While reading about the life of a Pearl Harbor survivor in the paper this morning, something was mentioned in passing that I found fascinating.
The vet noted that his small hometown (pop. 1000) in Kentucky had two Methodist churches in 1941: One for the relatives of Confederate veterans and one for the relatives of those who fought for the Union.
Has anybody heard of any other communities with this custom? Do separate Blue and Gray churches still exist?
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
Well, I can’t speak for the whole South, but around here most churches are white siding or red brick. I’ll be on the lookout for any blue or grey churches and issue a more detailed report.
The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik
That could easily have been the status in the “border” states. It was called (among other things) The Brother’s War - dividing families between the N & S so it must have divided town and communities, too.
P.S. I’m gonna keep using these #%@&* codes 'til I get 'em right.
No confirmation to offer, but as a WAG I’d say this would be something you’d see in the border states that were sharply divided during the Civil War: Virginia, Kentucky, Tennesse, and Missouri. All officially joined the Confederacy but had substantial pro-Union factions so that the early battle lines ended up splitting the states. “Brother against brother” wasn’t just a figure of speech.
Out at this end of the south a lot of churches start out white but after a few years they have weathered to a nice gray.
There is an old cemetary not far from here where the Union vets and families are buried on one side and the good guys are buried on the other. The plaque states that the dividing line runs right through a family plot cause dad fought on one side and his son on tother.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
I’ve not seen the “two churches” phenomenon first hand, but it is fairly common for Confederate and Union gravesites to be somewhat seperate. It’s also not that hard for me to imagine that congregations, particularly in border states, might have split during the War and never bothered to reunite afterward.
Missouri was a slave state but I don’t believe that it formally seceded; I think it might be more accurate to say it was nominally Union, with VERY substantial Confederate factions. I’m not sure about the other states.
Actually, most denominations split over the slavery issue, most of them before the war. The Roman Catholic Church was the only large body that didn’t split at all, and the Episcopal Church was about the only one that split only during the war, with a reunion ASAP. Most didn’t reunite until this century, and some, like the Baptists, have been split right down to today
John W. Kennedy
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”
– Charles Williams
I lived in the Ozarks for 15 years and never heard of this. Now the whole Baptist/Methodist thing, that I’ve heard of. But that has to do with at what age to baptise.
I lived in the Missouri Ozarks. My mother was raised in the Arkansas Ozarks and retired there. I’m telling you I’ve never heard of this. Please don’t include us in this discussion.
Missouri never seceded, but was a slave state and therefore the site of many battles. Wilson’s Creek outside of Springfield, Missouri was the site of a terrible battle. The National Cemetary in Springfield has a wall between the Union and Confederate soldiers which still stands.
AWB, there are a LOT of people from a lot of wars buried in Genl.Lee’s yard,front and back.He had inherited the place from Martha Washington’s family. It is now named Arlington National Cemetary.
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx