Many Thanks to WVTim, GR8Caches and The Wandering Panhandlers for their guidance, support, cache page design and cache placement for the Villages of Berkeley County Trail. We hope you enjoy yourself!
DARKESVILLE
A town was laid out by James Buckles in 1790 on land given to him by his father, a Revolutionary War soldier. In 1796 Buckles sold off 496 acres, minus the town lots, to Edward Beason, a Trustee of Martinsburg. By 1810 there were 30 dwelling houses, 4 taverns, 3 stores, 2 blacksmiths, 2 weavers and one tailor, one cabinetmaker and a distillery. In 1802 a church and cemetery was established. There were already a grist mill and fulling mill. When Buckles was selling lots he named the town Jamestown, but people called it Bucklestown.
An Act by the Virginia General Assembly established the town in 1791 and called it Darkesville in honor of General Darke, a Revolutionary War soldier, though he owned no land there. He did, however, have headquarters there.
The development of the town stagnated though with the sell-off of the acreage. It is nearly all surrounded by a stone fence. It has been associated with Belle Boyd and her father who opened a store here after moving from Baltimore. It is the scene of much Civil War history having been used several times as camping ground from the beginning of the war in 1861. At times 10,000 men camped around the village.
It is now a Historic District that includes 255 buildings constructed as log cabins in 1810 or earlier.
The Cache Bring your fishing pole with you. This location not only sells fish for ponds and lakes, but has lots of ponds available for fishing. Permission was given by Zetts to place this cache. Zetts is closed on Monday's, but that shouldn't stop you from finding this cache. Cache can be reached without crossing the fence, near the entrance gate.