The community of Bethany began in 1900 when the Disciples of Christ selected the locale for a seaside assembly and offered lots. Advertisements called the coast here “a bathing ground that cannot be surpassed. The sandy bottom is like a velvet carpet. No holes to terrify the timid bather. No treacherous undertow to swallow the unwary.” Six Pittsburgh businessmen invested in the town, including English-born John M. Addy, who built this house near the beach, a balloon-framed, shingled bungalow with gambrel roof. It was moved and repaired after the Hurricane of 1927. The town took over the house in 2001, moving it to a new location and making plans for a museum. The Addy Sea (1902), a hotel since 1935 (Oceanview Parkway and North Atlantic), was also built by John Addy.