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Cecil County once supported a surprising number of airfields, serving weekend pilots, flight schools, and curious locals.  One of them was the short-lived but memorable Bar H Sky Park in North East, located on a hilltop along the westbound side of Route 40, directly behind the well-known Bar H Burger Ranch. 

Owned and operated by Edison “Eddie” C. Hendeson, the North East airfield was in service by 1962 when it appeared in a Maryland directory of commercial airports.  Its single sod runway measured 1,800 feet at first, but was extended to 2,100 by 1965.  From that elevated strip, pilots and passengers could take in the sweeping view of the Upper Bay.

Despite its small size, Bar H Sky Park advertised a full range of services: charter flights, rentals, sightseeing tours, and flight instruction.  A flight over the scenic Upper Bay could easily be followed by a stop at the Bar H. Burger Ranch or the Bar H Chuck House across Route 40, both owned by Henderson.

The Sky Park was still active in April 1966 when it advertised in The Upper Shoreman, but it disappeared from the AOPA directory soon after that, marking the end of one of Cecil County’s small airfields.

Very early on a Friday morning in September 1911, the usual routine at the Cecil County jail was abruptly shattered. Five inmates, just released into the exercise yard by Deputy Steward, hauled their iron bed frames and blankets outside. Turning these tools into an improvised ladder and rope, they scaled the 30-foot stone wall that enclosed the yard. Once over the top, they raced up the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, hoping to slip into Delaware before anyone noticed.

Luck, however, was not on their side. Two railroad men–crossing watchman Charles E. Denny and track walker John Heath–spotted the men scrambling along the tracks and immediately raised the alarm. Sheriff J. Wesley McAllister, roused from his apartment on the second floor of the jail, hastily dressed and sprinted after the escapees on foot. But the fugitives already had a good head start.

Just as they seemed to be getting away, fortune turned. The 7:27 a.m. northbound passenger train, having made a scheduled stop at the Elkton station, roared into view. The sheriff frantically waved his hat to flag it down, and the engineer, catching sight of the urgent signal, brought the locomotive to a screeching halt. McAllister leaped aboard, quickly explaining about the jail escape. Without delay, the engineer put on steam and opened up the throttle, beginning the locomotive’s hot pursuit.

Steam hissed and wheels clattered as the train raced north, rapidly closing the gap on the escapees who had stuck to the tracks. When the fleeing men came into view near Iron Hill, the engineer throttled down. Without waiting for a full stop, Sheriff McAlliser jumped from the moving train and charged at the startled men.

Six warning shots rang out from the sheriff’s pistol. In the chaos, the Sheriff managed to corral four of the escapees single-handedly. The prisoners were marched back to the jail. Less than an hour after the jail escape, their brief taste of freedom came to an abrupt, dramatic end. Police at stations along the line were alerted to be on the lookout for the fifth man.

Source: Washington Post, Sept 9, 1911

Martha Raye, the celebrated radio, film, and television star, flew into Elkton on April 21, 1954, planning to secure a quick marriage to Edward Begley, a dancer on her TV show. The couple left New York early that Wednesday morning by chartered plane, landing at Lovett Airport. When Elkton taxi driver Ernie Grove picked up the party, which included the star’s publicist, he whisked them to the marriage bureau at the courthouse.

There, they discovered that times had changed: Cecil County now enforced a Maryland law requiring a 48-hour waiting period. Not ready to give up on the “run around,” Raye tried to charm her way through the bureaucracy. The entourage tracked down Circuit Court Judge Floyd J. Kintner and Sheriff Nathan Kaplan at the Howard Hotel around noon. Raye also met Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate George P. Mahoney there.

Over refreshments, Raye pleaded her case to the judge, the sheriff, and the gubernatorial candidate. But the officials explained that there was nothing they could do to “buck this one-time quickie marriage mart’s new 48-hour waiting period,” The Sun wrote. While mingling at the bar, she joked with surprised patrons about her marital history, saying, “I tried it four times before, but this time it is for good,” according to The Journal Every Evening.

