Birds eye view of Havre de Grace

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

The City of Havre de Grace (population estimate 2005 11,884) is Maryland’s second oldest municipality, incorporated in 1785. The name means “Harbor of Mercy” in French. The first known use of this name came in 1781 and appears in the military diary of a French army engineer who was part of General Rochambeau’s army. The army camped in Havre de Grace on its way to join forces with General George Washington’s army as it began the siege of Yorktown, Virginia. Prior to this time the area had been called “Lower Susquehanna Ferry.”

The city is ideally located at the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The Susquehanna River winds its way 444 miles south through Pennsylvania, beginning at Cooperstown, New York before reaching Havre de Grace. The Chesapeake Bay extends over 180 miles south from Havre de Grace to the Atlantic Ocean.

Early History
During colonial times, Havre de Grace was located on the major thoroughfare between the southern colonies and Philadelphia. A ferry started operation there in 1696 and inns were located on both sides of the river. George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette both stayed there at various times in their travels north and south. Thomas Jefferson once predicted that the town would be the major metropolis between Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1789, it was even considered as a potential site for the new nation’s capital city losing by only one vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On May 3, 1813 all of this changed, however, when a British fleet sailing up the Chesapeake Bay attacked the town of about 300 people. Most of the public buildings were destroyed and many of the private dwellings suffered some damage. At least two people were killed during the attack. The British army continued these depredations in the bay area, until they were stopped in a failed attack at Fort McHenry in Baltimore.

In 1827, the Concord Point Lighthouse was constructed at the southern end of the town. Designed and built by John Donoho, it was manned by War of 1812 hero John O’Neill. The light tower was electrified in the 1920s and was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in the 1970s. It has, however, continued to be lighted by The Friends of the Concord Point Lighthouse, making it the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation in Maryland. It is open for tours on weekends from April to October.

Economic Rise
Havre de Grace languished during the 1820s and early 1830s. It was not until the Susquehanna Tidewater Canal opened in 1839 that the economy of the town picked up. The Canal, which has its entry lock in Havre de Grace, extended along the west side of the Susquehanna River 90 miles north to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. Mule-driven barges carried coal, wheat and lumber from Pennsylvania and finished goods made their way back north. The canal was largely destroyed by a flood in the late nineteenth century but had already been superseded by railroads. The lockhouse and entry lock have been restored and are open to the public for tours.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Havre de Grace thrived with boatyards and an iron foundry anchoring its economy. Numerous hotels and manufacturing concerns as well as shops and private schools were also established. A large population of free African Americans and found a home there by the1860s, so much so that it became one of the seven sites for the recruiting of “U.S. Colored Troops” during the Civil War. Most of the citizens were Union sympathizers.

The greatest era of the city began in 1912 with the construction of the Havre de Grace Racetrack, unofficially called “The Graw.” One of four major tracks in Maryland, it attracted all the great thoroughbreds while it was in operation. Man o’ War, War Admiral, and Seabiscuit are just some of the horses that won there. Citation lost his only race during his Triple Crown year at Havre de Grace. The track closed in 1950 and is currently a facility housing the Maryland National Guard.

Government
Havre de Grace was originally incorporated by the Maryland General Assembly in 1785. It was governed by a five-member board of commissioners. In 1878, the legislature modified the charter to make Havre de Grace a city. Presently, it has a strong mayoral form of government and a six-member City Council. Three members of the council are elected each year in May and the mayor is elected in odd-numbered years. Terms of all elected officials are two years. The mayor and council meet on the first and third Mondays of each month to conduct official business for the city.

Community Life and Museums
In area, Havre de Grace covers about six square miles. It is a full-service city with its own water filtration plant, waste water treatment plant, and police department. City government services also include parks, planning, economic development, tourism, and garbage collection. Two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school provide educational opportunities for 2,400 students. They are part of the Harford County Public School system. The largest employer is Harford Memorial Hospital, a branch of Upper Chesapeake Health System. The Chesapeake Industrial Park is the oldest industrial park in Harford County and home to several manufacturing enterprises. Bulle Rock Golf Course is also located within city limits and has been ranked as the Number 1 public course in North America.

Several museums also operate within the city. They include the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, dedicated to the preservation of the art of duck decoy carving; the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, which concentrates on preservation of wooden boat building unique to the Upper Chesapeake Bay; the “Martha Lewis,” a restored and fully operational skipjack; and the previously mentioned Concord Point Lighthouse and Susquehanna Museum .

Jay, Peter A, ed. Havre de Grace: An Informal History. Havre de Grace: Susquehanna Publishing Company, 1986.