The Bethlehem Stone Church stands in the Tenth Legion area of Rockingham County, which was named by Thomas Jefferson for its participation in the Revolutionary era struggle for independence. The original log meetinghouse was built circa 1738 to accommodate Quaker worship. By 1810, Quakerism in the area had declined and was replaced by other protestant worship meetings.
The “Old Stone Church,” which still stands, was constructed in 1844 by Jeremiah Clemens on land donated by Jacob Martz, for use by an independent congregation affiliated with the Valley Christian Churches. It was used in the Civil War as a prison and a hospital, and was badly damaged during that conflict. The brick church next door was constructed in the 1950s to replace the stone sanctuary, which is still used for special events and groups.
The religious significance of the stone meetinghouse is manifold: it demonstrates the religious pluralism that infused Valley religious life (documented, for example, by MacMaster), whereby community congregations begin as Quaker, transition to a plurality of protestant traditions, and finally settle into a broad denomination while maintaining family and local traditions. It was also a stop for prisoners including conscientious objectors during the Civil War, who suffered for their beliefs.
Sources
- National Register of Historic Places, 1979–2011. Bethlehem Stone Church Records, 1844–2011, SC 5037, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
- Lauren Fleming and Kate Morris, A Guide to the Bethlehem Stone Church Records, 1844–2011, SC 0212, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 2013. View the finding aid
- R. K. MacMaster, “Religion, Migration and Pluralism: A Shenandoah Valley Community, 1740–1790,” in Puglisi, ed., Diversity and Accommodation: Essays on the Cultural Composition of the Virginia Frontier (University of Tennessee Press, 1997).