Bethlehem United Methodist Church

Bethlehem United Methodist Church is one of the oldest churches in Jefferson County, dating to 1818 and the efforts of Rev. Ebenezer Hearn. In April 1818, the Tennessee Conference of Methodist Churches sent Rev. Hearn south of the Tennessee River to organize new Methodist societies in the Alabama territory. When he arrived in Possum Valley, he found an already flourishing campground at Rutledge Springs. In 1818 James Rutledge donated land for a church and cemetery. The original church was built under Rev. James Tarrant, a captain in the Revolutionary War, and enslaved individuals including Adam, an experienced builder enslaved by Rev. Tarrant, constructed the first church with hand-hewn logs. In the 1890s, the congregation dismantled the original walls down to the floor and built a white frame building, preserving the original sills and flooring, which remain in use. In 1954, the building was raised eight feet to accommodate a basement. The church grew from a one-room log building into one containing two large auditoriums, a large kitchen, and thirteen classrooms. It celebrated its bicentennial on May 20, 2018, and was listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on October 25, 2018.

Hueytown, Alabama · United States