Get in touch
555-555-5555
mymail@mailservice.com
Meeting House Mania: Four Meeting Houses that Sparked Revival Across the Southern United States
Visit 4 culturally and religiously significant meeting houses in 2 days!
In colonial times, a meeting house was typically the first public building erected when a new community was established. These spaces served as both houses of worship and gathering places to hold public meetings where important decisions were made. These simple structures were essential for a variety of denominations. There are four meeting houses featured on the Kentucky Faith Trail, and all helped spark religious revival in the state’s early history. Make a road trip out of it and visit all four in two days!
Old Mud Meeting House
The Old Mud Meeting House was the site of the first low Dutch Church west of the Allegheny Mountains. This building has continuously served as a place of worship for centuries, housing various denominations since its opening in 1800 until quite recently. The vertical log building, reinforced with mud and straw panels, is known as one of the most historic and architecturally important buildings in the state. The church was established by 50 families who moved to Mercer County from Pennsylvania in 1781 and is now owned and maintained by the Harrodsburg Historical Society. Visitors can also explore the adjacent graveyard, a final resting place for the ashes of Revolutionary War soldiers who hailed from the area. Located on Dry Branch Road in Harrodsburg, the
Old Mud Meeting House is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Old Mulkey Meetinghouse
The Old Mulkey Meetinghouse, built in 1804, is the oldest freestanding log meetinghouse in the Commonwealth. It was here that John Mulkey, a third-generation Separate Baptist preacher, stepped out in faith and took his famous stand against Calvinism in 1809 to lead Mill Creek Baptist Church toward “New Testament” Christianity. The
Old Mulkey Meetinghouse site is now the focus of a Kentucky State Park where visitors can learn about religion, have a picnic, explore the small research library, walk along the Storybook Trail, and see the graves of Hannah Boone (Daniel’s sister) and other pioneers. The park is at 38 Old Mulkey Park Road in Tompkinsville. The park is open Thursdays and Fridays and the first Saturday of the month from Nov. 16 through March 31 and is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 1 to Nov. 15.
“Racoon” John Smith’s Cabin
The “Racoon” John Smith’s Cabin in Monticello, Kentucky, was built in 1839 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. Smith, who was born in 1784 and died in 1868, was an early leader in the Restoration Movement and played a critical role in spreading the message over much of Kentucky. Smith’s collaborators included Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. In 1972, the First Christian Church in Monticello appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of obtaining and preserving the old log cabin home of Elder John Smith. The cabin was located on a farm 16 miles from Monticello in an area called Horse Hollow. Frank Vogler gave the cabin to the church and with loving care, it was moved “log by log, hearthstone by hearthstone, chimney stone by chimney stone” to its present location.
The “Racoon” John Smith’s Cabin is now located across the street from the First Christian Church in Monticello at 108 Michigan Ave. The site is open for visitors Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call First Christian Church at 606-348-5131 before arriving if you’d like to see inside the cabin.
Red River Meeting House
The Red River Meeting House is a replica of the site of the first religious camp meeting in the United States, held June 13–17, 1800. This gathering marked the start of the Second Great Awakening, a major religious movement in the United States in the first part of the nineteenth century. The meeting, which drew participation from several preachers, was organized by Presbyterian minister James McGready (also spelled M’Grady) in Logan County. The site is open year-round from dawn to dusk. Meeting house reservations are recommended for group use. The
Red River Meeting House is at 3008 Schochoh Road in Adairville.
Visiting these historical sites is sure to provide a spiritual and educational experience for guests of all ages. Kentucky’s meeting houses would be great stops for family trips, youth groups, adult discipleship groups, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and school trips. Enjoy your exploration of the state’s rich history of faith!
