Archer in Alachua County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 19, 2019
1. Bethlehem Presbyterian Church Marker
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church was first organized in 1866 at Wacahoota, a farming community southeast of Archer. The early members were pioneer families from South Carolina. Their first pastor, the Rev. William McCormick, founded other pioneer Presbyterian churches in Alachua County. After the Civil War, Archer grew rapidly due to its railroad connection. In 1875, the Bethlehem congregation left rural Wacahoota and regrouped in Archer. The existing church was built in 1884 on land given by William C. Andruss, a businessman and Presbyterian elder. The historic sanctuary is an example of American Gothic-Revival architecture. The historic 1884 interior, featuring the original wainscoting and woodwork, remains largely intact. The ceiling is supported by scissor trusses secured to king-posts. The steeple has embossed metal shingles and two bells in its tower. The church pews, handmade by local craftsmen, are from the old Wacahoota church. In 1936, the church was shifted from an east-west to a north-south axis and a Sunday School wing was added to the building. The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church is the oldest surviving church building in Archer and one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Florida.
Erected 2017 by The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church and the Florida Department of State. (Marker
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.
Location. 29° 31.707′ N, 82° 31.378′ W. Marker is in Archer, Florida, in Alachua County. It is at the intersection of Southwest 137th Avenue (West Church Street) and Southwest 170th Street (Gibson Avenue) (Florida Route 241), on the right when traveling west on Southwest 137th Avenue (West Church Street). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16976 Southwest 137th Avenue, Archer FL 32618, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Florida. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: David Levy Yulee and Cotton Wood Plantation (approx. 0.2 miles away); Archer Veterans (approx. 0.2 miles away); Archer School Gymnasium (approx. 0.2 miles away); Archer (approx. 0.2 miles away); Thomas Gilbert Pearson (approx. Ό mile away); The Wilson Robinson Memorial Pavilion (approx. 0.3 miles away); Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); St. Peter Cemetery of Archer (approx. 3.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Archer.
Also see . . . Bethlehem Presbyterian Church History. Church website homepage (Submitted on June 7, 2020.)
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 19, 2019
2. Bethlehem Presbyterian Church and Marker
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, November 7, 2017
3. Bethlehem Presbyterian Church
Photographed by Diane Murphy, December 2024
4. Bethlehem Presbyterian Church Marker
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church has been placed on the national register of historic places by the United States Department of interior 1884
Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 668 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 6, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 4. submitted on January 6, 2025, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