Unable to bypass the waiting period, the party scrambled to get back to Lovett Airport. Since their charter had already returned to New York, airport owner Waldo Lovett stepped in and flew the couple to Alexandria, Virginia, in his plane.

They finally tied the knot later that afternoon at the Arlington County Courthouse. It was Begley’s first marriage and Raye’s fifth. After the confused dash across several states, Raye told the Evening Star of Washington, D.C.: “This is the most trouble I’ve ever had to go through to get married…. The other four times were easy compared to this.”

The visit of the Hollywood star, Martha Raye, had created quite a stir in downtown Elkton. As the York Dispatch observed on April 22, 1954, had the chaotic scene taken place on television, the ceremony might have been the comedy hit of the year.

As aviation gained popularity in the 20th century, Cecil County saw the rise of several small airfields. The oldest was established by Waldo Lovett of Newark, who in 1944 purchased a 64-acre farm along Route 279 about two miles northeast of Elkton. Lovett and his wife immediately set to work transforming the former farmland into a working airfield. This involved renovating the farmhouse, clearing the ground, filling ditches, and erecting hangars. Before long, a modest but functional airstrip emerged, announced by a hand-painted sign: “Lovett Airport – Sightseeing, Instruction, Maintenance.”

Waldo made his living in the skies, offering flight instruction, sightseeing tours, and charter trips. One such memorable charter on April 21, 1954, involved a Hollywood star. Martha Raye and her party landed at the airfield. thinking Elkton was still the place for “quickie marriages.” However, after a taxi took the couple to the courthouse, they discovered that the law mandated a 48-hour waiting period, The Evening Sun reported. A disappointed Raye returned to the airport, but since her original aircraft had departed, Lovett fired up his plane and flew the couple to Arlington, VA., where there was no waiting period.

By 1958, the airport had grown to include three runways and six hangars, becoming a hub for local aviation enthusiasts. Lovett also engaged in aerial advertising, towing commercial banners over horse races, fairs, and sports events. He also rented hangar space for aircraft storage. One tenant, Fred Kacena of Newark, operated an airplane engine repair shop on-site, adding to the airport’s reputation as a center for aviation services.

In 1969, after Lovett stepped back from the operation, the airport entered a new phase when Jane Stradley of Salisbury purchased the property. Her initial goal was personal as she wanted to learn to fly, but soon discovered she lacked both the knack and the nerve, she told the Morning News. Still, Stradley became a passionate advocate for preserving the airport, waging what a reporter called a “one-woman fight” to keep it alive. She hoped the county or the town of Elkton would acquire it, resisting lucrative offers for commercial development that could have brought in as much as $60,000 per acre.

But her vision never materialized. In 1997, W.L. Gore & Associates purchased the airfield for more than $5 million, bringing an end to the story of Cecil County’s oldest airport.

Waldo Reid Lovett, who had taken to the air in the 1930s as a barnstorming pilot, passed away on November 18, 1986, at the age of 84.

For a photo album from the Cecil County Airport, click this link.

In the northwestern corner of Cecil County, just two miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, stands Mount Zoar, a free African American community established in the mid-19th century.  At its peak, the village contained about a dozen homes, a church, a school, and a cemetery. For generations, it thrived as a place of resilience, faith, and determination.¹

Although much of the hamlet has vanished, its legacy endures. The Mount Zoar AME Church, built around 1870 to replace an earlier house of worship established before 1859, remains a cornerstone of the community. Nearby stands a unique 19^th-century two-room schoolhouse featuring a projected entrance and bell tower that once called children to class.²  The Maryland Historical Trust describes it as “one of the more unusual of its type in the entire county.”³  Together with a few remaining homes, these landmarks preserve the memory of this community.

Underground Railroad

Mount Zoar’s geography made it more than just a home for free Black families.  Its location, close to the Susquehanna River and the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, positioned it along a recognized route of the Underground Railroad.

