Cross Roads near Middletown in Delaware County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Crossroads Lutheran Church

Founded in 1848, Constructed in 1868

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

1. Crossroads Lutheran Church Marker

Inscription. This building was originally called Richwoods Church for the dense growth of black walnut and other valuable timber in the area. The founding pastor was Rev. Samuel Sayford, who with his wife Mary, moved from Virginia and ministered on horseback to congregations in Henry and Delaware Counties from 1848 until Samuel's death in 1865. Mary Sayford donated this land for the Church after her husband's death. The building, a noteworthy example of Gothic Revival architecture with its pointed arches in the steeple, was constructed with bricks made from clay on a nearby farm. When the church formally disbanded in 1999, it was one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in Delaware County. The true value of this building is found in the faith, courage and patriotism handed down from its founders and instilled in the hearts of so many people in this community, state and nation, whose lives have been influenced by this tiny Church at the Crossroads.

Erected 2003.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.

Location. 40° 5.504′

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N, 85° 29.985′ W. Marker is near Middletown, Indiana, in Delaware County. It is in Cross Roads. It is at the intersection of West County Road 700 South and South County Road 600 West when traveling west on West County Road 700 South. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9700 W Co Rd 700 S, Daleville IN 47334, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Camp Chesterfield (approx. 5.4 miles away); Founders Rock (approx. 5.4 miles away); The Sunflower Hotel (approx. 5.4 miles away); Trail of Religion (approx. 5.4 miles away); The Sunflower – A Symbol of Spiritualism (approx. 5.4 miles away); The Old Auditorium (approx. 5.4 miles away); The Toad Stools (approx. 5.4 miles away); Ladies Bazaar/Luther Memorial Cottage and Labyrinth (approx. 5.4 miles away).

Regarding Crossroads Lutheran Church. Excerpts from the church's National Register of Historic Places nomination:

These early settlers of Cross Roads worshipped at a congregation in nearby Henry County named Richwoods Presbyterian-Lutheran Church began in 1841 by Rev. Robert Irwin. In 1848, a Lutheran minister, Samuel Sayford, moved to Delaware County and bought all the land in section 16 at Cross Roads, clearing this heavily timbered land to farm. Due to the extent of Lutherans at Richwood
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

2. Crossroads Lutheran Church National Register plaque
Church and the expanding church circuit of Rev. Irwin, he took over the congregation shortly after his move, officially establishing Richwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1848. Since many people attended from Cross Roads, he organized a Sunday School at Schoolhouse No. 7 in the 1850's, which had a higher attendance record than the church in Henry County. When Rev. Sayford died in 1865, Rev. P.G. Bell took over the congregation, and they met to discuss the church's future. With the popularity of the Sunday School, the growth of Cross Roads, and the willingness of Rev. Sayford's widow to donate a parcel of land, the church decided to move and construct a permanent building on the southeast corner of section 16, at the northwest corner of the intersection.

Ground for the church was broke in 1868, and Richwood Evangelical Lutheran Church (Cross Roads Lutheran Church) was dedicated on June 20, 1869. This 36' x 48' brick church was constructed by Joe Shoemaker and Garret Hopper at a cost of $2,900.

Also see . . . Richwood Evangelical Lutheran Church. National Register nomination (PDF) and photographs (separate PDF) submitted for the property, which includes the church, parsonage and a garage, and was listed in 2004. (National Park Service) (Submitted on August 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

3. Crossroads Lutheran Church Marker

Crossroads Lutheran Church with National Register plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

4. Crossroads Lutheran Church with National Register plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on August 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 608 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 23, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.