Goodsprings Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Goodsprings Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Church; Religion; Great Depression

Along with thirty-five members, Reverend Felix Johnson organized Goodsprings Cumberland Presbyterian in Rogersville, Alabama, on September 18, 1839. During its history the church’s congregation has had to deal with two historical events—the Civil War and the Great Depression. During the Civil War, in April of 1861, some members broke off and established a new church in Center Star, Alabama. The members that continued to attend Goodsprings Cumberland Presbyterian rebuilt their church and relocated just north of Huntsville Road. In the 1930s the church had to relocate a second time due to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s construction of Wheeler Dam. One of President Roosevelt’s New Deal alphabetic organization, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) provided electricity to rural Southern regions. However, in order to provide electricity, TVA constructed dams, which caused many people to lose their property. The Goodsprings Cumberland Presbyterian congregation was a victim of this. The congregation decided to sue TVA and according to church minutes records dating February 8, 1937, the congregation won the court case. The minutes reveal that the “suit was decided in our favour and have collected $1350.” The congregation used this money to build the current structure.

Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama

Text:
The Elgin Book Committee, History of Elgin Crossroads & Nearby (Walden, Tennessee: Waldenhouse, 2003), 294-295.

Image:
The Elgin Book Committee, History of Elgin Crossroads & Nearby (Walden, Tennessee: Waldenhouse, 2003), 294-295.

Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

1800s
1900s
1930s

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