NANTICOKE, MD Day 3.  A surprisingly beautiful day, sunny and warm.  We drove to the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Salisbury, which is simple and convenient, since everything is very close together.  There was plenty of parking on Main Street, so I quickly walked in to get a free map and phone book.  The map helped a lot, since in the 19 years since my last visit, roads have been reorganized with much focus on routing people to the beach, or so it seems.  The term "Ocean Gateway" is used to denote roads across town that are part of this pathway.  It takes a concerted effort to wind your way to Old Ocean City Road, to which we returned to get photos in better light.  Without this extra effort, one easily gets routed to the Ocean Gateway and the new Ocean City Road.

But our first stop after getting the Salisbury map was to North Division Street.  There is another road named Church Street, but it seemed to me that North Division Street could easily be called by that name since there are so many beautiful old churches located there.  And these buildings are in outstanding condition.  One very large grey stone church apparently has been bought by an evangelical inter-denominational group and renamed Faith Community Church.  This is also an historic area where Francis Makemie planted one of his Presbyterian churches on his mission trips down from Philadelphia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Bethesda Methodist Church Imposing Exterior
How Large Those Steps Seemed As a Child

Building Cornerstone 1922

Bethesda Methodist Church Interior Viewed from Entry

Interior Viewed from Balcony

Chancel Area

Leslie Swift and Kathy Blackburn

Sandra Mills and Peggy Hastings

Faith Community Church

Wicomico Presbyterian Church

Front View of Wicomico Presbyterian Church

On prior trips I had been told that this part of town had become run down, but quite the opposite is the case.  There are many old homes converted into professional offices as well as being renovated for modern residences.  It is truly a beautiful place in warm autumn lighting.

View Down Any Street Off North Division Street

I primarily wanted to show Betty the church that I attended in the 1950s, Bethesda United Methodist Church.  Like most of the other churches in the area, Bethesda has purchased and converted an adjacent house to use for office space.  These are very nice two or three story houses with masonry fireplaces and beautiful stairways.  When I got to the church office I was already accompanied by one of the local members whom we had met outside.  She had come to deliver some items and showed us in.  I introduced myself and told of my history with the church.  This lady, Peggy Hastings, asked about our visit, and when I told her of yesterday's stop at the cemetery, she inquired about my grandparents, who had also been members there.  When she heard the surnames Parker and Farlow, she exclaimed that we were family because those were also in her genealogy.  I was a bit stunned, and she virtually adopted me on the spot, taking down my email address to keep in touch.  She and the church secretary, Sandra Mills, showed us into the sanctuary and worked with two other helpful members, Leslie Swift and Kathy Blackburn, to get the lights turned on, since it was quite dark even with lights on.  I was able to get some beautiful photos nevertheless.  Do wish I had lugged my tripod along to help with the low lighting, but perhaps on my next trip.

It was hard to pull away from this warm family reunion, but this was our final day to get photos in this great sunlight.  By now it was time for some lunch, and I wanted to see how the Wicomico River looked downtown, since it had been an eyesore when I was a child.  We ate at the Brew River near West Main Street.  I was very pleasantly surprised to see how nice the river looked.  The area where the large tug boats serve the Chesapeake Shipbuilding plant was well kept now.  After lunch we drove around to the opposite side of the river for some more photos.  Then drove back along Riverside Drive, a beautiful drive.

View of Wicomico River from Restaurant

Panorama View from Restaurant

Panorama View From Across the River
Click on Image to Enlarge

Our next stop was the city zoo and park.  This was always a controversial location since the animal waste from the zoo has gotten into the Wicomico River that passes through the center of the park.  Polluted as it is, with "No Swimming" signs in it, the river seemingly has not dampened the enthusiasm for the park.  Workmen were erecting a large Christmas-tree-shaped frame for stringing lights in preparation for civic celebrations to follow.  The heavy rains of past days left large puddles of standing water everywhere.  Apparently the pollution in this area has not adversely affected the area near West Main Street.  How such a mess turns into a scenic area in less than 100 yards of water flow is a mystery.

Where the Pollution Starts

Then Flows Under the Walk Bridge

Then Accumulates Under The Pretty Large Walk Bridge
What a Pity!

And Continues Under the Walk Bridge Next to Snow Hill Road

From there we returned to Old Ocean City Road.  As we drove along this road, certain houses nearly leaped out from my distant memory, telling me that they were significant but with no further information to say why.  Street names and surnames on signs likewise.  Roads that lead to somewhere once important but too vague now and too little time.

As we arrived at the site of our former residence, we looked over again at the property to the east where Stanford White used to have his farm.  He was always a friendly neighbor, once giving me a ride on his big red tractor.  Now his home has been removed as if it had never been, leaving a few farming tools to rust in the undergrowth.  And the field where he was regularly seen plying his trade on his tractor is overgrown with weeds.

Where Stanford White's Home Used to Be

Abandoned Farm Tools, Even Over to the Left
Click on Image to Enlarge

Farmer Stanford White's Field Viewed Toward Our Former Home
Click on Image to Enlarge

As the day grew darker, we knew it was time to venture back down Nanticoke Road to the campground and prepare for the next day's journey.  The sunset would have been wonderful if a thick cloud bank at the horizon had not blocked the view of the sun's descent.

Sunset Over Nanticoke River

Betty Shoots the Sunset

  

Towboat Moving Cargo in Last Light