In plain view: Three churches - Lutheran, United Church of Christ and United Methodist congregations - are bunched in the crossroad village of Freystown. This trio of Christian denominations are located in many York County towns.

Behind the scene: Understand the national origin of York County churches, and one can deduce where the first settlers in a region came from. All three churches in Freysville are of German origin. (Methodism came from England, but many Methodists in the county came from a German branch.) Germans primarily settled in the central valleys of the county. The Scots-Irish migrated in great numbers to the southeastern corner, as many Presbyterian churches attest. English Quakers put down stakes in the northern part of the county - the Redlands. At least three Quaker meeting houses stand today. Roman Catholics moved from Conewago Chapel, in present-day Adams County, to York and other points east. A small Jewish group lived in York County in the pre-Revolutionary War era. Religious people have long made York County home, as the estimated 500 houses of worship within its borders indicate. Here are the 2000 numbers from the Association of Religion Data: Evangelical Protestant, 28,496; Mainline Protestant, 99,121; Orthodox, 1,788; Catholic, 37,745; other, 4,532; "unclaimed:" 210,069. The latter category suggests more diversity in religious views than normally attributed to the county.

Further details: Charles Glatfelter's authoritative "York County Lutherans," (1993) covers that denomination's history but crosses paths with other German groups as well. See also Franklin Zarfoss' "Bits and Bytes of Trivia and Facts, Churches of York County Pennsylvania," 1996.

Past posts in this series:

- 400 years ago, John Smith explored Chesapeake Bay - 1 of 20 iconic images

- Declaration signer James Smith tops York County patriot list - 2 of 20 iconic images

- Going to market a longtime York County pastime - 3 of 20 iconic images

- William C. Goodridge: From slavery to success story - 4 of 20 iconic images

- Rebs' short York visit creates long memories - 5 of 20 iconic images

-Artist Horace Bonham captured everyday life - 6/20 iconic images

-York County farm vs. factory tension relieved in overnight raid - 7/20 iconic images

- York County stood firmly behind Allies on all fronts in WW II - 8/20 iconic images

- Downtown thrived in post-WW II York - 9/20 iconic images

- After WWII success, Farquhar sells assets to out-of-town outfit - 10/10 iconic images.

- Sears, York County Shopping Center in the middle of things - 11/20 iconic photos

- Three Mile Island emergency indelibly written into memories - 12/20 iconic photos.

- People of varying religious groups founded York County - 13/20 iconic photos

- President Reagan: 'Harley is back and standing tall' - 14/20 iconic photos

- Mayor of York, Pa.: 'We are no longer unprotected' - 15/20 iconic photos

- Grange Hall represented past way of York County life - 16/20 iconic photos.

- York County Honors Choir product of proud moment - 17/20 iconic photos.

- Meeting of riot victims brought hope for racial accord - 18/20 iconic images.

- Property rights foundational factor in Lauxmont dispute - 19/20 iconic photos.

- New baseball diamond serves as York cornerstone - 20/20 iconic photos

- Season 2 of York's campaign to come back - Iconic photos 21-23

- York on knees as its men storm Normandy beaches - Iconic photos 24-25

- One image illustrates two long-neglected subjects in York area - Iconic photos 26-27

- Images explain changes in York County factories - iconic photos 28-29.