From Baltimore Sun —- The state has awarded a $125,000 grant to the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway to complete the final restoration of the Rodgers Tavern in Perryville, a 315-year-old landmark that played a role in the nation’s early history. The tavern will serve as a modern-day anchor for downtown Perryville revitalization and provide public…
Cecil’s Bridge to the Past, Gilpin’s Fall’s Dedicated – a Preservation Success Story
June 24, 2010 – Gilpin’s Falls Covered Bridge, Cecil County’s very own bridge to the past, is prepared for a solid run through the 21st century since master bridgewrights completed restoration work a few months ago. To celebrate that milestone about 75 supporters, politicians, and county officials gathered at the span on June 24th, a hot…
Cecilton Losses Unique Part of its Past to Make Way for Convenience Store
A few old relics from the county’s past are biting the dust this week in Cecilton as a wrecking crew goes about the task of demolishing three 19th-century houses. Late this afternoon, one of old place fell to the swing of the arm of an excavator while a small backhoe and workers rushed here and…
All Aboard the Middletown & Cecilton Railway
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley as it screeched to a stop in Warwick. The door swung open, passengers piled in, and the car creaked forward. It rolled on down the line, through farmland and fields, while warm summer air flowed through open windows. As it approached the end of the line, the motorman threw on…
Independence Day Weekend at Historic Elk Landing
If you’re looking for fireworks, marching bands, or displays of military might, you won’t find them at Historic Elk Landing this Independence Day weekend. Nope, not a one. But you will find rest and relaxation! How’s that as a way to spend a day away from the grind of work and daily routines? On Saturday,…
Old Bohemia House, Historic Cecil Co. Property, Available Through MD Resident Curatorship Program
Maryland maintains a unique initiative called the resident curatorship, which makes historic properties available for lifetime leases. In exchange for an annual payment of $1, the curator agrees to restore and maintain the house and grounds at no cost to the state, in accordance with historic preservation standards. After the restoration, curators are able to…
Priceless Colonial Documents Return Home, After Lengthy Stay in New York
The Historical Society of Cecil County has added two rare and valuable manuscripts from an anonymous donor to its collection. Beginning in 1701 and running into the 1730s, these folio ledgers contain some of the earliest extant court records for the County. The long-lost documents, which surfaced recently when a distant donor from New York contacted…
Popular Chautauqua 2010 Brings Historical Figures to Perryville in July
Chautauqua, an event that takes place every summer, gives residents of Cecil County a chance to meet and talk with historical figures from the past about their experiences and accomplishments. This year’s theme “Beyond Boundaries” will bring Thurgood Marshall, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. and Sacagawea to the county, as we hear from people who broke barriers, crossed borders,…
The Potter’s Field or Cecil County Cemetery: The Final Resting Place for Paupers
The Cecil County Cemetery or Potter’s Field, the final resting place for paupers who couldn’t afford a burial, is located across from Mt. Aviat Academy. On the grounds of what was the county poorhouse, it contains some 150 to 200 unmarked graves. The Alms House, as it was also known, opened about 1776 and closed in…
Rehabilitation of the Savin-Conrey House in Chesapeake City Wins Award
From the Maryland Historical Trust —- The Savin-Conrey House located at 221 George Street was built by Thomas Conrey c.1850 and is located in the Chesapeake City Historic District along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. The house was used as a telephone exchange at one time and later rented as a private residence. After many years of…