This was second Methodist school in United States. In 1790 Bishop Francis Asbury laid plans for Bethel Academy, four miles southeast of Wilmore on cliffs above Kentucky River. It was operating by 1794; closed ca. 1804, due to lack of funds and Indian hostilities. Second site was in Nicholasville, 1820-93.
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Asbury College - Established in 1890, this school was named for Francis Asbury, first Methodist bishop and circuit rider in United States. Asbury Theological Seminary was established at Asbury College, 1923. Original Bethel Academy site and Asbury College Administration Building are listed on National Register of Historic Places.