LOCATION: CHALKHILL CHURCH RD. IN BENTON CO., TENNESSEE
THE FOLLOWING HISTORY INFORMATION WAS COMPILED FROM
DORIS M. HIGHTOWER’S FAMILY RECORDS, CHALKHILL CEMETERY RECORDS, NELL MORISETTE’S MISC. CHALKHILL RECORDS AND J. SMITH MISC. HISTORY RECORDS.
1844-1845, FIRST ORGANIZED AS THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH LOCATED ON THE OLD STAGE ROAD.
BY 1850, IT WAS CHANGED TO THE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ON THE OLD STAGE ROAD, THE CHURCH’S LONG TIME MINISTER WAS BENNETT S. BROWNING, THE SON OF JACOB BROWNING (THE FIRST PREACHER OF BENTON CO., TN) (Note: The Old Stage Rd. is presently known as the Chalkhill Church Rd.)
I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DOCUMENT WEATHER OR NOT A CEMETERY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED ON THE CHURCH GROUNDS BY 1850. I DO BELIEVE THAT A SMALL NUMBER OF BURIALS BEGAN IN THE 1860-1870’s, BUT NOT BEFORE THAT TIME.
THE EARLIEST MONUMENT IN THE CEMETERY IS THAT OF WASHINGTON L. SARRETT (1825-1872). ALTHOUGH THERE APPEARS TO BE SEVERAL UNMARKED GRAVES BY THE SARRETT’S & THE HOLLINGSWORTH GRAVES, WASHINGTON IS THE EARLIEST MARKED GRAVE.
AUG. 18, 1885:WILLIAM HOLLINGSWORTH DONATED THE LAND. HE STATED "OUT OF THE RESPECT FOR THE DEATH THAT ARE BURIED THERE AND ALSO FOR THE BENEFIT THE CHALKHILL CHURCH NOW ESTABLISHED, AND FOR A PUBLIC BURIAL GROUND."
BY EXAMINING THE MARKED GRAVES THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF BURIALS SHORTLY AFTER 1885 AND CONTINUING UP TO THE PRESENT DATE.
ABOUT 1885, A BUILDING WAS ERECTED ON THE PRESENT LOCATION OF THE HIGHTOWER/DAVIS PLOTS.
ABOUT 1963,THIS BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN AND A BRICK BUILDING WAS BUILT AT IT’S PRESENT LOCATION.
AS OF NOVEMBER OF 1997, THERE ARE 364 MONUMENTS, MANY ARE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE STONES. THIS IS WELL- MAINTAINED CEMETERY.
Doris (Melton) Hightower, April 1998
