Bethel Manor in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Big Bethel Church and Cemetery

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2013

1. Big Bethel Church and Cemetery Marker

Inscription. Bethel Church moved to this location from Hampton in 1842. The original church built here—the third Bethel Church—was destroyed during the Civil War. The individuals interred here were members of the Big Bethel Baptist Church congregation who died between the construction of the fourth Big Bethel church in 1876 and its closure in 1926. The grave marker inscriptions are online at www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/va/york.htm. Some burials were relocated to other cemeteries in the 1920s, and a list of those interments is not available at this time. Steadfast Faith: the Proving Years, by Elizabeth Page Smith documents the history of Bethel Baptist Church. Bethel Baptist Church now meets on Yorktown Road in Tabb, Virginia, at its sixth church.

The tall obelisk commemorating the Battle of Big Bethel, which took place on June 10, 1861, was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1905. Most of the battle took place within a half-mile radius of the third Bethel Church. The battle was the first significant battle of the Civil War and the first Confederate victory. The third Bethel Church location is now submerged, and most of the battlefield is submerged or developed.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures

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• War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the United Daughters of the Confederacy series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1861.

Location. 37° 5.634′ N, 76° 25.527′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Bethel Manor. It is at the intersection of Big Bethel Road and 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Big Bethel Road. The cemetery is located on Federal property (Langley Air Force Base) secured by a chain link fence. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1797 First St, Hampton VA 23665, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Peninsula

and in Coastal Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

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 walking distance of this marker: Big Bethel UDC Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2013

2. Big Bethel Church and Cemetery Marker

Big Bethel Cemetery & UDC Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 20, 2013

3. Big Bethel Cemetery & UDC Monument

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,385 times since then and 116 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 21, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.