Tennessee Trail Visitors to Find Religion

D A Y T O N, Tenn., Feb. 13, 2004 -- Mountains, whitewater and bluegrass musicare the usual reasons people visit southeast Tennessee, but plansare also under way to formally showcase the region's diversereligious history as a tourist attraction.

There's the courthouse in Dayton where high school teacher JohnT. Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution. There's also aCatholic shrine near South Pittsburg and a Holocaust Museum atWhitwell.

These and about 17 other sites will be linked by a self-guideddriving tour across 10 counties is completed in about two years. Inthe meantime, enterprising visitors can map the route themselves.

The Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, site of the famed "ScopesMonkey Trial," is already an international tourist attraction andwill likely be the most recognized stop on the proposed trail.

Only Trail of Its Kind

Also among the proposed sites are Beth Salem, a historic blackchurch in McMinn County, and the site of the Brainerd Mission inChattanooga, where Cherokee Indians were converted to Christianity.

The Our Lady of the Poor Shrine at New Hope, a replica of ashrine in Belgium where the Virgin Mary is said to have appearedstarting in January 1933, was dedicated in 1983 on 600 acres inMarion County.

At Whitwell, a German rail car that carried Jewish men, womenand children to their deaths has been developed into a memorial, aproject involving school children in the community.

The region also has "beautiful little country churches thatspeak to the faith of a lot of different generations," saidCarolyn Brackett, a researcher for the National Trust for HistoricPreservation Heritage Tourism Program.

"As far as we know, this is going to be the only religioushistory trail of its kind," said Melissa Alley, vice president forthe Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Cleveland-Bradley Chamberof Commerce.

Most religious tourist sites focus on a single group, such asthe Shaker Village in Kentucky or the Amish community in Lancaster,Pa. The Tennessee trail would be different. "I have not come across a heritage trail that is specificallydevoted to the diverse religious heritage of an area," saidBrackett, who conducted a study for the Southeast TennesseeDevelopment District that found potential interest among touristsfor the proposed trail. She noted that cultural heritage travel isa growing market.

Making Trail Tell a Story

Kenn DeShane, an associate professor of English and folklore atMiddle Tennessee State University, will help develop the trail. "Ithink it will be a great way to draw people to the area," DeShanesaid.

Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association director Susan Goldblattpredicted that developing the trail would likely take about twoyears.

"All the history is here, but it is not developed to the pointthat it is accessible," Goldblatt said. "We want to interpret itto where it tells the story."

Cindy Bruce, executive director of Chattanooga Hotel and LodgingAssociation, said the planned trail fits nicely with the region'sscenic beauty and family attractions and could "help us enticemore conventions."

Chattanooga already attracts many religious and churchconventions.

Bruce said the region's religious heritage is "something thatwe have known is here and we have used it. I think we are justbeginning to see it gel in a cohesive effort."

If You Go…

RELIGIOUS HERITAGE TRAIL: The proposed trail in SoutheastTennessee won't be complete for about two years. Visitwww.nationaltrust.org/heritage-tourism/index.html for more details. RHEA COUNTY COURTHOUSE: Located: 1475 Market St, downtown Dayton. A national historic landmark. The Scopes monkey trial washeld on the second floor and contains the original judge's bench,four tables, railing, jury chairs and spectator seats. Museumdownstairs. Open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, call (423)775-7801 or visit www.rheacounty.com/attractions.html. WHITWELL HOLOCAUST EXHIBIT: German rail car used by the Nazis totransport Jews. Located at Whitwell Middle School, 1130 Main St.,Whitwell. Open during school hours; admission free. Phone: (423)658-5635. OUR LADY OF THE POOR SHRINE: Catholic shrine in New Hope. TakeHighway 156 over the bridge from South Pittsburg, then follow theShrine signs. Phone: (423) 837-7068. Open daily from sunrise tosunset. BETH SALEM: Historic African-American church and cemetary. FromI-75, take exit 49 at Athens; follow Highway 30 East through Athenstoward Etowah. About 5 miles out of Athens, turn right onto CountyRoad 602. Church is a quarter-mile on the left. Phone: (423)780-2836. Call ahead to arrange tours. BRAINERD MISSION: Site where Cherokee Indians were converted toChristianity. Marker located: 5600 Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga. CHURCH OF GOD EXHIBIT: The Beauty of Holiness Exhibit tells thestory of the Holiness movement, back to John Wesley, and the earlyhistory of the Church of God. Pentecostal Research Center, 260 11thSt., Cleveland, Tenn., on the Lee University Campus. Phone: (423)614-8576. TENNESSEE TOURISM: For help in planning a trip to Tennessee,visit www.tnvacation.com/ or call (615) 741-2159. For Southeast Tennessee information, visit www.southeasttennessee.com or www.tennesseeoverhill.com.