FTF: joncrlsn

This is a visit to another piece of Farmington History, the old Farmington Road.  The road and bridge were rerouted further east along Shiawasee Road in 1968-69 as the Twin Valley Subdivision was developed.  Farmington Road originally connected McGee Hill to the north and Shiawassee Hill to the south.

Shiawassee Hill was also nicknamed Piety Hill for the churches that were built in the vicinity. The Farmington Baptist or First Baptist Church was built in 1861 on the west end.  The original structure is still attached to a larger church building.  At the east end of the ridge was the Methodist church.  It was built in 1844.  It burned down in 1920.  It was rebuilt just south down Warner along Grand River.  The Universalist church was built in 1853, also down Warner towards Grand River, in what is now the parking lot for the United Methodist church.  In 1967 the Universalist-Unitarian church building was moved to its new location on Halsted Road. (source: Farmington: A Pictorial History by Lee S. Peel)

The current United Methodist church building was designed by Wells D. Butterfield and his daughter Emily.  Wells was also the first mayor of the city of Farmington.  Emily was Michigan's first licensed female architect.  They received the old church property in payment for their services.  Wells built his house on that property and Emily built her house next to his.  These houses are at the far north end of Warner Street on the east side of the road. (source: Heritage Homes of Farmington by Ruth Roth Moehlman)

The old Farmington Road is blocked to car traffic at the south end.  Foot traffic can walk around the barrier onto the old road.  The old road ends at the south end of the bridge with a public access walking path off the north end that emerges onto Twin Valley Court.

If you are interested in benchmarks you can find a U.S. Army Corp of Engineers survey mark disk on the bridge.  A waymark entry for this can be at: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMB834_US_Army_Corps_of_Engineers_Survey_Mark_F6

There is limited street parking near the south end of the old road.  The closest public parking is included as a waypoint (the United Methodist Church pakring lot.)

The cache is a camo painted rectanglular Lock & Lock container with a log book and some trade items.  There should be a pencil in the cache but you may want to your own pencil or pen.  Please be sure to restore the hiding place in a similar condition.

There not be much street light reaching this area so you will need a flashlight if you search for this at night.  This cache is accessible with some snow on the ground.  It might not be if there has been a heavy amount of snow that stayed.