Overview of Garrett County

This is a fall scene of Garrett County, Maryland seen from "Rodeheaver Hill" between Oakland and Sand Flat Road on Route 219. It is not of the Friendsville area, but a photo to show how beautiful Garrett County is in the Fall, especially with Mother Nature wraps it in her "quilt of color".

Friendsville, Maryland

This is the Fall time looking up town through Friendsville away from the Youghiogheny River.

FFAA Headquarter

This is the home of the Friend Family Association of America on Maple Avenue, which was once a Bank of Friendsville.

Unique Milling Company

This milling company was once owned by Friend ancestors, which milled most all of their grain here. This old mill is located across the street from the FFAA Headquarter.

John Friend Cemetery

This is one of the oldest cemetery of Friendsville. It has many Friend ancestors buried here, namely Old John Friend, and other Friend ancestors.

"Friend's Delight" Marker

This marker was place on the place known today as "Friend's Delight", near the Pavilion and Youghiogheny River, and was owned by John Friend Jr., the son of Old John. This marker was place by P. H. (Paul Hoye) who was a land surveyor in the late 1700's.

Upon John "Jack" Hinebaugh's untimely death, "Friend's Delight" was given the State of Maryland with the charge and care of this beautiful park to maintain as it is today.

Pavilion on "The Greens"

This is the Pavilion that is located on "Friend's Delight" where all the "Gathering of Friendsville" have most of their bi-annual get-togethers.

Youghiogheny River

This is the Youghiogheny River near the shore of "Friend's Delight".

Friend's Store in Sang Run

This is the Friend's Store that was built in Sang Run in the late 1800's, which was once owned by the late John "Jack" Hinebaugh, an ancestor of Old John Friend.

Grounds of John Friend's Cave

The entrance of John Friend's Cave has been protected by a fence that the "Nature Conservancy of Maryland/D.C." constructed to protect the cave and people from possible injury.

Lowering To John Friend's Cave

This is leading down to the entrance of the John Friend's Cave. The Nature Conservancy of Maryland/D.C. has taken measures to ensure that very few people have access to the cave. They feel that too many visitors would likely threaten the survival of the aquatic microorganisms inside.

Entrance of John Friend's Cave

This is the entrance of the cave, which is protect by a steel gate to the actual opening. If you are interest in exploring the cave there are tours available, with trained volunteers by appointment only from the Western Maryland Grotto. The WMG volunteer many sure that you are fully prepared to enter the cave and acts as a guide during your visit.

To view more photos of the John Friend's Cave. Visit the Western Maryland Grotto website.

John Friend Cave Preserves

An ecosystem without light

John Friend Cave is a world that exists without the light of the sun, and is habitat to unusual and unique species that have evolved to survive in the permanent darkness.

Significance:

John Friend Cave is a 1,000 foot long limestone cave that is home to rare bats and invertebrate aquatic crustaceans. Five species of bats are known from this cave, including the small footed, eastern pipistrel, and historically the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The cave supports three nationally rare species of subterranean, aquatic crustaceans (Stygobromus emarginatus, S. allegheniensis, and Caecidotea holsingeri).

Natural History:

Isolated from weather, natural disturbances, and sunlight, caves have evolved their own distinctive and highly fragile ecosystems. Because caves are always dark, no green plants can grow, placing them among the most ecologically uncommon habitats on earth. The animals occupying caves have solved the problem of survival in these dark, nutrient-poor environments in one of two ways. Some, including bats and wood rates, inhabit caves by day but return to the surface to forage at night. Others, the true troglodytes (cave-dwelling animals), have adapted so completely to the special conditions of caves that they cannot survive outside of them. Most have lost their eyes and body pigment, as well as acquiring behavioral, metabolic, and reproductive adaptations that differ markedly from their surface-dwelling relatives.

Provided by "The Nature Conservancy" http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/preserves/art4773.html