A FALL ADVENTURE

dn english

Let’s take a Fall road trip.

dn english

Fall is such a special time of year the brisk air, the beautiful colors and just the winding down of the year. There are so many special places to visit inside Madison County.

If you have not had the chance to visit Denmark, Tn now would be the perfect time to visit.  This area is the home of the historical Denmark  Presbyterian  Church and the cemetery located down the lane beside the church.

This church is also the home of the ghost choir now they have Mr. Billy King visiting to play the organ. Now before you start shaking your head let me tell you a story.

The Denmark Presbyterian Church has seen the men and women of the community go off to war since the Civil War. Reading the historic marker on the lawn of the church you find out some of the history.

“This church, built by slaves in 1854, played a significant role in Madison County’s Civil War experiences. In April 1861, days after the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 104 local men formed a company called The Danes, later part of the 6th Tennessee Infantry (CSA). The community gathered here at the church to watch the new soldiers muster before they left for Camp Beauregard in nearby Jackson. At the ceremony, Emma Cobb presented a silk flag with the company’s name to Capt. John Ingram.

On the eve of the Battle of Britton Lane on August 31, 1862, the 20th and 30th Illinois Infantry Regiments commanded by Col. Elias S. Dennis camped in a grove of mulberry trees near the church. After the battle, Confederate Gen. Frank C. Armstrong’s cavalry brigade spent the night in Denmark on its return south. The Confederates kept their prisoners on the church’s second floor, which was a Masonic Lodge. Inscriptions believed to have been written by these Federal soldiers can still be seen along the bottoms of the walls.”

 Now with that bit of history out of the way let me tell you about the ghosts.

For years people have been reporting as the pass the Church at night if they slowed down as they pass music could be heard. When the members of the

 Big Black Creek Historical Association started restoring the church even durning the construction the music could be heard.

As the church came back to life more stories surfaced mysterious lights , singing and people talking. The upstairs now back to a Masonic lodge before they restored it if you went up the stairs you could feel a presence. 

But let’s talk about the sanctuary and the choir Mr Billy King was the leader in overseeing the construction and making sure everything was historically  accurate. Soon an organ and piano were positioned up front. Now true you could go by and Mr. Billy would be playing the old fashion “church” music. 

But long after he had left the church you could here the choir and see the mystery lights still can. Since Mr Billy’s death it has been said you can hear him playing the organ for the choir and I bet “ Miss Judy” is sitting on the first pew.

Down the lane beside the church you can find the cemetery one of the first that Mr. Billy oversaw the clean up and restoration. This cemetery was one of first  sites of a fund raiser for  Big Black Creek Historical Association. Members of the community would dress in period pieces and tell the stories of the citizens buried in this cemetery. While they did that I would be sitting by the church telling history and ghost stories. 

As they were cleaning up after the fund raiser different people would see lights coming from the back corner of the cemetery. Some of the men went to check it out.  No one there. One of the older men of the community was sitting by me on the trailer they had used to take people back to the cemetery.

“Honey, them men are not going find anyone.” He laughed “that’s just some young man attempting to find his way home after being buried in the unknown grave. I live down the road I been seeing that light at night for as long as I can remember.”

 As far as I know that light can still be seen.

Why don’t you take time and visit the Denmark area while you are in the area check out the Mercer neighborhood . If you are there enjoy a meal at Papa Daddy’s check out their Facebook page for hours of operation and menu.