In 1859, two years before the Civil War erupted, the Cecil Whig openly acknowledged the community’s role, reporting that “through this region passes the mysterious underground railway, which carries to the north so many fugitives from labor. Here is a stopping place for those noiseless invisible trains; here is Zoar, the city of refuge to those who flee . . . ” The editor also cited the area’s “dense population” of free African Americans, noting that their presence created a vital link for the “noiseless invisible trains” carrying freedom seekers toward liberty.⁴

That a correspondent from the 8th district wrote this, and the editor printed it, is remarkable. In a border state like Maryland, public acknowledgement of an Underground Railroad connection was dangerous, especially as national tensions over slavery neared a breaking point. It suggests that Mt. Zoar’s role in aiding freedom seekers was well known locally,

Among Mount Zoar’s most influential residents was John Berry, who purchased a substantial parcel of property before 1860. The Cecil Whig highlighted his extraordinary success, noting his accumulation of 75 acres of “good land” through his own labor—a remarkable accomplishment for a Black man in that era.⁵ Despite the tensions of the times, Berry not only secured property but also helped establish the community’s school and supported other local initiatives, leaving a lasting legacy that shaped Mount Zoar’s future.⁶

Today, the church, schoolhouse, and cemetery stand as reminders of a community that did more than survive; it flourished, while also playing a quiet yet critical role in one of the most pivotal struggles in American history. Mount Zoar’s story — the Underground Railroad and the free Black community — deserves deeper research, but even in the traces that remain, we see the resilience of a people who built lives of dignity and strength.

Notes

1. Mt. Zoar Black Community, Maryland Historical Trust Inventory Form CE-875, Dec. 11, 1978 ↩︎
2. New Colored School House, Cecil Whig, Dec. 17, 1870 ↩︎
3. Mt. Zoar School No. 5., Maryland Historical Trust Inventory Form CE-876, Sept. 21, 1978 ↩︎
4. Eighth District, Mt. Zoar and its Inhabitants, March 26, 1859. ↩︎
5. “Local Affairs,” Cecil Whig, March 2, 1878. ↩︎
6. “Death of an Estimable Colored Man,” Cecil Whig, July 26, 1879. John Berry, 66, died on June 25, 1879. He was born in 1813 ↩︎

Acquisition marks major milestone in preserving a cherished cultural landmark

A Press Release from the Town

Elkton, MD — The Town of Elkton is proud to announce the official acquisition of the historic Holly Hall property, a long-anticipated milestone in the Town’s efforts to protect, preserve and celebrate its cultural heritage. The acquisition was made possible through Maryland State Revitalization Program Strategic Demolition Fund (SDF), awarded in recognition of the historic and architectural significance of Holly Hall and the Town’s commitment to protecting it for future generations.

Located on South Bridge Street, Holly Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is among Elkton’s treasured historic resources. This highly visible, historic manor house is located at a major crossroads within Elkton’s Highway Commercial District. The stately Federal-style home, dating back to the early 19th century, has long captured the imagination of local residents and historians alike. Now, thanks to sustained public support and strategic leadership at the local level, the property will be preserved, restored, and interpreted as a cornerstone of Elkton’s historic identity.

“This is a momentous day for the Town of Elkton,” said Mayor Robert J. Alt, who has been leading the charge to save Holly Hall for over eleven years with the support of the Town’s commissioners. “The acquisition of Holly Hall is not just the preservation of a building—it’s the preservation of our town’s story, spirit, and legacy. I want to thank our Board of Commissioners, our community, our partners at the State level, staff, and all those who believed in this vision and worked with us to make it a reality.” 

The acquisition of Holly Hall reflects the Town’s continued investment in heritage, culture, and community pride.  This project is identified in Elkton’s Sustainable Communities Plan and is consistent Elkton’s Comprehensive Plan in addition to State plans such as Reinvest Maryland and A Better Maryland.

