City Spotlight on Bethlehem: The Town a Church Built

Did you know that Bethlehem First United Methodist Church is believed to be one of the oldest congregations in Barrow County?

The building fondly known as the “big white church” that currently stands at 709 Christmas Ave. is actually believed to be the sixth building the congregation has occupied since its inception in the late 1700s.

Originally, the church’s first services were thought to have been held in a simple, small log structure and were attended by a handful of families who had received land grants in the area.

During the Civil War, the campgrounds at Bethlehem United Methodist Church were used as a mobilization center for two different Confederate companies. The arrival of the railroad and commerce to the area led to the growth of a town around the church.

Many historians hold that the town of Bethlehem actually received its name in 1884 — nearly nine decades after Bethlehem United Methodist Church was founded — at the suggestion of church member Judson L. Moore. 

Sources

Barrow County Comprehensive Plan 1998-2018: Chapter 5 Historic Resources; Northeast Georgia Planning (negplanning.org ); authored by the Preservation Planner on behalf of the Barrow County Comprehensive Plan Citizens Advisory Committee. http://www.negplanning.org/documents/32 (June 14, 2011)

A Brief History of Bethlehem First United Methodist Church; edited by Leeon and Frances Pruett. http://www.mkharrison.com/Html/BethlehemGAUMC.htm (July 11, 2011)