HISTORICAL SITES IN BROOME, CHENANGO (New York)

AND SUSQUEHANNA (Pennsylvania) COUNTIES

Pennsylvania, Harmony, as used in Church history, refers to Harmony Township, a subdivision of Susquehanna County. The original Harmony Township was divided into the present Oakland Township where the Church history sites are located and the present Harmony Township, which is of no Church history interest. (Note: Townships are governmental units and are not to be confused with settlements such as villages. Joseph Smith lived in the rural area of Harmony Township.)

The Church owned property called Harmony is the location of the Aaronic Priesthood Restoration monument, the covered foundation of the home where Joseph and Emma Smith lived and the site of the home of Isaac and Elizabeth Hale. The Church property is adjacent to the cemetery where Isaac and Elizabeth Hale and the infant sons of Joseph and Emma Smith are buried. The property is also adjacent to the Susquehanna River where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized.

The Aaronic Priesthood Restoration monument is a heroic size representation of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and is obvious from the road. The exact location of the restoration is not known and the monument is located for convenience of visitors. To the right and just west of the monument in the lawn area is the site of the house where Joseph and Emma Smith lived during most of their experience at Harmony. The foundation of the house was covered with soil and grasses planted for protection. It may be identified as a low mound and is near a small marker. The top of some foundation stones may be seen in the grass.

The location of the Isaac and Elizabeth Hale house is farther west, around the bend in the highway and across the road. (Use care in crossing the road as traffic moves fast in that area). The site of the house is enclosed in a fenced area. The foundation from a later house on the site was filled in to prevent collapse. It is possible to cross the railroad tracks starting from a point between the sites of the Joseph and Emma Smith house and the Isaac and Elizabeth Hale house and then find the developed path to the river. (The railroad tracks are still used and visitors are at their own risk in crossing railroad property.) The exact location of the baptisms is not known. The location of the graves in the cemetery to the east is near the highway and the far (east) side of the cemetery. The original gravestones have been protected by insetting them in the back of modern monuments, which are easy to locate in the northeast part of the cemetery.

The location of the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood is stated as being in the wilderness on the Susquehanna River between Harmony and Colesville, a distance of about twenty miles. Pennsylvania Route 92, which changes into New York Route 79 runs along the west side of the Susquehanna River from Oakland, Pennsylvania to Harpursville, New York in the Colesville area. This road undoubtedly passes near the Melchizedek Priesthood restoration site.

Directions to Harmony: The location of the Church history sites called Harmony is obvious when traveling on Pennsylvania Route 171 between Great Bead and Oakland in either direction. Take the Great Bend exit from Interstate 61. Go east most of the way toward Oakland. It is possible to drive South to Oakland along New York Route '79, starting from the New York Route 17 exit (an interstate type highway) at Windsor, east of Binghamton. New York Route 79 changes into Pennsylvania Route 92 at the border.

Colesville, New York: Colesville, as used in Church history, refers to Colesville Township, a subdivision of Broome County. Colesville exists today just the same as at the time of Joseph Smith - (Note: Townships are political subdivisions of counties and are not to be confused with settlements such as villages. The principle association Joseph Smith had in Colesville was with the Joseph Knight family who lived in a rural area of Colesville

Township.)

Joseph Knight's holdings extended from the Susquehanna River on the west with the Broome County and Chenango County line as the north boundary. There are no historical artifacts that exist today. Joseph Knight's holdings are now part of several private properties. The area is best examined from public roads and the visitor should avoid trespassing on private property. Cross the Susquehanna River from New York Route 7 on the bridge at Nineveh, New York: The visitor is then on property formerly owned by Joseph Knight.

Turn right and in a short distance observe a small valley, which opens to the left. Proceed along the road and cross the bridge over Interstate 86 and park, looking back at the open valley area. This is the best view of the land formerly owned by Joseph Knight. The mill, which Joseph Knight owned, was at the head of this small valley. It is believed the houses owned by the Knight Family may have been located near the mill and that other historical events happened in the same general area. Careful research did not find any artifacts or records which relate to the specific location of the Joseph Knight home.

Travel back along the road, past the bridge to a sign, which shows the county line between Broome County and Chenango County. This is the north boundary of Joseph Knight's property. This road also leads about seven miles to the Afton Fairgrounds.

Interstate 88 curves around the south and east sides of the property site of Joseph Knight. When traveling toward Albany, pass the Harpursville and Nineveh exit and then notice the Susquehanna River, which is not very large at this point. The Joseph Knight property is to the left (north) of the interstate. The interstate makes a sweeping turn to the left. Watch for. The Broome and Chenango County line sign, which is the north side of the Joseph Knight property.

Direction to Colesville:

Exit Interstate 86 at the Harpursville and Nineveh exit and drive to Nineveh on New York Route 7 or exit at Afton and drive to the Fairgrounds and continue on that road, remembering to stay right at one intersection to follow the Susquehanna River valley.

Afton (formerly South Bainbridge). Squire Tarble married Joseph Smith and Emma Hale in a house formerly located on the present Afton Fairgrounds. A not quite accurate (Emily instead of Emma) New York State historical marker commemorates this event. The location where Joseph Smith was kept overnight in very unpleasant circumstances is not known. The trial of Joseph Smith may have been held in Bainbridge as most legal affairs in the county were held in that location. Joseph Smith's record merely states he was held overnight in South Bainbridge and the trial was held the next day.

When driving between Nineveh and Afton on either Interstate 88 or the road in the valley, notice the hills across the river with farmer's fields on them Josiah Stowell, who employed Joseph Smith for a time, owned land from the river to part way up the hills. The exact location has not been researched.

Directions to Afton: Take the Afton exit from Interstate 88 or travel up the valley road from the Nineveh area. The Afton Fairgrounds are on the east side of the river while the main part of Afton is on the west side of the river.

Horace H. Christensen

615 Valley View Drive

Endwell, NY