Havre de Grace History: Big Names in a Small Town
[By Amanda Vitek]
There’s a reason Havre de Grace means “harbor of grace.” This little town at the mouth of the Susquehanna River is big in charm and personality that has developed over the last four centuries.
The town became known as Havre de Grace around 1782, when, in a letter to George Washington, Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette likened it to the French seaport, Le Havre. But the town’s history actually dates all the way back to John Smith’s exploration of the Upper Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River in 1608. During his journeys, Smith described the natives living here as “the most noble and heroic nation of Indians – large & warlike and for the most part seven feet tall – voices deep and hollow as coming out of a cave – stately and majestic – great warriors.”
In keeping with Havre de Grace’s reputation for “great warriors,” a local hero emerged during the War of 1812, also known as America’s Second War of Independence. When British Rear Admiral George Cockburn’s troops attacked, Lieutenant John O”Neill single-handedly manned a cannon to help defend the town. O”Neill’s efforts proved futile, and he was taken prisoner for a short time, but to show its thanks, Havre de Grace made O”Neill and his descendants the hereditary keepers of the Concord Point Lighthouse, which has been fully restored and still stands as the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Maryland. Visitors will find it at the end of a boardwalk promenade linked to Tydings Park.
During the Civil War, Havre de Grace served as a safe haven for many free African Americans, and was one of seven sites used for the recruiting of “U.S. Colored Troops.”
With the upcoming 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the city is hard at work to prepare many commemorative events and exhibitions. On October 8, Harford County Executive David Craig presents his talk, “Terrorism on the Home Front 19th Century Style,” to begin Havre de Grace’s tribute to the War of 1812. On October 29, the Heritage Museums of Havre de Grace host a free Community History Day to kick off the “War of 1812: Havre de Grace Under Fire” commemoration. Then, during the weekend of November 12, the waterfront Lock House Museum hosts a “Pirates By The Bay” program, exploring the history of piracy on the Chesapeake Bay.
More local history can be learned at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, which houses a brilliant collection of Chesapeake Bay waterfowl decoys, and the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, where the story is told of life on the water.