Here's my husband, Richard Higgins standing at the front door of the reconstructed Little Flat Creek Baptist Church on Emory Rd. in northeastern Knox Co. The current minister, Jerry Baltimore, found the original logs from the first church, built in 1796-97, which were part of a corn crib. He brought them to the site of the current brick church and had the little log church reconstructed. He said they had to purchase 6 or 8 additional logs to be able to complete it, and he said the top and roof of the church were new materials. In the second picture, inside the church, you see a small slot in the middle of on log on the left hand side where mortar covered the slot. This was a slot made for the men to be able to put their rifles in order to defend themselves from the Indian attacks which were prevalent in the 1790s in Knox Co.

 

John Higgins' name was listed in the first minutes (1797) of the church as being ordained as one of two deacons of the church. John Higgins and Martha Skaggs Higgins were the parents of Philemon Higgins (born abt. 1798 in Knox Co., TN), father of Joel Calloway Higgins, father of Boonie Moses (my husband's grandfather). John and Martha, who came from Montgomery Co., VA., lived in Knox Co. in the 1790s and moved to Williamson Co., Tn in about 1805 or 1807. John died before July 1809, and Martha moved back to east Tenn. to Roane Co. where I think there were other members of her Skaggs family. 

 

We visited the Little Flat Creek Baptist Church Oct. 31, 2003, while we were in Knox Co. for UT Homecoming on Nov. 1 (Go Vols!). It was a beautiful trip and very exciting to be able to see the old church. The current pastor at the church was so nice to us. 

 

Linda Higgins