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Monument built over the site of Lebanon-in-the-Fork Presbyterian Church in Knox County, TN. 

As a member of a church that has descended from First Presbyterian Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, I have become very interested in the history of the early Presbyterian Church here in Knoxville. What I have learned has been very fascinating to me, and I hope to share some of this here on this blog for the sake of coalescing this widely spread information into one source for my own personal reference.

"The Presbyterians were especially strong in Knoxville; their ministers were well known for their learning, and it is little wonder that until 1833 all of the presidents of Blount College and its successor, East Tennessee College (the predecessor of the Univ of TN), were Presbyterian ministers."

Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee. Knoxville, TN: East Tennessee Historical Society

 Indeed. The great University of TN started as a seminary of the first pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Knox county (Lebanon in the Fork Presbyterian Church), and Knoxville city (First Presbyterian Church).

To my fellow Presbyterians in Knox County (and to any local history buffs!): I hope you find this as informative and interesting as I did. We have a strong heritage that traces back to 1791!