The Scottsville Tabernacle History | Allen County Kentucky

The Scottsville Tabernacle: A Sacred Gathering Place on Holland Road

A Scottsville Journal Local History Article

Research for this article was conducted using primary source materials preserved in the Allen County Historical and Genealogical Society archives in Scottsville, Kentucky. These materials include original land deeds, Allen Circuit Court records, and newspaper clippings documenting the history of the Scottsville Tabernacle.

The Scottsville Tabernacle is one of the most historically significant religious landmarks in Scottsville, Kentucky. Built in 1897 as part of the Scottsville Holiness Camp Ground, the Tabernacle has served for generations as a center for revival meetings, gospel music, and community gatherings in Allen County. From early tent revivals and shape note singing conventions to restoration efforts and national historic recognition, the building tells the story of more than a century of religious and cultural life in south central Kentucky.

 

Just southeast of the Scottsville town square along what is now Highway 100 East stands the weathered wooden structure known locally as the Scottsville Tabernacle. Born from revival meetings, fought over in court, restored by community effort, and still standing today, the Tabernacle remains a powerful symbol of the deep gospel heritage of Allen County.

 

Historic Landmark of Allen County

The Scottsville Tabernacle is one of the oldest surviving public gathering places in Allen County and remains an important symbol of the region’s religious and musical heritage.

Editor’s Note

Because many historic photographs of the Scottsville Tabernacle remain under copyright protection, this article does not include archival images. The history presented here is drawn from documented records preserved in the Allen County Historical and Genealogical Society archives.

 

From Revival Tent to Permanent Tabernacle
During the late 1800s a wave of religious revival swept across rural America, particularly in the South. Allen County was no exception. Locally the movement was sometimes remembered as The Great Revival.

 

One especially powerful revival meeting took place in a grove outside Scottsville on Holland Road. A large tent was erected and services were held three times daily at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. for nearly three weeks.

Crowds came from across Allen County and beyond. By evening the tent was filled with an estimated 1,000 people, with many standing outside to hear the preaching. Some attendees camped on the grounds throughout the revival.

Although no official count was kept, local accounts suggested that around 500 people were converted during the meetings. Old timers later described it as a true mountain top revival, often recalling the theme song that echoed through the tent, Pentecostal Power.

The revival was closely connected to the work of Rev. H. C. Morrison, a Methodist evangelist known for leading successful revival meetings throughout the region. People traveled by buggy, on horseback, and on foot to attend the services on what became known as Tabernacle Hill.

According to one account, when word spread that the preacher intended to move the Tabernacle to Tennessee, a local judge intervened and arranged for the land to be deeded to the Scottsville Holiness Tabernacle on the condition that it remain in Scottsville and continue to be used for religious purposes.

Establishing the Campground

The land for the Tabernacle was formally secured in the late 1890s.

 

On May 3, 1897, T. R. Hughes and his wife Nancy Hughes conveyed approximately six acres to the trustees of the Scottsville Holiness Camp Ground for $100. The trustees named in the deed included Jno. W. Jackson, W. D. House, Jno. H. Gilliam, and Jno. W. Boyd.

 

A second deed dated May 12, 1899 transferred an adjacent parcel from Elizabeth Denton for $30, with W. M. Mayfield providing the purchase money. Both deeds were recorded in the Allen County Court Clerk’s Office.

Soon afterward master builder J. M. Guthrie oversaw the construction of the permanent Tabernacle, assisted by local craftsmen including the father of E. A. Austin.

Completed in 1897, the building was designed as a large open air worship space. According to the Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory prepared in 1984 by Albert Petersen of Western Kentucky University’s Historic Preservation Planning program, the structure featured a square multi story frame form with a distinctive three tier pyramidal roof supported by wooden arches. Originally the building had no walls, only a roof sheltering a sawdust floor and handmade benches.

The surrounding campground eventually encompassed roughly ten acres, with stall like structures where families could stay during week long camp meetings.

A Legal Battle for the Tabernacle

For decades the Tabernacle served as a gathering place for many denominations.

 

In June 1934 several trustees executed a deed attempting to transfer the property to the Kentucky Tennessee Annual Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America. The deed was recorded in Deed Book 38 at page 630 in the Allen County Court Clerk’s Office.

 

Not everyone agreed with the decision.

One of the original trustees, J. W. Emberton, filed suit against N. B. Ghormley and the Free Methodist interests out of Nashville. The case went before the Allen Circuit Court.

On October 1, 1935 the court issued a decisive ruling. The attempted transfer of the property was declared void, with the court finding that the grantors had no legal authority to convey the property. The court ordered that a new board of trustees be established to preserve the trust originally created by the deeds.

