The steeplechase originated in Ireland in the 18th century as a
derivative of the cross-country horse races which went from church
steeple to church steeple, hence "steeplechase." The first
steeplechase is said to have been the result of a wager in 1752
between Mr. Cornelius O'Callaghan and Mr. Edmund Blake, racing four
miles (6 km) cross-country from Buttevant Church to St. Leger
Church in Doneraile, in Cork, Ireland. An account of the race was
believed to have been in the library of the O'Brien's of Dromoland
Castle. Most of the earlier steeplechases were contested
cross-country rather than on a track, and resembled English cross
country or hunt racing as it exists today. The first recorded
steeplechase over a prepared track with fences was run in Bedlam,
North Yorkshire in 1810.
Today’s Steeplechase can be done at a leisurely pace and
hopefully you will be able to enjoy some of Crawford County,
Ohio’s historic church steeples.
Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Chatfield, Ohio
began with a small band of German immigrants who organized as the
Deutsche Lutherische Germeinde and in 1837 bought ¼ acre of land as
the final resting place for their loved ones. A few years later the
land became the site of their first church built of logs.
Itinerant preachers served the people rather sporadically until
1840 when the Rev. John Krause came from Bucyrus to conduct regular
services alternating between Chatfield & New Washington on one
Sunday and Windfall & Caroline the next. In 1845 the Rev.
Robert Graetz from Germany was installed as the first resident
Lutheran Pastor and served the four congregations. As time went by
and the German immigration increased, the congregations grew and
the congregations in New Washington and Caroline (now
Attica’s Bethlehem Church) separated, but Peace at Windfall
and Nazareth shared the same pastor until Peace congregation
disbanded in 1936.
In 1876 the Nazareth congregation moved north about a quarter of a
mile and built a brick church, the first unit of the present
sanctuary. A second unit consisting of a new tower & vestibule
on the west and a chancel, organ chamber, & sacristy was added
in 1905 and the third unit, an education wing, was erected in 1949.
In 1972 the church underwent extensive remodeling and redecoration.
In 1883 a school building was erected south of the church and
served almost a quarter of a century as a German-English Parochial
School Some of the present members still remember the days spent in
that school. This building was remodeled at the time of the
building of the educational wing and serves as a meeting place,
Young Adult Sunday School facilities, and the church office.
The original cemetery still exists south of the present building in
the middle of a field with no apparent access. The current cemetery
on the north and east side of the building does have a
revolutionary section that you might want to visit.
The Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chatfield, Ohio
approved this geocache’s location. There is a special gift
for the FTF. Please hunt in daylight hours only. Parking is
available on the south side of the church. Please stay on the fine
gravel parking area and road. Do not drive across the sidewalks
that cross the parking area. Avoid the larger stones on the south
end of the parking lot as that covers the septic tank.