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Harmony Hill United Methodist Church LbNA #6543

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Nov 25, 2003
Location:
City:Stillwater
County:Sussex
State:New Jersey
Boxes:1
Planted by:NJ Carole
Found by: Otis' Friends
Last found:Aug 21, 2010
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Nov 25, 2003
Placed by NJCarole and Katze 21539
Easy
Drive-up

Welcome to a church that has been a part of this community for over 200 years. The original Harmony Methodist Church in Stillwater Township, also known as Stillwater Methodist Church, began as a group of twelve members organized in 1802 by Reverend Elijah Woolsey and Reverend Gamaliel Bailey of the Flanders Circuit of the Methodist Church. At that time the circuit-riding preachers of this particular circuit averaged 400 miles in the saddle covering all their far-flung pulpits on a regular basis. The congregation continued to meet in local homes until 1833, when a subscription fund of $1,300 met the cost of erecting the present house of worship. By then the congregation had grown to 100 members, and by 1881 it had doubled to 200. The cemetery, begun about the time the church edifice was erected, is located near the church. You can still read many of the old stones.

Directions: (From the south) Interstate 80 to exit 11 (for Hope). As you come off of 80 go north toward Blairstown on route 521 North. In Blairstown carefully follow the signs for Route 521 as there are many stops, turns and changes in direction. Continue on 521 North to the small town of Stillwater, New Jersey. As you enter Stillwater you will come to a stop sign at which point Route 521 will go left and the “main town” will be on your right. Immediately in front of you is the large beautiful Presbyterian Church. Go left past the elementary school and take a left up a rather steep hill on Route 617 (Fairview Lake Road). The church is about ½ mile ahead on the left. The parking lot is immediately in front of the cemetery. Sunday services begin at 11:00 AM and everyone is welcome.

(From the north) Take Interstate 84 to exit 1 in Port Jervis, New York. Go south on route 23 for about 1 mile and take a right onto Clove Road. Follow to end and go left on Route 206 south. Drive about 4 or 5 miles to route 521 South (a right at the Texaco station) and follow this for about 3 or so miles. 521 will take a left hand turn at which point you need to go straight ahead on Route 617 south. Follow the signs especially carefully as there are many turns that can confuse even a native of New Jersey! Go 6 miles or so to the stop sign. Continue left on route 617. Go another 2 or so miles down the hill into Stillwater. The church will be on your right. If you get to a second stop sign, you have gone too far! The parking lot is immediately in front of the cemetery. Sunday services begin at 11:00 AM and everyone is welcome.

After admiring the beautiful church, walk through the main entrance to the graveyard. Be sure to notice the dates on the stones. Please use caution, as this is a very old cemetery. Some markers are only fieldstones.

1. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Find a metal finger pointing to a seashell.

2. Stand with your back to the rose and look for a cast iron “stone” hiding behind an obelisk.

3. Proceed toward the parsonage to a broken column partly overgrown by a large maple tree.

4. Walk around the end of the wall and climb up the hill to Loueza Mains, whose husband established this cemetery.

5. Move to the left and look under a rock on the ground at the South end of the mortared stone wall.

6. Please return the box to its resting place.

7. Look back and notice that the graves are turned on a diagonal to the walls of the enclosure. They are facing East towards the rising Son.