Bethania Historic District

The Bethania Historic District encompasses the historic planned center of the town of Bethania, North Carolina. A National Historic Landmark District, it is a rare example of a Moravian linear agricultural village in the United States, planned and founded in 1759. Land use and road patterns of the original plan are still discernible in the community. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001, and is at 500acre the largest historic district in Forsyth County.Description and historyBethania is located on the outskirts of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the northwestern part of Forsyth County. The area that is now Forsyth County was sold to members of the Moravian Church, who called the area Wachovia. In 1753 they established a temporary community at Bethabara, with the intent of establishing permanent settlements elsewhere on the tract. Planned by Christian Philip Gottlieb Reuter, Bethania was the first permanent settlement laid out and established in 1759 on 2000acre of the nearly 100000acre Wachovia tract. Reuter's plan called for a compact village settlement near Muddy Creek, with agricultural areas near the creek and in the uplands above the village. The settlement had four defined areas, each of which was divided into 24 parcels: Residential Lots, Orchard Lots, Bottom Lots, and Upland Lots, reflecting their locations and intended uses. A network of roads was laid out to provide access to these parcels. This basic plan was enlarged as the threat of Native American attack subsided, with new lots allocated into the 19th century.