Denmark, Tennessee
Denmark is an unincorporated community and former city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States roughly 14 miles southwest of Jackson. The zip code is 38391. Although it was once a thriving farming community, a combination of man-made and natural disasters has reduced Denmark to a few remaining houses as well as the historic antebellum Denmark Presbyterian Church. History. Denmark was one of the first-settled places in Madison County; the land on which it was incorporated in 1854 was opened by Thomas Sanders in 1822. Presbyterian and Methodist churches were established in the area in 1833 and  1842. By January 1844, the community had been sufficiently populated that an academy was incorporated by the Tennessee General Assembly. Prior to the Civil War, Denmark flourished and rivaled neighboring Jackson in size. During the American Civil War, Union soldiers repulsed a Confederate raid near Denmark in the Battle of Britton's Lane in September 1862. Following the Civil War, Denmark's economy experienced a pronounced decline after being bypassed by all of the railroads built through Madison County. Although its population was about 250 in 1886, Denmark's population declined such that its municipal charter was revoked on 28  April 1983 by a chancery court order after the Tennessee legislature passed a statute providing for the forfeiting of charters of any city with a population under 100. The local high school, chartered in 1885, was merged into South Side High School in 1992. The local middle school was disestablished and its campus became the West Tennessee Regional Training Center. Denmark Elementary is the community's only remaining school. Destructive weather. Denmark's repeated weather catastrophes have historically contributed to the community's decline. A devastating tornado on 14 October 1909, accompanied by a thunderstorm and subsequent fires, inflicted immense  damage. Another, in 2003, was similarly destructive to its counterpart of a century before. Climate. Denmark's climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Denmark has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. In popular culture. Two mystery novels take place in part in a fictional version of Denmark: "Such Vicious Minds: A Murder Mystery Featuring Elvis Presley" by Daniel Klein, and "Something Rotten" by Alan Gratz.