Covington in Tipton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Canaan Missionary Baptist Church History
Organized in 1868
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 25, 2022
1. Canaan Missionary Baptist Church History Marker
Canaan Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1868, two miles northwest of Covington on Leighs Chapel Road under a bush arbor. In 1875, the 1st small frame building was erected on what is now known as North Main Street.
In 1885, a larger frame building was purchased from the white Baptist Congregation also on Main Street. It was nearer to the town square on the site of the present building. In 1919, the 2nd frame church was torn down and this brick building, in which we now worship, was finished in 1923. The building was modernized with electric lights, indoor plumbing, kitchen, balcony, baptism pool and floor furnace, starting 1934 through 1966. In 1988, the Fellowship Hall was added with classrooms, additional restrooms and a larger kitchen.
In 1999, Canaan was added to the National Registrar of Historic Places. It is the only Black church in Tipton County to have this distinguished honor.
Erected 2021 by Canaan Missionary Baptist Church.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.
Location. 35° 33.957′ N, 89° 38.779′ W. Marker is in Covington
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee and in Greater Memphis. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, and in the Mississippi Delta. 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: Isaac Hayes (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hotel Lindo (about 500 feet away); Tipton County in the Civil War (about 800 feet away); Tipton County Confederate Monument (about 800 feet away); Frances Boyd Calhoun (approx. Ό mile away); St. Matthew's Episcopal Church (approx. Ό mile away); Thomas Goode (approx. Ό mile away); Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Covington.
via NPS, unknown
2. Canaan Missionary Baptist Church
National Register of Historic Places Digital Archive on NPGallery website entry
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Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 25, 2022
3. Canaan Missionary Baptist Church History Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 494 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on June 28, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on June 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
