Oh, come to the church in the vale
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale
We found it ten miles over the mountain. The road winding and narrow. Palmer Chapel, founded in 1898, was the only church in the Cataloochie Valley.
Now part of Smokey Mountain National Park, the Cataloochie Valley was once a thriving farming community. The little church served the community well with monthly services provided by Methodist Circuit Riders and Sunday School lessons offered weekly.
We visited on a bright sunny morning and I took full advantage of my time at the church photographing the exterior from all angles.
And as I am want to do when visiting abandoned structures my mind began to wander. Who were the people who whorshipped here?
Were they farmers or ranchers? Did they venture out of this beautiful valley or were their lives lived within the confines of the surrounding peaks?
Who sat in these hard wooden pews singing hymns of a byegone era? Did old men doze off during Sunday worship? Were children squirming in eager anticipation of an afternoon free of chores?
If these walls could talk they would tell tales of weddings and funerals, Christmas pageants and Easter mornings, town meetings and shared meals. There was laughter here, and tears, of that I'm certain.
I can only imagine the despair felt by this congregation when in 1928 the Reverand Pat Davis broke the news to residents that their valley was designated as part of a proposed national park. The destructive effects of logging and increasing tourism had taken its toll on the valley. In order to preserve what once was residents were forced to relocate. Their anger and tears over a situation out of their control paved the way for the future.
A future that insured their way of life would be preserved for the generations to come.
Come to the church by the wildwood
Oh, come to the church in the vale
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale
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