 1807, they organized and built a structure on 5,000 acres (20 km
2) of land they purchased from
heirs
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officia ...
of
Major-General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...
, who had received the land as part of a 25,000-acre (100 km
2) American Revolutionary War land grant. The original building was replaced with a brick structure in 1813.
[
]
Cemetery
With over 1,500 graves, the Zion Presbyterian Church cemetery of is also of historical significance. In addition to many of the church's founding members, soldiers from the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War are also interred there. The church cemetery contains a monument to "Daddy Ben," a slave who, during the Revolutionary War, refused to tell the British where his slavemaster, master was hiding, and survived three hanging attempts by the British Army.[
]
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Maury County, Tennessee
* Zion Christian Academy
References
Further reading
*
External links
* {{official website, http://www.pcazion.org/
19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States
Churches completed in 1849
Churches in Maury County, Tennessee
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee
James K. Polk
National Register of Historic Places in Maury County, Tennessee
Presbyterian Church in America churches in Tennessee
Scotch-Irish American culture in Tennessee