Old Bethel Methodist Church (Arkansas)

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

The Old Bethel Methodist Church, also known as the Old Bethel School, Church, & Cemetery, is a historic Methodist church, school and cemetery in rural Greene County, Arkansas. It is located on Highway 358,& Greene 712 Road in 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 person buried here was Moss Widner in 1882. The building 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] 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 and 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 30, 1882. The 1880 school & church building lasted till 1901 when a tornado destroyed it. In the same year 1901 the current building was constructed. George Russell was the carpenter that built the 1880 building & helped build the school & church house standing today. The Old Bethel school lasted until 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, Arkansas. The Methodist Church held its last revival at Old Bethel in 1926, which was conducted by Reverend J. Albert Gatlin. After Church services ceased & the school no longer needed the building, it beganto deteriorate. In 1973 a group of community leaders formed a restoration committee. After the Committee was formed a great deal of work was completed and the 1901 heart pine floor was re-sanded and resealed. The building is now used for occasional revivals, weddings, board meetings and an annual homecoming. ^[3]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Greene County, Arkansas

References

1. National Park Service (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.
3. Ron Williams, 632 Greene 712 Rd., Paragould, AR. 72450, Ph.#[phone]