Bethlehem High School began in 1819 when Bishop Flaget requested the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to open an elementary day school for the children in the Bardstown area. Brother David, the founder of this religious order, provided the school, which was staffed by Sisters Harriet Gardiner, Polly Beavin and Nancy Lynd. The name "Bethlehem" was given to this new school to signify the birth of the first branch house stemming from Nazareth, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.