1854
A Church Is Founded
Mount Zion Baptist Church begins serving the families of Wheat and the surrounding countryside.
Wheat Community · Roane County, Tennessee
A Sacred Place.
A Living Memory.
Wheat Church stands as a witness to a community uprooted in 1942, and to the families whose faith, stories, and connections still endure.
Church photograph: National Park Service
The Wheat Community
Rooted Here Since 1854
The congregation began as Mount Zion Baptist Church in 1854, serving families in the rural Wheat community of Roane County. The church later became known as George Jones Memorial Baptist Church and remains one of the community’s most visible landmarks.
In 1942, the federal government acquired Wheat and nearby communities for the wartime project that created Oak Ridge. Families left homes, farms, schools, churches, and familiar roads. Their community changed, but their belonging to one another did not disappear.
Today, the church and cemetery help preserve the story of the people who worshiped, worked, raised families, and built lives here long before Oak Ridge carried its present name.
A church for all who have been displaced.
A Story That Continues
From Congregation to Homecoming
1942
A Community Is Displaced
Families are required to leave as the federal government assembles the land that becomes Oak Ridge.
Today
The Memory Lives
Descendants, neighbors, historians, and friends return to remember the community and share its stories.
You Are Invited
Wheat Community Homecoming 2026
Come enjoy historical displays, speakers, fellowship, and memories of Wheat before 1942. Bring dinner and stay awhile.
Families with a connection to Wheat, people from the surrounding community, and anyone curious about this remarkable local history are warmly welcome.
04OCT
Sunday, October 4, 202611:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Wheat ChurchGeorge Jones Memorial Baptist Church
Wheat Community, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Wheat ChurchGeorge Jones Memorial Baptist Church
Wheat Community, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Bring your memories. Bring your questions. Bring your family. Everyone is welcome.
More Information
Help Keep the Story Alive
If your family has ties to Wheat, or if you have photographs, documents, or memories to share, we would love to hear from you.
Contact Pastor Brad Parish
865-804-2723