Travel Features

St. Stephen's Church in Land Between the Lakes

March 5, 2025 | Lydia

St. Stephen's Church, located in the heart of Land Between The Lakes, is a historical landmark from the early 1900s. Built by German American settlers, it was a functioning church until around 1942, before being abandoned for many years.

What makes St. Stephen's truly remarkable is its survival. When the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired the land for LBL in 1963, the church was somehow overlooked. How this happened remains a mystery, especially given the adjacent cemetery. Theories range from simple oversight to the challenging access after Lake Barkley's creation, which submerged the original access road.

Thankfully, St. Stephen's wasn't forgotten forever. In 2000, "Between the Rivers, Inc." undertook a monumental restoration effort, breathing new life into the historic structure. Today, visitors can embark on a scenic drive down Forest Service Road #415 to witness this piece of LBL's history. The church stands as a reminder of the communities that once thrived in this now protected area.

Here's a video of my experience...

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