The Bell Tower @ Zion Lutheran Church - Middletown, MD
N 39° 26.638 W 077° 32.831
18S E 280805 N 4369142
Beautiful, wooden bell tower affords a beautiful view of the entire town of Middletown, about sixty feet high. There is a four-way view with balcony type looking areas with banisters and balustrades. You can definitely walk around up there.
Waymark Code: WMCD1D
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 08/23/2011
Views: 3
This huge, old, white church completely dominates the Route 40/National Road landscape in this tiny Civil War town. Naturally, the town clock can be found way at the top of the steeple. Its bell tower and bell radiates chimes, dings & dongs throughout the town and blocks away. The steep, octagonal steeple is topped with a shiny, metal cross. The room which houses the bell is airy and on four sides, plenty of room to walk around. The steeple, bell tower and town clock all rise above the center entrance. The building looks like Greek classical architecture with its massive columns, pediment and entablature.
The steeple also doubles as a clock tower. The NGS in '39 provides a nice detailed description of the bell tower. DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1939 (APR) THIS STATION IS A SPIRE ON THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE VILLAGE OF MIDDLETOWN, MARYLAND. IT IS LOCATED ON THE N SIDE OF U.S. HIGHWAY 40 ABOUT 0.1 MILE NW OF U.S. HIGHWAY 33. THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1859 AND IS VERY PROMINENT. BUILDING IS OF BRICK CONSTRUCTION PAINTED WHITE. THE BRICK TOWER IS SURMOUNTED BY A WOOD BELL TOWER PAINTED WHITE AND IS ABOUT 30 FEET HIGH, ON THIS THERE IS A WHITE WOOD TOWER ABOUT 30 FEET HIGH AND HAS A CLOCK DIAL ON ALL FOUR SIDES, AND ON THIS THERE IS A WHITE SHINGLED ROOFED SPIRE ABOUT 35 FEET HIGH AND HAS A GOLD WEATHER VANE AT ITS APEX. THE TOTAL HEIGHT IS ABOUT 120 FEET.