Bethesda Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bethesda Academy
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Savannah, Georgia |
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| Area | 650 acres (260 ha) |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Website | Bethesda Academy |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000614 |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 1973 |
Bethesda Academy is a special school for boys located near Savannah, Georgia. It used to be known as the Bethesda Home for Boys. This historic place is in Chatham County, Georgia, in the United States. In 1973, its main building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
History of Bethesda Academy
Bethesda Academy started in 1740 as an orphanage. An evangelist named George Whitefield founded it. An evangelist is someone who travels to share religious messages. He built it on 500 acres of land. This land was about 10 miles (16 km) south of Savannah. At that time, Georgia was a new colony.
Whitefield named the orphanage Bethesda. This name means "House of Mercy." He hoped many kind acts would happen there. Construction began on March 25, 1740. The main building had two stories and twenty rooms. Two smaller buildings were also built. One was for sick children, and the other was a workshop.
Whitefield wanted Bethesda to be a place with strong religious teachings. He also wanted a healthy environment and good discipline. Boys learned useful trades. This helped them earn a living when they grew up. Younger children learned spinning and carding. All boys learned about mechanics and farming. Whitefield even hoped the orphanage would become a university one day.
The children grew most of their own food. But running the orphanage was still very expensive. Whitefield ended up in debt. A famous person named Benjamin Franklin suggested moving the orphanage. He thought it would be easier to run in Philadelphia. But Whitefield refused. His supporters had given money specifically for the Georgia project.
When Whitefield died, he left the orphanage to Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. She was a kind supporter in England. He asked her to keep the orphanage running. He also wanted her to start a college there. But she lived 3,000 miles (4,800 km) away. It was hard for her to manage things from so far away. The orphanage almost had to close.
In 1773, a fire destroyed the main building. Three years later, the American Revolution began. This stopped plans to add a college. After some changes in how it was run, a new building was built. The Bethesda Home for Boys was then re-established on the same land.
Bethesda and Slavery
In the early 1700s, slavery was not allowed in Georgia. However, in 1749, George Whitefield argued for it to be allowed. He believed that farms in Georgia would not do well without enslaved workers. In 1751, he visited America again. He continued to support allowing slavery. He felt it was needed to make his land profitable.
Partly because of his efforts, slavery was allowed again in Georgia in 1751. Whitefield then bought enslaved people. They worked at the Bethesda Orphanage. He also used enslaved people at his Providence Plantation. This helped raise money for the orphanage. When Whitefield passed away, he left the enslaved people to the Countess of Huntingdon.
Bethesda Today
Bethesda is no longer an orphanage. For many years now, it has been a school. It still helps young people in the Savannah area. Bethesda is a private school for boys in grades 6 through 12. Boys can live at the school or attend during the day.
In April 2011, the Bethesda Home for Boys changed its name. It became Bethesda Academy. This new name better shows their goal. Their goal is to educate young men. In 2015, Bethesda celebrated its 275th anniversary.