The Town’s goal is to stabilize, restore, and interpret Holly Hall in a way that honors its historical importance and opens its doors to educational and cultural programming. Elkton’s grant award included $50,000 for initial stabilization of the structure.  Plans for the site will be developed with input from preservation experts, local stakeholders, and the community, ensuring Holly Hall remains a living part of Elkton’s future.

Throughout the years, Holly Hall has been the focus of sustained public advocacy. Citizens, preservation organizations, and local historians have voiced strong support for saving the site, calling it an irreplaceable piece of Elkton’s cultural landscape. That public sentiment played a crucial role in securing the grant funding that made the acquisition possible.

More details regarding the next phases of the project will be announced in the coming months, including opportunities for community involvement, volunteer participation, and public input sessions.

For more on the History of Hall Hall see this blog post.

For more information, please contact:

Jeanne Minner

Director of Planning

Town of Elkton

Jeanne.minner@elkton.org | (410) 398-4999

Holly Hall, one of four buildings in Elkton listed on the National Register of Historic Properties, was recently purchased by the Town of Elkton. It was built by James Sewall around 1810, according to the Maryland Historical Trust.

It was erected on land confiscated from Robert Alexander, a Tory sympathizer during the American Revolution. About two-thirds of Alexander’s land was taken by the Maryland Commission on Confiscated Property when he departed with the British.

When it was sold by the Commission at a public auction, Tobias Rudulph bought a vast amount of the acreage. In his will of 1787, Rudulph bequeathed the tract south of the Big Elk Creek to his daughter, Ann Marie, who married James Sewell in 1809.

Sewell, a banker and clerk of the court, also commanded a battalion defending Elkton during the War of 1812. He built Holly Hall around 1810, based on published drawings of early architects such as Asher Benajum and Robert Morris.

After Sewell died in 1842, James M. Wilmer acquired the mansion for $23,750. In 1860, the house and land were sold to James E. Barrow, a prosperous Kent County lawyer, for $18,000 (Maryland Historical Trust). Kevin Hemstock, the former editor of the Kent County News, wrote that his legal specialty was estates. “Ads in the Chestertown Telegraph show he also acted as an agent in slave sales. He personally owned a number of slaves, who worked the farms he held in Kent and Cecil counties.”

Around 1889, William Singerly, the publisher of the Philadelphia Record, purchased it for $7,000. It next came to George Ash, who operated a dairy farm there.

In 1923, it was sold to the Order of the Society of the Divine Savior. The Catholic order acquired it to support the Foreign Missions in China. The Salvatorian Mission House operated a dairy farm on the property. In 1962, the church sold the property, and it was subsequently subdivided.

Sources:

Elkton Mansion Once Owned by Kent Lawyer, by Kevin Hemstock, Kent County News.

Maryland Historical Trust National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (see comments for links)

LESLIE — Cecil County once had many thriving little villages, each with its own distinctive characteristics and history. One such village, Leslie, recently caught our attention. Nestled alongside North East Road (Route 272), near where the Holiday Inn stands today, Leslie was once a stop on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

The village took its name from an old Cecil County family. Robert Leslie, the founding ancestor of the family, arrived in America from Scotland around 1645, originally spelling the name “Lesley.” While the exact date the family settled in Cecil County remains uncertain, records show that in 1758, Robert Lesley purchased a 100-acre farm about two miles north of North East, as noted by Ernest Howard in his Cecil County Fact File (1966).

With the arrival of the B&O Railroad in 1886, the community gained a station and began to flourish. By 1902–03, it was home to approximately 125 residents and served as a stop on the daily stage line connecting Bay View, Zion, Calvert, and Northeast. At its peak, Leslie bustled with activity with a sawmill, two general stores, a livery stable, and even its own post office anchoring daily life.

In 1893, the first annual Camp Meeting was held at Leslie Grove. Located halfway between Philadelphia and Baltimore, with convenient access provided by the railroad station, the grove was just an eight-minute walk to the grove. If the camper came by the Pennsylvania Railroad in North East, the organization provided a motor car to meet the train. Tent rentals and boarding accommodations were available for attendees.

