UPDATE: Throwback Thursday turns the clock back to the mid-1960s

By Charlie Hutson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – This home was located in the 400 block of East Central Ave. It begin as Mars Funeral Home, then Mars & Roach Funeral Home and finally Roach Funeral Home.

In the mid-1960s, this building was completely destroyed by fire. This property set vacant for many years until the Dunaway Law Office was built in the 1980s..  

Roach Funeral Home moved to a brand new building designed by the Roach family to serve as the new Roach Mortuary on East Avenue just past the Lafollette Community Hospital at that time. In later years, Roach Mortuary went out of business and today the building is the Campbell County Masonic Lodge and the Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church.

UPDATE:

Frankie Bacon, who will be 95 next month, called to tell us that Dr. J.W. Presley once lived in the house pictured above before he built the gold brick home in the 300 block of West Central Avenue. He lived in the brick home until his death.

Additionally, Miss Frankie says that Emmett Roach and Mrs. Roach lived in the upstairs of the home when it was a funeral home. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/29/2022-6AM)