Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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Tennessee River Baptist Church

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  • The Tennessee River Baptist Church sits in a clearing at the foot of a hillside. The church was located near the mouth of Chesquaw Branch, which emptied into the Little Tennessee River about four miles upstream of the mouth of Hazel Creek. This site is about 250 feet under water when Fontana Lake is full. This photograph was taken by “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area.