George Jones Memorial Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
The George Jones Memorial Baptist Church, also known as the "Wheat Church," is a historic church building at the former site of the community of Wheat
in Oak Ridge
, Tennessee
, United States
. It is the only structure remaining from Wheat, a rural Roane County community that was dissolved in 1942 when the United States government assumed ownership of the land for the Manhattan Project
.
Founded in 1854 as a United Baptist
congregation by 26 members of the Sulphur Springs Church of Christ, it was established in Wheat in the northern part of Roane County. Originally named the "Mount Zion Baptist Church," it changed its name to "George Jones Memorial Baptist Church" in 1901, after a local minister who had donated most of the land for the community. In the same year, the congregation built a new building, which remains today.
The church is considered a good example of a rural vernacular
church building. It is a three-bay, rectangular plan brick building with wood cladding
, a square bell tower
, and a standing-seam metal roof. There are two rooms in its interior, an anteroom and the sanctuary
, separated from one another by a waist-high partition. A 1½ acre cemetery
is located west of the church.
The George Jones church served not only as a religious facility, but also as a community gathering place for Wheat residents. When Wheat was vacated by the federal government
in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project, the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church was abandoned with the rest of the community. All other Wheat buildings have been demolished. As the only pre-1942 building remaining in what was once Wheat, the church is the location of annual reunions of former residents.
The church is east of the K-25
site and a short distance north of State Route 58
, from which it is visible. It is located on the old Wheat Road, a gravel road (accessible from Blair Road) that follows the historical roadbed of a one-time local thoroughfare. The church building and the road are owned and maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy. Motorized travel on the road is limited to government vehicles, but the road is open to pedestrians and bicycles as a public greenway trail
.
George Jones Memorial Baptist Church was one of six Oak Ridge properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992. This listing reflects its significance as the only existing physical remnant of the Wheat community, a physical representation of rural life in the area in the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, and an example of vernacular church architecture.
Wheat, Tennessee
Wheat was a farming community in Roane County, Tennessee. The area is now in the city of Oak Ridge.The earliest settlers moved into the area in the late 18th century. However, it was not until 1846 that the area was established as the community of Bald Hill...
in Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the only structure remaining from Wheat, a rural Roane County community that was dissolved in 1942 when the United States government assumed ownership of the land for the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
.
Founded in 1854 as a United Baptist
United Baptist
United Baptist is name of several diverse Baptist groups of Protestant Christianity in the United States and Canada.-History:The name "United Baptist" appears to have arisen from two separate unions of Baptist groups: the union of Regular Baptists and Separate Baptists in Kentucky, Virginia, and...
congregation by 26 members of the Sulphur Springs Church of Christ, it was established in Wheat in the northern part of Roane County. Originally named the "Mount Zion Baptist Church," it changed its name to "George Jones Memorial Baptist Church" in 1901, after a local minister who had donated most of the land for the community. In the same year, the congregation built a new building, which remains today.
The church is considered a good example of a rural vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
church building. It is a three-bay, rectangular plan brick building with wood cladding
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
, a square bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, and a standing-seam metal roof. There are two rooms in its interior, an anteroom and the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, separated from one another by a waist-high partition. A 1½ acre cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
is located west of the church.
The George Jones church served not only as a religious facility, but also as a community gathering place for Wheat residents. When Wheat was vacated by the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project, the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church was abandoned with the rest of the community. All other Wheat buildings have been demolished. As the only pre-1942 building remaining in what was once Wheat, the church is the location of annual reunions of former residents.
The church is east of the K-25
K-25
K-25 is a former uranium enrichment facility of the Manhattan Project which used the gaseous diffusion method. The plant is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on the southwestern end of the Oak Ridge Reservation.-History:...
site and a short distance north of State Route 58
Tennessee State Route 58
State Route 58 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee that serves as a major route for many communities in Roane County, Meigs County, and Hamilton County...
, from which it is visible. It is located on the old Wheat Road, a gravel road (accessible from Blair Road) that follows the historical roadbed of a one-time local thoroughfare. The church building and the road are owned and maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy. Motorized travel on the road is limited to government vehicles, but the road is open to pedestrians and bicycles as a public greenway trail
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
.
George Jones Memorial Baptist Church was one of six Oak Ridge properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992. This listing reflects its significance as the only existing physical remnant of the Wheat community, a physical representation of rural life in the area in the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, and an example of vernacular church architecture.