I got permission to detect at an 1865 Church, then the posse rode up...a modern day detectorist show down

NectarDetector said:

There's an old 1865 church a couple towns over that I have had my eye on for a couple of years.

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I have done research on the property and know that it was a school, church and community center during its lifetime. It is truly a great representation of early 1800's church architectural design. It isn't on the historic register because it has been modified with aluminum siding and a couple of other features, but it IS a historical place, and that's what attracted me to it naturally...

This weekend, I happened to be over that way, and drove by the church in hopes that maybe someone would be around that I could ask about detecting at the church.

I pulled in the parking lot and noticed a sign out front with the Pastors name and phone number on it. I thought, "I'll give him a call and see what he says about me detecting there."

I called and his wife answered, he wasn't around so I asked her for his number and she told me that his phone wasn't working, so I asked when I could call back and that made her curious as to why I was calling.

I explained to her that I was trying to get permission to detect the old church and was wondering if she knew who I could talk to about getting permission. She said, "Sure let me give you "jonnies" number, he's who you should talk to." So, I called Jonnie, told him what I wanted to do, explained how I dig a plug and replace it, and assured him that I would leave the place in good shape. He told me that there wouldn't be any problem with it... I thanked him and also told him that I would be there if he wanted to come meet and talk with me. He told me that he would be over that way later and that he would come talk with me.

I grabbed my gear, excited like a little school girl with a new pink dress, well maybe not that excited, but close... anyway I had visions of all of these silver dimes and quarters, just under the surface just waiting for me to come rescue them from the dirt. I just knew there had to be at least one or two silvers laying around...there had to be!

I had detected about 3/4 of the area around the building itself, around the large trees, parking lot area, sidewalks, around the old well out front, and started along the other side of the building when I realized a truck had pulled in. I figured that was Jonnie, and walked that way. It was Jonnie, and we talked for 10 or 15 minutes about the old church, the property, metal detecting, and even my diggin technique that he agreed was way nicer than the 50 Armidillo holes all over the place... I had noticed a car go by, turn around and park across the street. by this time I was done talking and ready to finish up the other side in hopes that the "grass was greener on the other side" of the building type of thing.

I said to Jonnie "Wonder what those guys are doing..." Jonnie mumbled something, basically just brushing it off so I figured whatever, yknow..

I thanked him for permission and told him I was going to finish up the other side of the building and then go. As I started walking away I noticed a girl walking across the street to talk with Jonnie who is an older gentleman. I figured that they must know each other and i went back to detecting. About 3 minutes later I got a quarter tone on the at pro, dug it and it was quarter. As I was putting the plug back, I saw Jonnie drive down the road on that side of the church, so I waved to him, and the car and people he was talking to soon drove by as well, and I waved at them too.

I started hearing people talking and I was like "Wait a minute, is there voices coming from this church or the graveyard out back?" I heard voices again, took my headphones off, peeked around the corner towards the parking lot, and there was some people talking to each other. I thought nothing of it, figured they might hang out there and do stuff or something.

A few minutes later I hear a 4 wheeler coming up the road, and it's an older gentleman and he pulls into the parking lot, turns off his 4 wheeler and starts walking my way. I figured it's someone who likes to talk about treasure hunting as people come talk to me allllll the time when I'm detecting, so I didn't see that as odd.

I removed my headphones, and noticed another guy walking behind him, I smiled and said "Hey guys, how are you?" Then I saw a third guy come around the front of the building to my right. That's when the ole boy on the 4 wheeler gingerly says "Ain't no damm gold" as he kinda looked around.

I laughed and said "You're right, and their aint no silver either, and laughed." I looked at the short guy who was to my left and he was looking at me like he had a problem, but I turned my attention to the ole boy who had jokingly said there wasn't any gold and said "How's it going?" BY this time the 3rd guy was standing in front of me, and I can't lie at one point I thought "Am I going to have to throw down with these fellas in a minute?" I mean I'm no Ronda Rousey, but I can handle my own, yknow...

So after I asked the man how things were going, he said something to the effect of "Wondering why you're here" or "Who said you could be here" (Happened quickly, not 100% sure but basically just asked why I was there, kindly...)

I explained that I had the called pastors wife, she put me in touch with Jonnie and that he had given me permission, said "Matter of fact Jonnie was just here a minute ago." The guy just nodded his head and said in a low voice "Jonnie" I mean this guys demeaner was non-confrontational, all he was asking is who said I could be there.

About that time the short guy on my left says "You know this building is on the National Historic Register?" I said "With all due respect sir, No it is not." He interjected and said "Do you know when you detect a historic register building you have to give you finds to the owner?"

I'm standing here thinking "Okay, he's told me two lies immediately, I'm not talking to this guy." So I said "Sir, I am not being argumentative with you, but that is not a fact." He said "Oh yes it is, and you know it is as he "asserted" himself a little more aggressively. I looked him in the eye with a "Don't forget we're all men standing in this field, just us...." look and turned to the guy on my right who had been calm the entire time.

That's when the short dude with little man complex piped up and pointed to him and said "He's the property owner, did you ask him for permission?" I said, obviously not, I told you how I went about getting permission, and as far as I knew, I had permission to be there.

I shook the mans hand that I was told was the property owner, the most laid back man you'd ever wanna meet, and said "Sir, I am sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances. I said I hope you can see that I didn't leave any holes anywhere and that I wasn't trying to do anything collusive." He said "I know you aren't..." and little dude to my left started blabbing about me neeeding to make sure I ask the right people etc etc.

I exlained that I had detected many old churches and that I had been given permission by the pastor, caretaker of the church and that I had never had issue

Again, he got more agressive in his tone of voice and the guy to my right said "Well you can go ahead and go now."

I said "You got bud, again, I am sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances." The third guy stretched out his hand, I shook it and told him the same thing... as I was walking to the car, I grabbed all the can slaw, tabs, clad, and other junk I had dug and showed it to the short guy, and said "As you can see man, I was cleaning the place up, not leaving holes and damage anywhere, I take my junk with me.

I threw my gear in the car and left, but it wasn't all for nothing. I learned something that day, and that is when asking permission, be sure to make sure that you're in touch with the actual owner of the property, so you aren't surrounded by the neighborhood posse.

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Crackerjack said:

That is an amazing story!

I came to this forum looking for a thread on church hunting, because I have at least two churches that date back to the 1800's that I am interested in detecting. One is the church that I attended from childhood, and the other is my XYL's childhood church, and the country church that her family is still highly involved with. Recently, during the last Christmas family celebration, I asked my MIL if their church had ever been metal detected, and that it should have some good relics there. The response that I got back was rather cold and discouraging. So I've been wondering if asking their pastor would be a good idea, as he is fairly new there, and I believe the family is on the church board. I need some advice on how others have gotten permission for churches. These are both First United Methodist churches.

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