Bethsaida Baptist Church was formed in 1829 and was first led by itinerant preachers traveling in the area. In April 1843, John S. Dodd was called as the church’s permanent pastor, and he served faithfully for 50 years before retiring on January 25, 1892. The original wooden church building was erected on this site in 1829. In 1864, Union forces occupied the church as a headquarters and even used the pews as horse troughs. That sanctuary burned in 1954, and a new building was constructed across the street and dedicated in 1955. Growth over the next 20 years required additions. In 1975, Bethsaida and Capitol View Baptist Church on Stewart Avenue in Atlanta merged to continue their ministries as United Baptist Church with two locations, pastored by Reverend William E. Cropper for the next 21 years. By the 1990s, declining membership and financial support led to the closure of the Bethsaida location on December 29, 1996. The Bethsaida Baptist Church Cemetery contains graves dating from the 1800s. Because the church never charged for burial plots, the cemetery became popular with the community. After space ran short, no plots were deeded after the late 1970s, and use of the cemetery was limited to families who already had plots. In 1997, United Baptist Church completed minimal restoration before deeding the cemetery to a board of trustees.