County of lodge: Wayne County
Location of lodge: High St. & Water St., just north of court circle, Waynesboro
Building built: 1854
"Until 1854, the church and the Masonic Lodge occupied a building on Green River just south of the Waynesboro city limits. The cornerstone of the present brick building was dedicated in October of 1854 with the church downstairs and the Masons upstairs. They owned and occupied the building in complete harmony until the church purchased the Mason's interest in 1977." ~ Waynesboro
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
"Situated in the center of Waynesboro (population 2,109), county seat of
rural Wayne County, Tennessee, the Waynesboro Cumberland Presbyterian
Church is an excellent example of mid-nineteenth century rural
ecclesiastical architecture. The two story church, which also housed a
Masonic Hall on the second floor, is laid out on the rectangular hall plan
common to many rural Tennessee Protestant churches. Exterior decoration
includes a gable covered with sawn wooden shingles, a shingled open belfry,
and round arch windows.
"The church is a two story common bond brick structure, three bays by five,
and rectangular in plan. The building rests on a continuous limestone
foundation, and is topped by a front gable roof. Over the central entry is
an open wooden belfry. At the east end of the two story main block is a
corbeled interior gable end chimney.
"The second floor, which housed the Masonic Hall until about 1967, is a
large rectangular room of similar dimension to the sanctuary. Four twoover-two
light arched windows set in rectangular frames are spaced equally
on the north and south walls. The floor is of black and white tiles and
the ceiling of narrow beaded wooden siding. Raised platforms are located
at the east and west ends. The room retains the same appearance it had in
the years it was occupied and used by the Masons.
"The present building was constructed in 1854, according to
records of the Masonic Lodge which shared the building for many years. The
Masons were organized under a charter granted July 7, 1846. The Lodge's
records are continuous from 1854. An entry for October 10 of that year
states: "On that date a group of Masons and members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church marched, accompanied by a band, from their former
meeting place to the present location of the church and lodge hall and laid
the cornerstone for the present church building." Records indicate that
the cost of materials for the building was $300.00. Services evidently
were held here soon afterwards, but all records for this early period were
destroyed during the Civil War and the accompanying domestic disturbances
which paralyzed the Wayne County area. During most of the conflict,
services were discontinued, and the building occupied for a while by
troops." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"The First Cumberland Presbyterian Church was constructed about 1840. On October 10, 1854, the congregation and a group of Masons paraded to this site and laid the cornerstone for the present building, which was completed in 1855. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987." ~ Civil War Trails marker on site