The Town of Mason had its beginnings in 1855 with the completion of the Memphis & Ohio Railroad through the southeastern corner of Tipton County. The town was named for James E. Mason, a local planter who donated the land for the depot grounds and sidetracks. The town was initially known as Mason’s Depot but earned the nickname of “Mason’s Pigpen” because the planter had previously used the site as a hog pen.
Following the War Between the States, Mason grew quickly, incorporating in 1869. It soon became the commercial center of Tipton County as well as having a strong social and economical influence on the citizens of neighboring Haywood and Fayette Counties.
Because of years of neglect and several devastating fires, little evidence remains of the wealth and prominence Mason once possessed. Trinity Episcopal Church is the exception. Built in 1870, this brick gothic structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its predecessor, Old Trinity Episcopal Church located about three miles north of town, is also on the National Reiger of Historic Places and is the oldest structure building in the County, having been built by Taylor slaves in 1847.
Courtesy of David A. Gwinn, Tipton County Genealogist and Historian