Discover Our Rich History

Welcome to Bethlehem Meeting House and Cemetery, a cherished community landmark since 1875, honouring the history of families in the region.

Our Rich History

Bethlehem Meeting House and Cemetery is a private cemetery established for the descendants of the families buried here and living in the areas of Cave and Doyle, south of Sparta Tennessee. The earliest recorded grave is for William Green dated September 29, 1829, just twenty-three years following the founding of White County, TN.

The property deed is dated December 29, 1975, and is believed the deed was obtained to secure the construction of the Meeting House. Over the ensuring years the Meeting House has been used by numerous church organizations as their house of worship. Currently, there is no affiliation with any church organization.

At the last, re-survey of the past burials, performed in the summer of 2002 by Billie and Charlie Clark, there were approximately 553 burial plots with markers. There are many more today.

The Bethlehem Meeting House and Cemetery is chartered in the state of Tennessee as a non-profit corporation. Each year, open to the public, at the Annual Homecoming, the Sunday before Labor Day at 12:30 p. m., the members of Bethlehem Meeting House and Cemetery elect new management for the non-profit corporation to serve the following year.

The elected management is responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the meeting house, cemetery and the safe keeping of the corporation's assets and cash funds and to report such to the Members.

As this is private cemetery, there are to be NO BURIALS without prior permission granted from Bethlehem Meeting House & Cemetery.

low-light photo of forest

Our Heritage

"It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind." - Branch Rickey

A collection of stories of the loved ones resting in our grounds...

Virginia Ann (Taylor) Root

BORN: 28 July 1918. White County, Tennessee

Died: 10 December 1999. Colorado Springs, Colorado

The daughter of Joseph W Taylor and Mary B Jernigan. Sister of Jo Frances (Taylor) Auld, and Ralph W Taylor.

Virginia grew up in Cave, TN. Below is an excerpt written by her sister, Jo Frances: "Virginia and I started school at Onward Seminary which by now was only an elementary school. This was about the last year it operated as a school. When we moved to Doyle we went to school there. Miss Minnie Myers was our second grade teacher. She had taught at Onward Seminary when Uncle Porter came there to be principle. All three of us (Jo Frances, Virginia, and Ralph Taylor) finished school at Doyle and attended White County High School."

Virginia was eager to travel beyond White County from a young age. There is a family story of her hiding in the truck of a visiting family members car to secretly hitch a ride out of town.

Virginia moved in her early teens to Chattanooga, TN and then at age 17 she moved to Detroit where she worked for several years in department stores, then at Stouffer's in Chicago. She eventually went to Colorado Springs, Co to help her Uncle Marcus William Taylor with his school. There she met and married Captain Charles W. Root on April 15th, 1954. They lived in Heidelberg, Germany and travelled in Europe for many years before settling back in Colorado Springs, CO where she remained until her death.

More Stories Coming Soon...