PINE GROVE CHAPEL ~ circa 1846 Traditional Cache

Fresh air, rolling hills dotted with quilts of agricultural patchwork, beautiful old Victorian homes, a historic downtown business district, and friendly townsfolk are some of the attributes that lure visitors to this quiet little country town.

On the crest of Parr’s Ridge, at a peak height of approximately 830 feet, Mt. Airy rests on the highest point between Baltimore and Braddock Heights. The town is unique in that it is made up of the corner portions of four counties—Frederick, Carroll, Howard, and Montgomery. Most of the town’s area lies in Frederick and Carroll Counties.

Development of Mt. Airy began in the early 1830s when Henry Bussard built the first house on what is now the town’s municipal parking lot. Growth was sparked by the coming of the B&O Railroad in 1831. In order for the trains to overcome the steep slope of Parr’s Ridge (an impossible task for the locomotives of the time), a series of four inclined planes (ramps) were constructed, which the locomotives and cars negotiated with the assistance of horses. The passengers disembarked and enjoyed the scenery while this took place. The Plane #4 system, as it was called, remained in use until 1839 when more powerful locomotives became available.

Another factor in the growth of Mt. Airy was its proximity to the National Pike, the early road from Baltimore to the west. Its route—and the route of the old Indian trails it tended to follow—was dictated by the availability of fresh drinking water, which the Mt. Airy/Ridgeville watershed had in abundance from Parr’s Spring, the headwaters of the Patapsco River.

The town grew up around the railroad and the wagon road, despite setbacks dealt by three great fires that wiped out portions of the town in 1903, 1914, and 1925. The town rebuilt each time, providing a home for the milling, canning, and sewing industries that in former times supported Mt. Airy’s economy.

Mt. Airy is host to four annual events—the May Fest in May, Flag Day in June, Fall Festival in October, and Christmas in Olde Town in December. The events are presented under the auspices of the town with an all-volunteer staff of townspeople, indicative of the overall civic pride that binds the residents, organizations, and government of Mt. Airy.

This geocache is hidden, with approval, on the grounds of historic Pine Grove Chapel, circa 1846; originally The Ridge Presbyterian Church, which also served as a private school for the first 20 years. Stones for the chapel were hauled to the site by slaves owned by local property owners. The floor is the original one laid in 1846. The benches are the ones first used in the old Church, later used by Union soldiers as their only beds, and then again as church pews. The pulpit is also intact.

During the Civil War, troops from Company K of the fourteenth New Jersey Regiment were sent here to guard the railroad which was used to carry northern troops and supplies to the southern battlefields. The Church provided the soldiers sleeping quarters, with a mess tent erected to the rear. A sick and delirious soldier who wandered into Ridgeville and died, was the first person given a Christian burial on the land to the rear of the church. (Above from Mt. Airy Historical Society & MML publications.)

The Pine Grove Chapel is one of the most significant historic structures preserved in Mount Airy. This location is a “Maryland Civil War Trails Site”. Also please take note of the memorial commemorating Mt. Airy residents who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country.

The container you are seeking is a 1.7 qt. lock-n-lock, containing the log book, pen and miscellaneous trade items. Please use care in retrieving and replacing the container so as not to damage the location where it is hidden.

Mt. Airy Thanks You for Visiting