Old Bethel Methodist Church

Old Bethel Methodist Church
Nearest city Paragould, Arkansas
Coordinates 36°0′46″N 90°39′30″W / 36.01278°N 90.65833°W / 36.01278; -90.65833Coordinates: 36°0′46″N 90°39′30″W / 36.01278°N 90.65833°W / 36.01278; -90.65833
Area 2 acres (0.81 ha)
NRHP Reference # 78000590[1]
Added to NRHP April 19, 1978

The Old Bethel Methodist Church is a historic church in rural Greene County, Arkansas. It is located on HWY. 358,& greene 712 rd. Paragould, Arkansas. It is a modest single-story wood frame structure, built in 1901, and standing next to a cemetery established in 1882. The first man buried here was moss Widner in 1982. It served the small community of Finch as not just a church, but also as a school, and was vacated in 1941. It was restored in the 1970s by a group of local concerned citizens, and is occasionally used for services.[2]

The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1]

See also

Old Bethel school & Church House at HWY 358 & 710 Greene Rd. was built in 1880 and became common school district #57 This building was built to be used as both a school & a Methodist church. This building became a one-room school and Church, and was named Old Bethel School & Methodist church. The first person buried in the cemetery next to the school & church house was Mose Widner buried at Old Bethel Cemetery July 30th 1882.The 1880 school & church building lasted till 1901 when a tornado blew it down. In the same year 1901 the building that is standing today was built. My great gran-dad George Russell was the carpenter that built the 1880 building & helped build the school & church house standing today. The Old Bethel school lasted till 1928,when it consolidated with Walcott which at this time was common school district #40. The consolidation formed school district #2 Walcott of Greene County, AR. The Methodist Church held its last revival at Old Bethel in 1926 and was conducted by Reverend J. Albert Gatlin. After Church services ceased & the school no longer needed the building it begin to deteriorate. In 1973 a group of community leaders formed a restoration committee. After the Committee was formed there has been a lot of work done and just lately we re-sanded and resealed the 1901 heart pine floor and it looks great. We now just have a few revivals, weddings, board meetings and our annual homecoming. We are very proud of the fact that there is no other building or structure with the same association as Old Bethel, serving as both a one-room school house and church that has survived for as many years. I know this is listed in the national register as Old Bethel Methodist Church, but it should read (Old Bethel school, Church & Cemetery)because it served as a one-room school for 48 years.

Ron Williams 632 Greene 712 Rd. Paragould, AR. 72450 Ph.#(870)573-6854

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "NRHP nomination for Old Bethel Methodist Church" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2014-12-22.


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