The Susquehanna Power Company built a police substation at Conowingo for the Maryland State Police in 1929, leasing the land to the agency for a dollar a year. When it opened in April of that year, a staff of two sergeants, a corporal, and four officers were assigned to the post.
It was a modern post with a police office, a completely electrified kitchen, a cell room with two cells, an open fireplace, and sleeping quarters for twelve men. In addition to the motorcycle patrol, one horse was detailed to the post.
The detachment consisted of First Sergeant Atkinson, Sergeant Katz, Corporal Dyas, and Officers Weber, Klapproth, Phillips, and Holland. Centrally located, the trooper handled the increasing traffic on Route 1 and they policed Harford County north of Deer Creek, as well as Cecil and Kent counties.
“Because of its location on one of the most traveled highways of the State and because of its vicinity to the Maryland-Pennsylvania State Line, a force of this size was necessary, the commissioner of the State Police told the Midland Journal.
Traffic was heavy, as the commissioner predicted. When the crossing over the Dam opened in November 1927, a great number of motorists passed in continuous lines, the Harford Democrat reported. “A Harford motorist stated that it took him a solid hour to drive from the beginning of the new road near Darlington across the bridge, turn at the top of the first hill in Cecil County and return to the starting place.
In an era when ambulances weren’t commonly available, the Maryland State Police responded to the need for medical transport and quick response to automobile accidents. The agency acquired five ambulances in 1935, and one of those units was assigned to substation F at Conowingo.
Over the years, additional barracks were constructed to meet the growing demands for police service and operations at Conowingo were scaled back. At some point in the early 1970s or late 1960s, it was scaled down from a 24-hour-a-day to an 8-hour operation.
On September 1, 1973, the old station passed into history as it was deactivated. It was the oldest installation at that point, having served the public for 43 years, but barracks in North East, Bel Air, and Centreville provided greater coverage to northeastern Maryland.
For additional albums, see this Conowing Post photo album on Facebook.