Burkittsville in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Mausoleum
Gathland State Park
— Walking Tour Stop 6 —
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, January 2, 2012
1. Mausoleum Marker
Inscription.
Mausoleum. Gathland State Park. Townsend regarded Gapland as a lasting monument to himself and his craft and wanted to rest here for all time. Townsend designed and erected his Mausoleum in 1895. Its four vaults were intended to house his remains and those of his wife and parents. A large iron likeness of his pet Great Dane, which Townsend sketched while staying at The Waldorf Hotel, was placed atop the tomb to keep vigil in his afterlife. But fate would not have it so. Townsend died at his daughter's home in New York City on April 15, 1914 and was buried alongside {his wife} Bessie in Philadelphia. The Gapland Mausoleum was never occupied, the sculpture of his dog was stolen, and the glory that was Gapland faded into ruin and indifference. But the spirit of this romantic journalist speaks out still in the epitaph above his tomb: Good Night - Gath.
Townsend regarded Gapland as a lasting monument to himself and his craft and wanted to rest here for all time. Townsend designed and erected his Mausoleum in 1895. Its four vaults were intended to house his remains and those of his wife and parents. A large iron likeness of his pet Great Dane, which Townsend sketched while staying at The Waldorf Hotel, was placed atop the tomb to keep vigil in his afterlife. But fate would not have it so. Townsend died at his daughter's home in New York City on April 15, 1914 and was buried alongside {his wife} Bessie in Philadelphia. The Gapland Mausoleum was never occupied, the sculpture of his dog was stolen, and the glory that was Gapland faded into ruin and indifference. But the spirit of this romantic journalist speaks out still in the epitaph above his tomb: Good Night - Gath.
Erected by Gathland State Park. (Marker Number 6.)
Location. 39° 24.294′ N, 77° 38.346′ W. Marker is in Burkittsville, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker can be reached from Gapland Road. The Marker is along the Appalachian trail
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in Gathland State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Burkittsville MD 21718, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 612 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on June 10, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.