Big Sandy, Tenn.–The Old 23rd Homecoming at the historic Mt. Zion Church will be held Sunday, July 7. The annual Homecoming is always the first Sunday in July. This is a tradition which has been held annually since at least 1958.
The service will begin at 11 a.m. with Terry Atchison leading the music. Rev. Chad Kennedy will bring the sermon. Following the worship service a potluck dinner on the grounds will be held. Bring everything you need to eat such as drinks, plates, silverware, napkins, ice and a lawn chair.
The Old 23rd was a thriving community until the formation of Kentucky Lake in 1945. The historic Mt. Zion Church was built in 1897 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is the only surviving building in the Old 23rd District, an extinct community since 1944.
Much of the former Henry County 23rd district became part of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge system after the creation of Kentucky Lake. The Mt. Zion Church is located on the Big Sandy Peninsula.