The new trustees included J. W. Emberton, J. A. Holland, J. O. Simmons, Gus Payne, W. D. Gilliam, and J. W. Jackson.

A newspaper headline later summarized the decision.

Camp Grounds Returned to the Original Owners.

The Tabernacle would remain a place open to all denominations for religious services.
Decades of Music, Ministry, and Massive Crowds

With the legal dispute resolved the Tabernacle flourished.

Revival meetings were regularly held there, including evangelistic campaigns led by visiting preachers and gospel singers. One such revival in 1939 featured evangelist Jimmie Mercer and preacher Tom Malone, both graduates of Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tennessee.

The Tabernacle also became home to the Allen County Singing Convention which had been organized around 1912.

Held twice each year in May and October the convention drew massive crowds from across south central Kentucky and northern Tennessee. Newspaper accounts from the period describe attendance estimates ranging from 5,000 to as many as 8,000 people.

In 1941 a headline declared.

Largest Crowd in History Attends Singing Convention.

Shape Note Singing and Allen County’s Musical Heritage

The Tabernacle played a major role in the region’s rich tradition of shape note singing, a distinctive form of American sacred music.

Singing conventions featuring four shape and seven shape notation were central to rural Southern culture. Participants gathered for all day singings with dinner on the grounds where hymns were sung for hours before sharing large communal meals.

Paperback hymnals published by companies such as Vaughan, Winsett, and Stamps Baxter were commonly used.

One of Allen County’s most notable figures in this tradition was Arlis O. Harmon, a gospel songwriter born in 1905. Harmon wrote more than 40 gospel songs and over 100 poems during his lifetime, leaving a lasting mark on the region’s musical heritage.

Restoration and Historic Recognition

By the late 1980s the Tabernacle once again required major repairs.

In 1989 restoration efforts were launched with assistance from the Kentucky Heritage Council. A $10,000 matching grant was awarded, with an additional $10,000 raised through local donations and fundraising.

 

The restoration completed in 1990 included a new concrete floor, roof repairs, heating and cooling installation, new seating, and improvements to the surrounding grounds.

The effort eventually led to national recognition when the Scottsville Tabernacle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Timeline of the Scottsville Tabernacle

1897 - Permanent Tabernacle constructed on the Scottsville Holiness Camp Ground

1899 - Additional land deeded to the campground trustees

1935 - Allen Circuit Court rules the property must remain under local trustees

1938 - Building enclosed and expanded for larger singing conventions

1990 - Major restoration completed with support from the Kentucky Heritage Council

2001 - Scottsville Tabernacle listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Preserving Allen County’s Heritage

More than 125 years after its construction the Scottsville Tabernacle remains one of the oldest publicly owned buildings in the community.

 

Historic places like the Scottsville Tabernacle are more than old buildings. They are reminders of the faith, music, and traditions that shaped generations of Allen County families.

 

From revival meetings held under canvas tents to massive singing conventions that drew thousands of visitors the Tabernacle has been a gathering place for more than a century. Preserving its story helps ensure that the voices, songs, and memories connected to this place are not forgotten.

The Tabernacle Today

Today the Scottsville Tabernacle still stands along Holland Road as a reminder of more than a century of religious gatherings, gospel music, and community life in Allen County. However, like many historic wooden structures, time and weather have taken their toll.

In recent years the building has begun to show serious signs of structural deterioration. Portions of the floor have weakened, sections of the roof require replacement, and several structural elements of the building need repair. The scale of the work required is significant, and restoring the structure will require both careful planning and considerable financial support.

Because the Tabernacle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, any restoration work must be carried out with attention to preserving the historic character of the building. That means repairs must respect the original design and materials that have defined the structure for more than a century.

Despite these challenges, the Tabernacle remains deeply important to the people of Allen County. For generations it has served as a place where faith, music, and community came together. Preserving the building ensures that future generations will continue to understand and experience this important part of local history.

The story of the Scottsville Tabernacle is still being written, and its future now rests in the hands of those who recognize its value as one of the community’s most meaningful historic landmarks.

Sources and Acknowledgments

All primary research for this article was conducted using materials preserved in the archives of the Allen County Historical and Genealogical Society. These materials include original land deeds, Allen Circuit Court records, historical calendars, and numerous newspaper clippings from The Citizen Times documenting revival meetings, singing conventions, restoration efforts, and community events held at the Scottsville Tabernacle.

 

The author gratefully acknowledges the Allen County Historical Museum and Genealogical Society for preserving and providing access to these records which make it possible to document and share the history of Allen County’s historic landmarks.