During the Civil War, Late in December 1863, the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry (US) occupied Clifton and placed a garrison on Stockade Hill, located right behind this church, which Confederates had used as a hospital. The Federals used it as a livery stable and a blacksmith shop. The damage the building suffered resulted in a claim against the United States, which compensated the congregation with $780 in 1915. The congregation used those funds to construct the steeple seen here. If you look at this picture full sized, you may notice how the bricks around the front door don't seem as uniform like around the rest of the building. Federal Troops enlarged the front door, since they used the building as a stable for their horses. After the war, the original door was replaced. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.