Bethel United Methodist Church
(Front)
Established in 1856 by French Huguenot families with the consolidation of Lodebar, Rembert, Clark, and Sardis Methodist Churches, all dating from the early settlement of Sumter District. The first minister was Rev. Bond English; trustees were James W. Rembert, W. F. Deschamps, Leonard Brown, Dr. Henry I. Abbott, Alex M. Watts, D. A. Foxworth, M. T. McLeod, N. S. Punch, and Rev. Henry D. Green.
(Reverse)
Members donated materials and both free and slave labor to construct the sanctuary, completed in 1858 under the supervision of James W. Rembert. Galleries were removed and ceilings lowered in 1887, and Sunday School rooms were added in 1951. This community was first named Lodebar for the nearby camp ground founded in 1787, but was renamed Bethel for this church in 1856. It has been known as Oswego since 1890.
Erected 1996 by Sumter County Historical Commission. (Marker Number 43-28.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 34° 2.078′ N, 80° 17.277′ W. Marker is in Oswego, South Carolina, in Sumter County. It is at the intersection of Martinville Church Road (County Route 43-12) and Lodebar Road (County Route
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Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Birth Place of Mary McLeod Bethune (approx. 3 miles away); Beulah School (approx. 5½ miles away); Rembert Cemetery (approx. 5.6 miles away); The Mayesville Story (approx. 5.6 miles away); Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); Rembert Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); a different marker also named Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); Birthplace of Mary McLeod Bethune (approx. 5.8 miles away).
Another marker is no longer nearby. Rev. John Leighton Wilson, D.D. (was approx. 5.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2011, by Anna Inbody of Columbia, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,131 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 25, 2011, by Anna Inbody of Columbia, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
