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\u201cI wanted to capture the cross during sunset,\u201d she explained. \u201cI never know if I\u2019m going to get the sunset outcome I\u2019m looking for, but fortunately, the sun set perfectly behind the cross and I was able to capture it with the sun beaming around the side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Davis, the Sewanee Memorial Cross has been part of her story for as long as she can remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing raised in Cowan, I regularly saw the cross on the side of the mountain,\u201d she said. \u201cAnytime we went up the mountain, I could always see it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, it became a place filled with memories. It was where she and her husband, Jimmy, first exchanged the words, \u201cI love you.\u201d Later, it became the backdrop for photographs of their children, Kaleb and Kaleigh. Above all, it has remained a place of reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStanding at the cross and overlooking the valley below, I can\u2019t help but thank God for all He created, His gift of salvation, and all His blessings in my life,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That personal connection inspired the title of her photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe title of my picture is \u2018Where Sacrifice Meets the Sunset,\u201d\u2019 she said. \u201cThe 60-foot cross is meaningful because it is a beacon sitting upon Sewanee Mountain that can be seen throughout Franklin County. It\u2019s truly an iconic part of Franklin County where sacrifice meets the sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While preparing for the contest, Davis also immersed herself in the remarkable history of the cross. She interviewed Sewanee historian Dr. Jerry Smith and studied \u201cThe Cross at 100,\u201d co-authored by Smith and University Historiographer Sam Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She discovered that the story began in the early 1800s, when surveyors established what became known as \u201cUniversity View,\u201d a scenic overlook marked by a flagpole. In the spring of 1922, University of the South Vice Chancellor Benjamin Finney climbed the mountain from Cowan at sunrise after arriving by train. Moved by the breathtaking view and reflecting on the lives lost during World War I, he envisioned a memorial cross standing on that very spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sewanee community quickly embraced the idea. Local stonemasons, many of whom were members of the Sewanee Summit Lodge of Freemasonry, joined together to construct the monument. Before the cornerstone was laid on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1922, residents brought stones from their own homes to create the foundation, a symbolic act of unity and remembrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The completed cross was dedicated on June 18, 1923, honoring Sewanee residents who gave their lives during World War I. In the decades that followed, additional memorial plaques were added to honor local service members who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, although the cross stands on the Domain of the University of the South, it has become a destination for far more than just students and visitors. Families gather there to celebrate milestones, mourn loved ones, enjoy sunsets, or simply pause to appreciate the beauty stretching across the valley below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Davis hopes her photograph conveys both the grandeur of the landmark and its meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her statewide recognition may have begun with a single photograph, but for Davis, the true reward is sharing a place that has shaped her faith and her family. Through \u201cWhere Sacrifice Meets the Sunset,\u201d she invites others to experience the same sense of awe that has drawn generations to the Sewanee Memorial Cross \u2014 a landmark where history, remembrance, and hope continue to meet above the valley. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Franklin County native Lynde Davis entered the Tennessee Statehood Anniversary Photo Contest, she simply hoped to challenge herself. Instead, her photograph, \u201cWhere Sacrifice Meets the Sunset,\u201d earned third place statewide and is now displayed at the Tennessee State Museum \u2014 a recognition that celebrates not only her talent behind the camera but also one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":194,"featured_media":25958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[6,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-franklin-county"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/10\/1-1-1024x683.jpg\")
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