Valley Rewind: Bethel Methodist Church pre-1923

Located on Riceville Road is Bethel Methodist Church. The original church building was constructed in 1888 on land donated by Joseph and Hannah Glass, by mostly volunteer labor. The building was dedicated in 1890 and services were held once a month. In 1923, the first church building burned and was reconstructed by 1925. This early photograph of Bethel was taken before the first building burned. In the back row are, standing in doorway from left to right, Rhoda Shope Rice, unidentified, Harriet Shope Sales (Rhoda's sister), and W. Cornelius Sales (Harriet's husband). The tallest man near the right window is Arthur Rice, the son of Joseph Rice, and the man at the far right end of the same row is Sandy Sales, the son of Harriet and Cornelius Sales.