Bethlehem, Maryland
Populated place
Bethlehem, Maryland
Bethlehem, Maryland
Bethlehem is located in Maryland
Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Coordinates: 38°44′46″N 75°56′39″W / 38.74611°N 75.94417°W / 38.74611; -75.94417
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
CountyCaroline
Elevation
46 ft (14 m)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
21609
Area codes410, 443, and 667
GNIS feature ID583190[1]

Bethlehem is a populated place in Caroline County, Maryland, United States.[1] Bethlehem is located at the intersection of Maryland routes 331 and 578, northwest of Preston.[2]

History

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Bethlehem dates far back as 1875, when a U.S Post Office was established as Bethlehem P.O.[3][4] According to the USGS, the post office was established in 1857.[5] Due to the town sharing its name with the more well known Biblical city that was the birthplace of Jesus, during the run up to, Christmas the town's post office regularly gets an increase in business due to people wanting to post Christmas cards to get a postmark with Bethlehem on it. The post office also adds an additional stamp featuring the Three Wise Men following the Star of Bethlehem to the letters.[6] The post office has been traditionally doing this since 1939.[6] The town has had a presence from the Moravian Church in the vicinity in its early days, with the Moravian community preceeding the establishment of the community, with evidence of their presence dating back to the American Revolution.[7] In 2010, It was used as a filming location for the movie Sweet Baby Jesus as a modern retelling of the Nativity with Pixie Lott playing a role in the film.[8]

Politics

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William Oswald Mills (August 12, 1924 – May 24, 1973), aka Bill Mills, was a Republican U.S. congressman who represented the 1st Congressional district of Maryland from May 25, 1971, until his death. Mills was born in Bethlehem.[9] Bethlehem's electoral district (Maryland's 1st congressional district) is considered solidly Republican.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bethlehem". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "Dover Bridge Road now open after fatal morning accident". My Eastern Shore. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  3. ^ Map of Caroline County, Maryland as entered according to act of Congress in the year 1875 by John B. Isler in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington DC.
  4. ^ Isler, John B (1875). "Map of Caroline County Maryland" (Map). Map of Caroline County, Maryland. 1:42,000. Caroline County.
  5. ^ "Bethlehem Post Office". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  6. ^ a b Conner/ABC7, Cheryl (December 18, 2017). "Bethlehem, Maryland post office brings Christmas card rush during holiday season". WJLA. Retrieved June 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Morris, Benjamin Franklin (1864). Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States. G. W. Childs. p. 26. ISBN 9780915815968. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ^ Child, Ben (May 25, 2010). "'Second Coming' may involve Sam Rockwell and Pixie Lott". Retrieved June 27, 2025 – via The Guardian.
  9. ^ a b Gonzales, Nathan L. (December 19, 2023). "Election roads go through Bethlehem(s)". Retrieved June 27, 2025.
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