Who is Buried in Gath's Tomb?

Introduction To Quest

During your Park Quest at Gathland State Park, you will explore the grounds of the former estate of George Alfred Townsend (pen name “Gath”), a famous Civil War correspondent and author. The Quest consists of an easy walk around the grounds of Gathland State Park. There is also a Bonus Quest—a short hike through the woods to a historic Appalachian Trail shelter.

Quest Information

To pick up your Quest packet, go to Gathland Hall, the large building on top of the hill. Open the Park Quest mailbox mounted on the railing on the side of the building using the code 9663 (compress the lock hasp and it will pop open after entering the code). Please sign your team in on the clipboard and get a packet (don’t forget to lock the box afterwards—scramble the numbers to ensure it is locked). Teams will then walk around the grounds of Gath’s former estate and look for answers to the questions in the packet. After you answer the questions, you can complete the Bonus Quest, which will take about an hour. (Gathland Hall and Gathland Lodge are museums, which are currently undergoing extensive renovations. When we originally planned the Quest for Gathland, the museums were due to be open in May 2012. However, due to construction delays out of our control, it is likely the museums will not be open during the summer of 2012.)

Families should bring insect repellant to guard against bothersome gnats, and a flashlight on this quest.

After completion of the Quest, you can have your passport stamped at nearby South Mountain Creamery, a dairy farm well known for their quality products and home delivery. You can enjoy fresh ice cream (buy one, get one free with your passport) and explore the farm. You might consider bringing a cooler along to the creamery, as they have lots of locally produced farm-fresh products you can take home with you. You might even be able to sign up for dairy delivery to your house, as their milk trucks go to a large portion of Maryland! Plan your visit to the dairy between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. so you can see the cows being milked. They also bottle-feed the calves every day at 4 p.m. The address of South Mountain Creamery is:
8305 Bolivar Road
Middletown, MD 21769
Phone: 301-371-8565, then press 1 for the store

Who is Buried in Gath’s Tomb? may be completed any day of the week from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Questers can also visit nearby South Mountain Creamery, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It will take around two hours to complete the entire Who is Buried in Gath’s Tomb? Quest. Questers should bring insect repellent, sunscreen, water, a snack, a camera, and wear sturdy footwear. Pets on leashes are allowed (but not inside the museums at Gathland).

Park Information

Gathland State Park is the former estate of George Alfred Townsend, a well-known Civil War correspondent and author who was quite a celebrity in his day. Townsend used a pen name of “Gath” and had high quality cigars and other products named after him (much like today’s celebrities endorse products). Gath was researching the Battle of South Mountain that occurred during the Civil War on September 14, 1862 in three gaps along the ridge of the mountain. He fell in love with Cramptons Gap and purchased land for his estate. Gath built the War Correspondents Arch in 1896 to recognize the brave journalists that covered the battles of the Civil War. Besides the arch, there are two buildings and ruins of several other buildings from his estate that are preserved in the park today. The Appalachian Trail runs through the middle of the park.

For information about Gathland State Park, you can call the South Mountain Recreation Area main office at Greenbrier State Park at (301) 791-4656 (someone will answer this phone on weekdays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The physical address is:
900 Arnoldstown Road
Jefferson, MD 21718

Directions to Gathland State Park:

• From points east: I-70 west to Frederick, US Route 340 west 12 miles to Maryland Route 17. Turn right to go north on Route 17 four miles to the town of Burkittsville. At the four-way stop in town, turn left on Main Street (becomes Gapland Road) one mile to top of South Mountain and Gathland State Park. Turn left into the park—Gathland Hall is at the top of the hill.
• From points west: I-70 east to Maryland Route 66. Turn right to go south on Route 66, five miles to Boonsboro. At the traffic light, turn left on Maryland Alternate Route 40. Drive 1-1/2 miles through the town of Boonsboro and turn right on Maryland Route 67. Drive 7 miles and turn left on Gapland Road. Drive 1 mile to the top of South Mountain and Gathland State Park. Turn right into the park—Gathland Hall is at the top of the hill.