Bethel

Bethel is a Tennessee historical marker in Rutherford County.

4286 Sulphur Springs Road

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

The Reverend Ebenezer Macgowan (February 17, 1767-April 30, 1850) was born in England, migrated to Virginia and ordained by Bishop Asbury before settling here. In 1818 the Reverend Macgowan donated land for a log meeting house that was named "Bethel". In 1887 the present structure was constructed and over 1,500 people attended the June dedication. Bethel also included a community cemetery and public school that operated until 1970. The Reverend Macgowan is buried nearby.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library

Historical maps covering this location

1776 · A general map of the southern British colonies in America comprehending North and South… (Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library)
1794 · Map of the Tennessee Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1796 · Map of The Tennassee (sic) Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1797 · Tennassee Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1950 · Walterhill, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

Example

For example, one family's tree showed the Articles of Confederation marker in Pennsylvania standing under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s.

What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.

See your family's markers

Start with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.

Report a problem with this page

The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.

Marker text and location from the Tennessee Historical Commission, as the Commission publishes them on its marker map.

Bethel

Historical maps covering this location

More markers nearby