Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

The Reverend Edmund Kelly

1817-1894

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 1, 2022

1. The Reverend Edmund Kelly Marker

Inscription. The Reverend Edmund Kelly was born in Columbia, Tennessee in 1817. At age 16, he went to work at a boy’s school. With a strong desire to learn to read, he paid boys with candy to teach him how to read. In 1843, Kelly co-founded and was the first pastor of the Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church. In October 1843, he became one of Tennessee’s first African American Baptist ordained ministers. As the nation entered the Civil War, Kelly believed the persons enslaved should join the fight for their freedom.

In 1863 continuing his work as an evangelist, Kelly, along with a delegation of African American clergymen, met with President Abraham Lincoln and secured permission to minister to enslaved persons who escaped behind Union lines. During Reconstruction, he traveled extensively, preaching and organizing churches and schools in different states within the Union. Reverend Edmund Kelly died in 1894 and was buried in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3D 87.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures

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• War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1843.

Location. 35° 36.777′ N, 87° 1.861′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Tennessee, in Maury County. It is at the intersection of East 8th Street and South Glade Street, on the right when traveling east on East 8th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 218 E 8th St, Columbia TN 38401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church (a few steps from this marker); Lillie Mae Glover (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1946 Columbia Race Riot / A.J. Morton Funeral Home (about 500 feet away); Memorial to Black Maury County Citizens

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 1, 2022

2. The Reverend Edmund Kelly Marker

(about 600 feet away); A Legacy of Justice (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Turning Point (approx. 0.2 miles away); Life in the Shadows of Freedom (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Defendants of 1946 (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

Also see . . . . (Submitted on January 3, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia.)

North side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 1, 2022

3. North side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church

Marker can be seen on far left.

West side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 1, 2022

4. West side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church

East side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 1, 2022

5. East side of Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church

Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 3, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 734 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 3, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.