Posted June 16, 2003
We
like to call it "the forgotten treasure" - the St. Stephen Church in
the Land Between the Lakes. Historically significant because it is
only one of a handful of the known original remaining buildings in
LBL. The church was built in 1900 by German Americans seeking a
place to worship. The final service was held in 1945. For the next
18 years, the church sat vacant next to the church's cemetery.
In 1963, when TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) began acquisition of land between Kentucky Lake and the soon-to-be Lake Barkley (completed the following year) for the creation of LBL, the church was completely overlooked. Why? We aren't sure, but one of our theories is that the access road to the church from Kentucky 289 was flooded when Lake Barkley was created. Kentucky 289 and most of the church's original access road is now underwater and pretty much destroyed. However, a cemetery resides there next to the church, a cemetery that people would surely not forget about; so our theory doesn't make much sense. The only way we can back our theory is by a clip of this old map. Today, LBL Road #415 (which we guess is a relatively new road) is the new access point to the church and cemetery.
The church wasn't forgotten by everyone. In 2000, a group known as "Between the Rivers, Inc." requested permission and was approved by U.S. Forest Service to restore the old church. It was done after nearly 4,000 hours of man labor. You can see the before and after photos below.
The drive down LBL Road #415 is very interesting, too. It is a very windy, hilly, one-lane gravel road that could be, at times, impassible. You probably don't want to take a Lexus down the road, but most of the time most vehicles can get there. The road is about 2 miles long and is accessible by taking Old Ferry Road (LBL Road #117, Old Kentucky 58) to LBL Road #122. If you blink, you'll miss it, but it is a fun road trip to take. When you get there, you will certainly appreciate the church and the effort put into it, as well as the historical significance of the 100-year-old structure.
 A photograph of the church prior to restoration |
 The original road to St. Stephen Church located off of old KY 289 both of which are now underwater. Along this trail, you will find remnants of the small community that once surrounded the church. |
More Information on St. Stephen Church
Click here to see an old map of the area before Lake Barkley was created
