MVSG - Middletown Valley Sacred Ground
This is a tour of church cemeteries in the Middletown Valley. The Valley north of I-70 is deep country, lightly populated. Rolling hills and woodlands bracketed by mountains and meandering creeks set this geocaching scene. The spiritual ancestors for these churches moved into the north Valley (1756) from York County, Pa. Whoa! That was 270 years ago folks. ‘Sacred’ is the key word here. Six of eight locations will be active Sunday mornings. Good caching stewardship will take this into account.
These caches are strictly dawn to dusk!
MVSG - Dutch
On most maps, this site is named 'Jerusalem.' Sorry, no Temple here. A ten foot quartz monument at this location states the following -
THE FIRST CHURCHES OF WESTERN MARYLAND
WERE BUILT ON THIS SITE.
DUTCH CONGREGATION
1711 - 1786
LUTHERAN AND REFORMED
1786 - 1806
UNITED BRETHREN
1806 - 1852
ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO ESTABLISHED
CHURCHES OF CHRIST UNDER GREAT DIFFICULTIES.
Holy Gee Geocachers! The first date reads 1711, nearly 350 years ago. That was forty years before the French & Indian and fifty years before the Revolutionary War. The Churches are long gone. All that remains are the monument, the cemetery, an amazing view and Amazing Grace.