02-26-2023 Harford Magazine - Flipbook - Page 77
Sculptor Austen Brantley at the
unveiling of the statue he created for
Negro League baseball player and
Havre de Grace native Ernest Burke
in Tydings Park in Havre de Grace.
PHOTO BY MATT BUTTON
slew of events.”
Originally part of Baltimore County,
Harford has an origin story that dates to the
18th century when locals petitioned the early
Maryland Assembly in Annapolis to create a
new county.
Legislation creating Harford County was
adopted in 1773, according to the C. Milton
Wright book “Our Harford Heritage,” and
took effect in 1774.
Harford County was named after English
nobleman Henry Harford, the eldest son of
Frederick Calvert, the 6th Lord Baltimore.
Harford served as the last proprietor of
Maryland before the 13 original colonies
rebelled against the British, leading to the
American Revolution and a new nation.
Centuries later, Harford County has
evolved and grown. The latest U.S. census
data reveals a population of more than
262,000 residents.
There are three municipalities in Harford
County: Havre de Grace, incorporated in
1785; Aberdeen (1892); and Bel Air (1872),
which is the official county seat.
“It was a small commercial hub
surrounded by green pastures and
farms,” writes Deibel in her book “Bel Air
Chronicles,” which was published in 2012
and delves into the county’s beginnings and
evolution.
The book notes that with the growth of the
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad (Ma &
Pa) and nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground,
“the quiet town was transformed into a
bustling urban center.”
As Harford County marks this
monumental anniversary, its story is a
portrait of America: Indigenous tribes who
predated the arrival of European settlers;
agriculture and development; harbor towns
where colonial history unfolded; stories of
the Underground Railroad and civil rights
that tell of its African American heritage;
proud U.S. military service; and much more.
Read on for some of the people and places
in Harford County that are part of its history
and future.
The Historical Society
of Harford County Inc.
143 N Main St., Bel Air
“This is the oldest county historical society
in Maryland,” said Seneschal, dating its
establishment at the county courthouse in
1885.
Harford County transferred the old Bel
Air Post Office to the historical society in
the 1990s. The historic building now houses
a dizzying array of archives, artifacts, art,
textiles, court records, genealogy, exhibits, a
research library and more.
Items of interest include a cannon ball
reportedly fired by British naval forces amid
the raid on Havre de Grace in 1813, during
the War of 1812.
An on-site museum is scheduled to open
this year. Until then, the historical society is
closed to visitors.
Liriodendron
502 W. Gordon St., Bel Air
The Liriodendron mansion, built in 1898,
offers a peek into the lifestyles of the wealthy
denizens of that era. It was the summer
retreat of Dr. Howard A. Kelly, one of the
founding physicians of the Johns Hopkins
Hospital.
Sold to Harford County in the 1970s,
the house has stunning architecture, ornate
interiors and exteriors, art and period
furnishings, and beautiful grounds.
“The mansion is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places,” said Brenna
Kupferman, business development director
of the Liriodendron Foundation Inc., a
nonprofit that manages operations. “It’s
beautiful and we welcome visitors.”
Ernest Burke statue
Millard Tydings Memorial Park, Havre de Grace,
havredegracemd.gov
In 2021, a statue of Ernest Burke, a
harfordmagazine.com | Spring 2023 |
77