Bethany Hills Camp & Conference Center is a campground in

Kingston Springs, Tennessee Kingston Springs is a town in Cheatham County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,824 at the 2020 census and 2,756 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of . Climate ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

owned by the

Disciples of Christ The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

History

The camp was built in approximately 1900 by Nashville social worker,

Fannie Battle Fannie Battle (1842–1924) (born Mary Frances Battle) was an American social reformer and spy for the Confederate Army. A Spy for the Confederate Army Battle was born in 1842 in Cane Ridge near Nolensville, Tennessee. She attended the Nashvil ...

to provide a vacation and convalescence facility for impoverished mothers and their children, and eventually became a place where children susceptible or infected with tuberculosis could come to have fresh, country air. It was named "Camp Thomas" in honor of Major John W. Thomas, who supplied funds and work for the camp during its infancy. Shortly after its opening, Camp Thomas switched to an all-year schedule, caring for those who were too sick (or unable) to leave the camp during the winter months. It included dormitories for boys and girls, cottages, a children's temple, and a nursery. Sometime in the mid to late 1950s, Camp Thomas was bought by the Disciples of Christ and renamed for

Mary of Bethany Mary of Bethany is a biblical figure mentioned only by name in the Gospel of John in the Christian New Testament. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Martha, she is described by John as living in the village of Bethany, a small village in Juda ...

. It has since operated as a camp/conference center for the region, offering a youth camp in summer and conference services during the winter months.

Description and facilities

Bethany Hills Camp is located on the border of Cheatham and Dickson counties in

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...

. The camp covers and its official elevation is . The camp's primary focus is large scale group conventions. The camp's buildings include a lodge and conference center, cabins, a recreation center, an arts and crafts building, a campfire area, a playground, several walking trails, a stocked lake, and a swimming pool. Additionally, a large field, circled by a small creek, allows for large-scale camping for groups such as

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

s and Girl Scouts.

References

{{Reflist Camps in Tennessee