Bethany’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 2 old photos of Bethany. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Scotch-Irish minister Alexander Campbell established a post office in the area of his homestead around 1827. In 1840, he founded Bethany College, and then platted the town in 1847. The town was most likely named after the biblical town of Bethany, where Jesus was said to have raised Lazarus of Bethany from the dead. The town was chartered in 1853.
The Bethany Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Located within the district are the separately listed Alexander Campbell Mansion, Delta Tau Delta Founders House, Old Bethany Church, Old Main, and Pendleton Heights.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Bethany’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bethany’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewView of Bethany College and Betha…, 1914: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Bethany
See all 3 →
Bethany, decade by decade
1990s
6 historic places in Bethany
Bethany has 6 listings on the National Register, and they protect 117 historic buildings, because Bethany Historic District alone counts 111. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier, which fewer than 3% of listings reach.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
LandmarkListed 1970Old Main, Bethany College
LandmarkListed 1970Alexander Campbell Mansion
Listed 1975Pendleton Heights
Listed 1976Old Bethany Church
Listed 1979Delta Tau Delta Founders House
Listed 1982Bethany Historic DistrictThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as View of Bethany College and Bethany, W. Va (1914) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (4) and the Library of Congress (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.