The Bethania Historic District encompasses the historic planned center of the town of
Bethania, North Carolina
Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995, upon the reactivation of the original 1838/1839 town charter. In 2009, Bethania celebrated the 250th anniversary of ...
. A
National Historic Landmark District
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
, it is a rare example of a
Moravian linear agricultural village in the United States, planned and founded in 1759. Land use and road patterns of the original plan are still discernible in the community. It was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 2001, and is at the largest historic district in
Forsyth County.
[ and ]
Description and history
Bethania is located on the outskirts of
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
, in the northwestern part of
Forsyth County. The area that is now Forsyth County was sold to members of the
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
, who called the area
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asse ...
. In 1753 they established a temporary community at
Bethabara
Al-Maghtas ( ar, المغطس, meaning "baptism" or "immersion"), officially known as Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", is an archaeological World Heritage site in Jordan, on the east bank of the Jordan River, considered to be the orig ...
, with the intent of establishing permanent settlements elsewhere on the tract. Planned by
Christian Philip Gottlieb Reuter
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...
, Bethania was the first permanent settlement laid out and established in 1759 on of the nearly Wachovia tract. Reuter's plan called for a compact village settlement near Muddy Creek, with agricultural areas near the creek and in the uplands above the village. The settlement had four defined areas, each of which was divided into 24 parcels: Residential Lots, Orchard Lots, Bottom Lots, and Upland Lots, reflecting their locations and intended uses. A network of roads was laid out to provide access to these parcels. This basic plan was enlarged as the threat of Native American attack subsided, with new lots allocated into the 19th century.
The original road layout and usage of a significant portion of the original layout of the community is still visible in Bethania today. The principal through roads and access roads are Main Street, Bethania Road, Bethania-Rural Hall Road, and Loesch's Lane, with the village center further served by Town Lot Drive. Many of the agricultural lots continue to see agricultural use, although some have been developed into residential subdivisions. Some of the buildings lining Main Street date to the 1760s and 1770s, representing the early development of the town.
Historic Bethania operates a visitor center, and provides a map for self-guided walking tours of the town.
See also
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*
References
External links
Visit Historic Bethania, North Carolina's First Planned Moravian Settlement
{{National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
Geography of Forsyth County, North Carolina
Moravian settlement in North Carolina
National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Forsyth County, North Carolina