Middletown

Middletown, noted for the tall white spire of Zion Lutheran Church, has stood in its picturesque valley for over two centuries. German Protestants fleeing persecution in Europe founded the community before the American Revolution. Michael Jesserong, who laid out the town, named it Middletown when he sold four lots to Conrad Crone in 1768, though the meaning of the name is uncertain and may refer to the community's position in its own valley between South Mountain and Braddock Heights. The valley's rich agriculture gave the town a ready market from the start. When the National Road came through in the early 1800s, Middletown became a welcome respite between two steep mountain ridges, and harness, blacksmith, and carriage shops joined taverns and hotels serving the travelers passing along Main Street, which locals called the main road from Baltimore to the western states. During the Civil War, that road also brought several Union and Confederate armies, and in 1864 Middletown was ransomed from Confederate General Jubal Early for $1,500. The white Zion Lutheran Church has been the signature structure in Middletown since it was built in 1859.

Middletown, Maryland · United States