Pencil Drawing of Bethania, North Carolina (2468.3)

Bethania, located ten miles northwest of Salem, was founded in 1759.  The artist who completed these sketches served as Bethania’s pastor from 1851 to 1857.  Although Bethania was founded as a farming community, it did not take long before the town was home to a mill, tanyard, Tavern, store, and several other trades, including a cigar-making industry operated by the Lash/ Loesch family.

The first drawing (2468.3) shows Bethania from the northwest with its church in the center.  This was Bethania’s third worship space, completed in 1807.