Bethesda () is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in west-central Belmont County,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, United States. The population was 1,211 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area.

History

Bethesda has had three names: Burrs Mills, Fairmount, and Bethesda. When the railroad reached the village in 1852, the Central Ohio Railroad built a station and named it Burr's Mills in honor of Merrick S. Burr, who operated a sawmill in the area. In 1855, Burr laid out a village which he called Fairmount because of its high and beautiful location. Prior to that time, there was a store, the Bethesda Methodist Church, and a post office, all located about 2 miles south of the current town on what now CR 26, and the post office was named after the church. The store proprietor was the postmaster and when he moved his store to the town, the post office also was relocated but retained its name. As a result, the town was called Fairmount while the railroad station was Burr's Mills and the post office was Bethesda. In the late 1800s, the name of Bethesda was finally chosen for the town. Bethesda was incorporated as a village in 1910. In 1920, the town contracted with the E. Howard Watch & Clock Company to supply a town clock, which was erected atop the Orrison Cigar Co. building on Main Street and is dedicated to Bethesda's World War I veterans. In 2010, the clock was removed from service and placed in storage. Businessman Robert E. Murray, spearheaded the restoration of the clock and established the Murray Family Memorial Plaza, which was dedicated in 2017. The facility and the restored clock are dedicated to military veterans from all services.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,256 people, 549 households, and 358 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 667 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, and 2.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population. There were 549 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the village was 39.6 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64, and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,413 people, 592 households, and 397 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 679 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.94%

, 0.14%

, 0.28% Native American, 0.21% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population. There were 592 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were

living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $24,358 and the median income for a family was $31,111. Males had a median income of $27,396 versus $19,028 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $13,406. About 16.8% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bethesda has a public library, a branch of the Belmont County District Library.

References

External links

Historic Epworth Park

Martins Ferry Public Library - Bethesda Branch
{{Authority control Villages in Belmont County, Ohio 1852 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1852 Villages in Ohio