Anthony Clopton gave this land for a Methodist church in the 1830's, when lush trees and flowing springs made the grounds ideal for brush arbor revivals and early spiritual refreshment for the community. During the Civil War, more than 500 volunteer Confederate soldiers from Tipton County trained here, the church was burned by Union forces, and two cemeteries came to contain the remains of both Southern soldiers and slaves. After the war, the church became an early leader in education, with schools operating very near this site until 1938. It later became known for generous emergency relief to families and in 1992 was a principal founder of Tipton Cares. Entering the 21st Century, it remained a lighthouse and servant to a rapidly changing Tipton County.