Historic Church Hill Mystery Cache

The small,historic town of Church Hill is worth the visit.

Settled in the late 1600's, the town became the center for this area of Queen Anne's County. Southeast Creek, a tributary of the Chester River was navigable all the way to the town and was used by many vessels carrying goods to and from the town. Water from Southeast Creek was used to power a grain mill in the town. The Mill, known as “Collins Mill” when the original structure was built in 1698, was the site of one of the earliest documented water mills on the central Eastern Shore. It played a significant role in the agricultural economy of the county until it ceased to operate during World War II. The Mill Residence (c. 1765), originally part of the Mill property, is probably the oldest building still standing in Church Hill.

St. Luke's Church is in the center of the town and the coordinates for this cache take one to the walk-way to the church. Tradition holds that the bricks used to construct St. Luke’s Church were obtained in England, transported up the Chester River to Southeast Creek and then unloaded near the mill. The mill was known as Collins Mill and survived until the late 1990's when it was razed. The mill served the area residents throughout most of the 20th century.

One prominent family of the area was the SENEY family, residing on their farm just a short distance out of the town on the north side of what is now Route 300. Colonel John Seney and Joshua Seney served in the Revolutionary War and both are buried in the small cemetery of St. Luke's church. Their original burial place was on the family farm, known in 1937 as Rosebury Farm and owned by Francis Marion Everett. The farm is shown on old maps as "the Old Cacey Place" and is also referred to as "Cloud's Adventure," granted by Lord Baltimore to Nicholas Cloud in 1684.

The web-site link provided will give additional information on the genealogy of the SENEY family - for those interested in genealogy.

Due to the historic nature of the area, this is a multi-stage puzzle cache using visual clues that will lead you to the actual cache container. Please be respectful of the cemetery at St. Luke's church.

The above coordinates have led you to the cemetery. You must now determine the following at Stage 1:

1. In what year was Col. John Seney born? (ABCD)

2. In what year did Col. John Seney die? (EFGH)

3. In what year was Joshua Seney born? (IJKL)

4. In what year did Joshua Seney die? (MNPQ)

5. What day of the month did Joshua Seney die? (RS)

Coordinates to Stage 2:

CG 0Q.HRA

0FK KP.RLR

While in the town of Church Hill, be sure to visit the Church Hill Theater,located in a converted 1930's movie house. Local and repertory players offer performances of classic theater, Shakespearean plays, musicals, and children’s plays. Residents showcase their town’s peaceful country atmosphere as an added attraction for visiting theatergoers.

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