Near Canehill in Washington County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Bethlehem Cemetery

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

1. Bethlehem Cemetery Marker

Inscription.
First public cemetery for
Washington County Arkansas
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
c. 1830

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 35° 52.079′ N, 94° 27.549′ W. Marker is near Canehill, Arkansas, in Washington County. It can be reached from East Munyon Road (County Road 442) 0.3 miles south of State Route 45, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16659 E Munyon Rd, Canehill AR 72717, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Arkansas,

on the Ozark Plateau,

in the Cherokee Heritage Region,

and in Osage Territory.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ozarks.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the

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Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bethlehem Methodist-Episcopal Church South (here, next to this marker); Hermannsburg-Dutch Mills (approx. 1.9 miles away); R. L. Leach Grocery Store (approx. 1.9 miles away); Fruit Cellar (approx. 4.4 miles away); Dr. William and Laura Welch House - 1855 (approx. 4.4 miles away); Zebulon and Eunice Edmiston House – 1872 (approx. 4½ miles away); Washington County Cane Hill College (approx. 4.6 miles away); Archie Leonard Reed Sorghum Shed (approx. 4.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Canehill.

Other markers no longer nearby. The Battle of Cane Hill (was approx. 4½ miles away but has been confirmed missing); Confederates Fall Back Before Union Assault (was approx. 4.6 miles away but has been permanently removed); The Troops Who Fought at Cane Hill (was approx. 4.6 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Regarding Bethlehem Cemetery. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:

Approximately four miles southwest of Canehill
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

2. Bethlehem Cemetery Marker
Featured marker is on the ground at left.
in Washington County, the cemetery is the final resting spot of many early settlers of the area. In 1827, the Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church South was constructed by John Bankston. At the time of its construction the church was located on the main road between the towns of Vineyard and Canehill. The cemetery is a direct result of the church which is no longer extant on this site. The first recorded burial occurred in 1832. There are eighty-seven graves in the cemetery of which eighty-one are historic. Twenty-five of the stones are marked between 1832 and 1900; twenty-six between 1900 and 1950, and six from 1950-1980. The cemetery also contains twenty-five historic unmarked fieldstones. Circa 1910 the Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church South was moved to the town of Morrow; thus the only thing that remains of historic Bethlehem is the old weathered gravestone of some of the county's earliest settlers.

Also see . . .
1. Bethlehem Cemetery (PDF). National Register nomination for the burial ground, which was listed in 2000. (Arkansas Heritage) (Submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Bethlehem Cemetery.

Bethlehem Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 21, 2023

3. Bethlehem Cemetery

The oldest marked gravestone is from 1832.

Find A Grave entry on the historic cemetery. (Submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Bethlehem Methodist-Episcopal Church South image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Marc Hayot, June 21, 2026

4. Bethlehem Methodist-Episcopal Church South

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 307 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 3, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on June 21, 2026, by Marc Hayot of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.