Charleston's first Methodist congregation purchased this parcel of land in 1795 and erected the church here in 1797. Black and white congregations worshiped here until 1851, when a larger Greek Revival-style sanctuary was built. Dedicated in 1853, Bethel is the only Methodist church in Charleston that remained open during the Civil War, and it survived the earthquake of 1886 intact. Although there have been interior alterations, the exterior has been well-preserved. This church today is Bethel United Methodist Church.