Title	Blanche Chapel MB Church: view of front
Date	1998
Coverage	1990-1999
Property name	Blanche Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
Date of construction	1953
Property type	Church
Additional property type	School
Community Name	Taft, Lincoln County, TN
Description	Color photograph of a white, front gable building made of rock face imitation concrete blocks. The building has a front enclosed vestibule, made from traditional concrete blocks, with a metal and glass double door central entrance; double-hung windows are on either side of the entrance doors. Above the entrance is a front gable portico supported by two columns; below is a concrete ramp; a vent is visible at the gable peak. The building is surrounded by trees and there are flowers in a front flower bed.
Historical Notes	Before the current structure was built, a different building was home to Blanche Chapel MB Church. The first building, constructed in 1904, was built while Reverend John E. Mitchell was pastor. The current building was constructed in 1953 while J.M. Batton was pastor. Much of the construction was done by Claude Gardner and his family, who was a long-time deacon and clerk of the church. Sometime between the 1940s-1950s, a school building was constructed alongside the church. Some former teachers include Oscar Smith, Clinton Dozier, Claude Gardner, Virginia Askins Eady, Ann Gardner Eady, and Marilyn McDonald.
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	African American churches -- Tennessee
Type	Still image
Genre	Photograph
Medium	Paper
Extent	4 x 6 in.
Processing notes	600ppi
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Conditions for use	Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only.
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University

Blanche Chapel MB Church: view of front

Description