Woodlawn Baptist Church and Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Woodlawn Baptist Church and Cemetery, also known as Woodlawn Missionary Baptist Church, is an U.S.
historic location
in Nutbush
, Haywood County, Tennessee
. It is on Woodlawn Road, south of Tennessee State Route 19
.
For its historical significance, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1966.
Woodlawn Baptist Church was a family church of singer Tina Turner
.
Woodlawn Baptist Church. Most slave congregations were ministered by white pastors but in 1846, the young slave Hardin Smith of Virginia
was allowed to preach to a slave congregation at the white Woodlawn Church, then located near Woodlawn Road, establishing the first area congregation pastored by a slave.
Hardin Smith was secretly taught to read and write through the Bible
by his owner's wife. He in turn secretly taught the community of slaves to read and write. Following slavery, through census
reports, there were more freed slaves in Haywood County, Tennessee who could read and write than anywhere in the state of Tennessee. They helped establish schools and colleges for black citizens in Tennessee and some became state representatives, writers, ministers, doctors
, lawyers, and teacher
s.
for its historical significance.
. A stretch of State Route 19 between Brownsville
and Nutbush
was named "Tina Turner
Highway" in 2002 after singer Tina Turner who spent her childhood in Nutbush.
Woodlawn Baptist Church in Nutbush was a family church of Tina Turner. She attended and sang in the choir growing up. Her family members were church officials, musicians and singers who are buried in the cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historic location
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 Nutbush
Nutbush, Tennessee
Nutbush is an unincorporated rural community in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States, in the western part of the state.Established in the early 19th century, Nutbush is home to two early American churches founded by white settlers, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church...
, Haywood County, 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...
. It is on Woodlawn Road, south of Tennessee State Route 19
Tennessee State Route 19
State Route 19 or the Tina Turner Highway is a road in Haywood and Lauderdale Counties, Tennessee, United States.http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co49.pdf Lauderdale County, TN Highway Maphttp://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co38.pdf Haywood County, TN Highway Map State Route 19 is 42.81...
.
For its historical significance, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Cemetery was added to 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 1966.
Woodlawn Baptist Church was a family church of singer Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
Establishment in 1866
The church was established in 1866 by freed slaves of the community and members of the whiteWhite American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
Woodlawn Baptist Church. Most slave congregations were ministered by white pastors but in 1846, the young slave Hardin Smith of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
was allowed to preach to a slave congregation at the white Woodlawn Church, then located near Woodlawn Road, establishing the first area congregation pastored by a slave.
Education for freed slaves
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
by his owner's wife. He in turn secretly taught the community of slaves to read and write. Following slavery, through census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
reports, there were more freed slaves in Haywood County, Tennessee who could read and write than anywhere in the state of Tennessee. They helped establish schools and colleges for black citizens in Tennessee and some became state representatives, writers, ministers, doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, lawyers, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s.
More churches organized
The community leader Smith, organized six churches in Haywood and Lauderdale counties including Woodlawn Missionary Baptist Church in Nutbush.National Register of Historic Places
In 1996, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
for its historical significance.
Tina Turner Highway
Woodlawn Baptist Church is located 3 mi (4,8 km) southeast of Nutbush, south of Tennessee State Route 19Tennessee State Route 19
State Route 19 or the Tina Turner Highway is a road in Haywood and Lauderdale Counties, Tennessee, United States.http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co49.pdf Lauderdale County, TN Highway Maphttp://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co38.pdf Haywood County, TN Highway Map State Route 19 is 42.81...
. A stretch of State Route 19 between Brownsville
Brownsville, Tennessee
Brownsville is a city in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Haywood County. The city is named after Jacob Jennings Brown, an officer who served during The War of 1812.-Geography:...
and Nutbush
Nutbush, Tennessee
Nutbush is an unincorporated rural community in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States, in the western part of the state.Established in the early 19th century, Nutbush is home to two early American churches founded by white settlers, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church...
was named "Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
Highway" in 2002 after singer Tina Turner who spent her childhood in Nutbush.
Woodlawn Baptist Church in Nutbush was a family church of Tina Turner. She attended and sang in the choir growing up. Her family members were church officials, musicians and singers who are buried in the cemetery.
See also
- Nutbush, TennesseeNutbush, TennesseeNutbush is an unincorporated rural community in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States, in the western part of the state.Established in the early 19th century, Nutbush is home to two early American churches founded by white settlers, Woodlawn Baptist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church...
- Haywood County, Tennessee
- Trinity United Methodist Church, NutbushTrinity United Methodist Church, NutbushTrinity United Methodist Church in Nutbush, Haywood County, Tennessee was founded in 1822.The church is located south of Tennessee State Route 19, a part of which was named Tina Turner Highway in 2002 in honor of singer Tina Turner who spent her childhood in Nutbush.-Trinity Cemetery:More than 50...