It is one of the Oldest African American Churches in the South East. Henderson Chapel AME Zion Church in Rutledge, the seat of Grainger County, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places under the criteria for its local significance in African-American ethnic identity and religion. It is the oldest African-American congregation in Grainger County and the oldest extant African-American c
hurch building in the county. Built in 1890 and as one of the handful of extant nineteenth century African-American church buildings in the state, Henderson Chapel Church meets the registration requirements for Historic Rural African-American Churches in Tennessee, 1850-1890. The organized church activity dates to 1833, the date when the local congregation and local historians agree that the predecessor to Henderson Chapel was established. This early date also makes the congregation one of the oldest in the South, especially in the rural South.
