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 its establishment in 1759.

The first planned Moravian settlement in North Carolina, Bethania exists as the only remaining independent, continuously active Moravian village in the southern United States, and is the only known existing Germanic-type Linear Agricultural village in the South. The 500-acre (2.0 km²) Bethania National Historic Landmark district is the largest National Landmark in Forsyth County. Bethania and its 18th and 19th century properties are listed on the National and North Carolina State Historic Registers of Places.

Bethania was founded 12 June 1759 by the Moravian Brethren of Wachovia as a congregational, agricultural, and trades community. Bethania was the first planned Moravian settlement in Wachovia, and members of a Society, under the care of the Bethania congregation were permitted to reside in the village, as well, after July 1759. Today, Bethania's eighteenth-century German-type linear agricultural village design remains visible and intact, and most town lots and roadways have remained in continuous use since 1759. The town was named "Bethania" the German form of the name Bethany, a village near Jerusalem recorded in the New Testament as the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, as well as that of Simon the Leper.^[3]

In March 2007, The Town of Bethania opened a visitor center and museum, Historic Bethania, to welcome friends and guests, and to promote education and cultural resource preservation in the community. The Historic Bethania Visitor Center facilities include a relocated and restored Moravian farmstead home, the Wolff-Moser House, dating to ca. 1792, one of the earliest known surviving rural Moravian farmstead homes in North America. The Wolff-Moser House can be visited by the public, during the center's open hours. The Historic Bethania Visitor Center, located at 5393 Ham Horton Lane, at the intersection of Main Street and Bethania Road, also serves as an orientation center for those wishing to explore the Bethania National Historic Landmark District. Visitors to the c. 1759 Bethania Historic District can obtain a tour map and additional information at the visitor center.

In addition to the Bethania Historic District, the Dr. Beverly Jones House, John Henry Kapp Farm, and Samuel B. Stauber Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[4]

Bethania Mill and Village Shoppes, the only shopping center within the city limits opened Oct 18, 2008. At the site of an old seed mill, the shop contains a general store and plans to have a restaurant. They currently are renting out office space.

Geography

Bethania is located at 36°11′4″N 80°20′5″W / 36.18444°N 80.33472°W / 36.18444; -80.33472 (36.184418, -80.334786).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	105		—
2000	354		—
2010	328		−7.3%
Est. 2014	342	^[6]	4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 354 people, 139 households, and 111 families residing in the town. The population density was 490.0 people per square mile (189.8/km²). There were 148 housing units at an average density of 204.8 per square mile (79.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.92% White, 15.82% African American, 0.28% Asian, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.

There were 139 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,875, and the median income for a family was $55,357. Males had a median income of $45,500 versus $27,813 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,702. About 7.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
↑ Jennifer Bean Bower (2006), Moravians in North Carolina, p. 14. Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 0-7385-4329-2.
↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

Municipalities and communities of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States

County seat: Winston-Salem

Cities	High Point‡ Winston-Salem

Towns	Bethania Kernersville‡ King‡ Lewisville Rural Hall Walkertown

Villages	Clemmons Tobaccoville‡

CDP	Germanton‡

Unincorporated communities	Belews Creek Donnaha Dozier Horneytown Pfafftown Seward Stanleyville Union Cross Vienna

Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics	Architectural style categories Contributing property Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register National Park Service Property types

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