Residents also formed the Leslie Cornett Band in 1897.

Though the trains no longer stop and the businesses have faded, Leslie remains a quiet reminder of Cecil County’s vibrant local past.

For more photos of the village, see this album on Facebook.

Just a few miles outside Earleville stood a modest country schoolhouse, the Fingerboard School. It first opened its doors before the Civil War, thanks to Stephen H. Ford, who donated land for what was initially called the Ford School, according to journalist Dot Clark in the Cecil Whig.

Later, people started calling it the Fingerboard School as a nearby signpost pointed the way to St. Stephen’s Church.

Over its 95-year history, the school welcomed generations of local children and was guided by 25 teachers. The first, Thomas Gale, began a long tradition of service to young scholars in the area. Other teachers included: Belle Veach (1872), Effie Titus (1873), Ella M. Staats, Mary Sherman, Helen Hasson, Jennie Packard, Emma Marley, John W. Cavendar, Lelia M. McCoy, Millie Watts, Isabelle Galbraith (1893-1915), and finally Alverda Ferguson (1916-1939)

The original building was torn down in the summer of 1873, replaced by a new structure built by Amos Wilson for $922. That schoolhouse was lost to a fire on December 15, 1914, but it was quickly rebuilt by James A. Smith and Son, reopening on March 15, 1915.

Isabelle Galbraith was teaching then. When she retired, Alverda Ferguson stepped in to lead the small country school. In May 1939, when the Fingerboard School closed its doors for good, it had 17 students spread across six grades. These young people and their teacher, Miss Ferguson, were transferred to Cecilton Elementary.

After its closure, the building was sold to Willard Knock, Jr., who converted it into a private residence. The old schoolhouse was still standing when Dot Clark wrote the story and interviewed Miss Ferguson.

Source: “Do You Remember? The Fingerboard School,” by Dot Clark, Dec. 9, 1970

For additional photos, see this album on Facebook

Cecil County Government Press Release

CHESAPEAKE CITY — May 13, 2025 — The National Park Service announced Monday that St. Augustine Church has been officially designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, honoring its role in the complex and courageous fight for freedom during the American Revolution.

In the late summer of 1777, as Cecil County became a battleground in the Philadelphia Campaign, enslaved individuals seized a fleeting opportunity for escape from bondage. Amidst the chaos of war and the arrival of British troops in northeastern Maryland, at least four enslaved individuals from Cecil County boldly fled to the royal forces encamped at the village of St. Augustine, with its historic Episcopal Church at the heart of the community. Their courageous action exemplified the resilience and determination of enslaved people in Cecil County during the Revolutionary War, marking St. Augustine Church as a vital crossroads in the journey to freedom.

St. Augustine stands among 31 newly recognized sites spanning thirteen states, each contributing to the enduring legacy of resistance against enslavement. The Network to Freedom program is dedicated to honoring, preserving, and sharing these stories of courage and determination.

“The designation of St. Augustine Church as a Network to Freedom site underscores the profound historical significance of this place,” said the Rev. Dr. Darcy Williams. “It honors the extraordinary courage of those who risked everything in pursuit of freedom, and we are pleased our church has been recognized for playing a role in the enduring struggle for freedom.”

Cecil County Executive Adam Streight also praised the designation, calling it a meaningful milestone for the county.“The recognition of St. Augustine Church as a Network to Freedom site sheds light on a profound and often overlooked chapter of our county’s history,”Streight said.“It honors the bravery of those who sought freedom under extraordinary circumstances and reaffirms our responsibility to preserve and reflect on that legacy for future generations.”

With a history that goes back to the late 1600s, St. Augustine has long been a cornerstone of the community.

This nomination was made possible through a collaborative effort involving St. Augustine Church, the National Park Service, the Maryland Office of Tourism, and Cecil County Tourism.

For more information on National Park Service Sites in Cecil County

Historic Union Bethel AME Church Recognized by the National Park Service – Window on Cecil County’s Past