History Conversations REWIND | The Past, Present, and Future of the Bethesda Meeting House – “The Church That Named Bethesda.”

with Hank Levine | Prerecorded virtual event

 

Despite being among the community’s most storied buildings, the Bethesda Meeting House — “the church that named Bethesda” — was vacant and deteriorating when acquired last year by the Bethesda Historical Society. Constructed in 1820 (and rebuilt in 1850 after a fire) it features a rare “slave gallery,” was the town’s first post office, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation. Tradition has it that Abraham Lincoln worshipped there, and it was occupied by Confederate cavalry during Jubal Early’s raid on Washington in July 1864. Join Hank Levine for an illustrated tour of this iconic building’s history, architecture, and significance. Originally aired March 2024.