Before it was home to the National Institute of Health, several of your favorite restaurants, and some of Maryland’s most recognizable office buildings, “Bethesda” was simply the name of a small 19th-century church.
For a while in the 1800s, the crossroads community was known as Darcy’s Store after the general store owned by William E Darcy. But in 1871, by the urging of the pastor of the
Bethesda Meeting House, the name of the community was officially changed to Bethesda. Thus, aligning the growing settlement with the church that had long served as a landmark for locals and visitors.
The name actually traces directly to Bethesda Presbyterian Church, originally known as the Bethesda Meeting House, which was built in the early 1800s along what is now Rockville Pike. The church’s name comes from the Biblical Pool of Bethesda, a place described in the Gospel of John as a site of healing. The word “Bethesda” is commonly translated as “House of Mercy” or “House of Grace.” The historic landmark stood at the heart of the community for more than two centuries, however, until recently the building sat vacant and deteriorating.
In 2023, it was saved when the Bethesda Meeting House Foundation, an affiliate of the Bethesda Historical Society, acquired the property and began planning its restoration and future use.
What began as a small worship site eventually lent its identity to one of Maryland’s most well-known communities. So next time someone mentions downtown Bethesda, remember, the town was named after the church.
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