DID YOU KNOW? 
? This towering Oak Tree served as Cornelius’s first unofficial Town Square. 
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The “Tree of Knowledge” once stood as a central meeting place, a landmark where many a story was told, and many a day grew old. One resident recalls, “It was kind of one of those places ‘what happened there stays there’ kind of places.” 
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Located between the two mills of the town, towns folk and workers would meet during shift changes and exchange stories and stay until dark. A concession stand opened serving drinks and sandwiches and eventually benches were built to accommodate the gatherings. Additionally, revivals and the origins of Cornelius Tabernacle Church (now Grace Covenant) first met here, the Reverend Clanton preaching from the back of a bus.
For National Arbor Day, we remember OTC’s roots, it’s first oral periodical being under this faithful tree.
BONUS: Can you name the location and what currently stands in the “Tree of Knowledge’s” place?
Share some of your memories and recollections of this faithful spot.
(
?photo taken by Sara Rachel Brawley)
