{"product_id":"historic-bethabara-park-9781467162821","title":"Historic Bethabara Park","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiana Bahnson Overbey, executive director of Historic Bethabara Park, uses archival maps, drawings, portraits, and photographs to tell Bethabara's story, from 18th-century backcountry settlement to 21st-century historic site.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1753, the Moravian Church purchased 98,985 acres of land in the Piedmont of North Carolina and established the town of Bethabara. It grew into a bustling trades town by the 1760s but transitioned into a small farming community in the 19th century, with fields of crops planted next to the 1788 church. Ministers remarked on the muddy, rutted roads and the wayward behaviors of their congregation. Bethabara's significance as the first Moravian town in North Carolina was not forgotten, however, and in 1903, thousands turned out for the 150th anniversary celebration. That celebratory spirit was kindled again in the 1950s when Edwin Stockton decided Bethabara needed to be preserved for future generations. Acreage containing the original settlement was purchased, and archaeologist Stanley South conducted a groundbreaking archaeological dig during the 1960s to uncover the foundations of the original structures, which had been left undisturbed beneath farmland for over a century. Historic Bethabara Park opened to the public in 1966. Today, the site covers 183 acres and includes four restored historic buildings as well as a reconstructed village and gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Arcadia Publishing (SC)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/04\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781467162821\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 128\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.18h x 6.62w x 0.31d","brand":"Diana Bahnson Overbey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52072329117877,"sku":"9781467162821","price":21.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_dc40aafe-e9a8-4cba-a785-ca5d9a793a7c.jpg?v=1764688554","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/historic-bethabara-park-9781467162821","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}