This cache is located in Thornwald Park, which can be accessed by
Walnut Bottom Road in Carlisle. The park, which is near the
Dickinson College campus, covers 32 acres and includes a small
forest, nature trail, and jogging trail. The beautiful lawns and
gardens are a wonderful respite from the industry and commercialism
nearby.
The park was originally owned by the Sadler family from
Philadelphia, who built Thornwald Mansion for $1 million in 1909.
The “thorny” trees around the mansion inspired the name, and the
majority of the trees in the forest are now over a hundred years
old.
The mansion was said to be the most impressive home in town in
its heyday, with 9,000-12,000 square feet of living space (reports
vary), secret passageways, a 1,000 bottle wine cellar, a beer hall,
an elevator, a mahogany-paneled dining room, and a library lined
with oak. The floors were 18-inch concrete, and iron gates could be
pulled over the windows to make the mansion impregnable.
In the 1950s it was turned into a nursing home, and a more
recent owner added a 14-person Jacuzzi! For the last decade or so,
however, it was vacant. There were many buyers with plans to
renovate, but none of them ever did.
Tragically, in August of 2007, the mansion was destroyed by
fire. Arson is suspected, as the deserted building was a magnet for
vandals and those who wanted a look inside the historic home. It
cannot be salvaged, so the future of the property is bleak.
Fortunately, the Park is a separate entity and should be safe from
development.
There are trails leading into the woods -- the cache can be
found not far from one of these trails. (There’s also a letterbox
nearby, Squirrels’ Stash, if you’re into that.) I don’t think
muggles will be a problem, even in winter months when the trees are
bare. This cache has been placed with permission from the Carlisle
Parks and Recreation Department. Thornwald Park is open from dawn
to dusk -- please respect the posted hours.
The cache is in a lemonade mix container and is being stocked
with the typical swag, a logbook, and a TB or two. Be sure to cover
it back up using the same camo technique you hopefully found it in.
Lately when I've checked on it, people are piling sticks over it
when rehiding, and it's a dead giveaway.