What has existed on one site, in two different counties, in three buildings with three different names, and is 175 years old?
In Grainger County, Tennessee in July 1842, fourteen members (one noted as Grace, a colored woman) of Cedar Ford United Baptist Church petitioned to establish a Baptist church at Liberty. The church was officially constituted on August 2, 1842. Elder William Hickle was called as first pastor (he would serve five terms as pastor) and an additional ten members were added, one by enrollment, two by letter, the remainder by experience. At the next meeting on the fourth Saturday in August, 1842, nine more members were added, eight by experience and one by enrollment. On April 1, 1844, James Salling donated one acre of land in what was then District 15 of Grainger County, Tennessee to trustees Charles Scaggs, Issac C. Dyer, and William Colvin (and their successors) for use of the United Baptist Church of Christ at Liberty.
Residents of portions of Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, and Knox counties petitioned the Tennessee Legislature on January 3, 1850 to establish a new county. The formation of the new county proved tedious as a group of Knox County residents filed a petition resisting its establishment. Though the first session of quarterly court met on February 6, 1854 at Liberty Meeting House, a petition in late 1855 spearheaded by Attorney Horace Maynard failed to result in the official incorporation of Union as a county in the State of Tennessee until 1856. The name of the new county’s seat was changed from Liberty to Maynardville in his honor. Consequently, the United Baptist Church of Christ at Liberty (with its log constructed Liberty Meeting House) became known as Maynardville Baptist Church in September, 1856.
In 1873, the church worked with the local Masonic Lodge to contract with N. A. Acuff for construction of its second structure, a two-story frame building—the church occupied the bottom floor and the Lodge the upper. The church’s share of the construction cost was $1,047.36.
From 1918 through October, 1920, Rev. Neil Acuff, father of country music legend Roy Acuff, served as pastor. Roy Acuff remained a member of Maynardville Baptist Church until his death on November 23, 1992. Near the end of his life Mr. Acuff donated $10,000.00 to the church. This money was used to purchase a six foot Schumann piano and a Rodgers organ. These instruments, still in use today, were dedicated in a special service on May 28, 1989.
By 1920 the church was interested in purchasing the Masonic Lodge’s interest in its building. In June 1944, the Lodge agreed to a sale price of $200.00. By July, 1945 the second building was in the process of being torn down. In November of that year, a committee was formed to contact an architect to draw plans for a 40 by 65 foot building. The building was constructed from foundation to roof with cinder block, with a brick veneer on the outside and plastered interior walls, gallantly sporting thirteen lovely amber Gothic windows. This building was constructed for approximately $9,000 and dedicated in June 1949 for the sole use of the church.
In the 1970s the church received upgrades such as air conditioning and renovations to the sanctuary that added to the church’s comfort and beauty. Additional property was acquired adjacent to the church property and a parsonage was completed in 1972. In 1996 construction began on a 4,800 square foot educational wing and fellowship hall. During this renovation a second layer of brick veneer and stucco was added to the original structure. This two-story addition was completed in May 1997.
The Northern Baptist Association of the Southern Baptist Convention offered Maynardville Baptist Church the opportunity to assume the name “First Baptist Church of Maynardville”, as it is indeed the first Baptist church in what is now the City of Maynardville, Tennessee. As such action would prevent another church at a later time to inaccurately deem itself the first Baptist church in Maynardville, the church voted to change its name for the third time in 1984.
So has existed on one site in two different counties, in three buildings and three different names, this church served by 44 pastors during 175 years. The First Baptist Church of Maynardville stands as a monument of the tie that binds this generation of worshipers to that small band of saints who in 1842 had a vision of a little Heaven on earth. May those who follow find us as faithful.

References

Graves, K. G. & McDonald, W. P. (1978). Our Union County heritage: A historical and biographical album of Union County—people, places, and events. Joston’s.

Myers, K. D. (1992). One hundred, fifty years after Liberty: A short history of the First Baptist Church of Maynardville, Tennessee 1842-1992. In First Baptist Church, Maynardville, Tennessee Sesquicentennial Celebration August 2-9, 1992.