History Port Deposit, Maryland

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 upper ferry
1.3 canal
1.4 granite , bridges
1.5 incorporation
1.6 arrival of railroad
1.7 jacob tome
1.8 damming susquehanna
1.9 other industry
1.10 national register of historic places listing

history
early history

the first recorded european visits area 1608 , 1609 expeditions led captain john smith chesapeake bay. sailed susquehanna river bay 2 miles (3.2 km) present location of port deposit, , gave name of smythe fayles rapids above future town.

the upper ferry

historic buildings in port deposit

in 1729, thomas cresap established regular ferry service near smith s falls (in upper port deposit area) crossing susquehanna lapidum; referred smith’s ferry or upper ferry. in 1731, road susquehanna upper ferry toward philadelphia, far jurisdiction extends, authorized. in same year, in jurisdiction south of river, petition submitted road mill @ rock run peach bottom, pennsylvania. upper ferry later purchased colonel john creswell , came known creswell s ferry .

this location , lapidum across river northern-most navigable deepwater ports on susquehanna. ships chesapeake met river barges , wagons loaded lumber, grain, coal, whiskey, tobacco , other goods floated downriver port of deposit. in days, difficult float goods downriver, since there many rapids , hazards, remained convenient way goods leave of country drained susquehanna above falls. further, since number of roads converged @ ferry crossing, goods carted or “rolled.”<

as 1790s, forests on susquehanna being logged , timbers floated downriver points near ferry landing. in 1812, town platted creswell’s landing. same year governor levin winder signed bill changing name creswell’s landing port deposit prevent continued confusion resulting multiple unofficial names.

the canal

the susquehanna canal (which had several owners , names on years, including maryland canal) completed in 1812 , contributed toward town s growth. until canal placed in service bypassing smith s falls, of traffic stopped @ lapidum, across susquehanna river since easier run rapids on south side. however, new canal — susquehanna , tidewater canal on north side of river — funneled barge traffic port deposit, stimulating rapid growth.

granite , bridges

the gerry house built in 1812. lafayette entertained here in 1824.

the first attempts bridge susquehanna in maryland made port deposit bridge company, incorporated in 1808. attempts failed, legislature in 1812 authorized company proceed. after completing survey in 1813, included first written reference port deposit, company proposed location complied law longer necessary. after petitioning relief, company allowed route bridge closer falls, allowing 1,000 feet (300 m) shorter. port deposit bridge, wooden covered bridge, built north of port deposit between 1817 , 1818. put service in 1818, earliest bridge crossing of susquehanna. rebuilt after span burned in 1823, remained in service until 1857.

an 4 acres (16,000 m) site @ north end of port deposit condemned quarrying granite. (actually gneiss) bridges. general area had been site granite quarrying before bridge constructed there use of specific granite in buildings constructed before revolutionary war. granite can seen in many of distinctive buildings in port deposit today.

quarries opened here in 1829 proprietors of competitor canal, susquehanna , tidewater canal between havre de grace, maryland , wrightsville, pennsylvania, canal construction projects routed along opposite bank of susquehanna.

these quarries continued in service 20th century. port deposit gneiss used in:

many houses , 5 churches in port deposit
schools u.s. naval academy, haverford college , catholic university of america
fort mchenry, fort delaware , fort carroll
public buildings boston public library , u.s. treasury building
public works concord point lighthouse, lincoln tunnel , st augustine seawall

incorporation

town hall

port deposit incorporated in 1824.

arrival of railroad

more houses along main street in port deposit.

in 1832 maryland general assembly chartered delaware , maryland rail road company build port deposit on susquehanna river delaware state line. wilmington , susquehanna rail road company chartered in 1832 in delaware, continue line wilmington. 2 companies merged in 1836 form wilmington , susquehanna railroad company. baltimore , port deposite rail road company, constitute remainder of route baltimore, chartered in maryland in 1832. on february 12, 1838, 3 companies merged form new philadelphia, wilmington , baltimore railroad company, authorized build continuous line philadelphia baltimore. main line passed southeast of port deposit; town connected branch line in 1866, running along riverbank perryville. in 1881 pw&b came under control of pennsylvania railroad (prr). in 1893 branch line sold columbia , port deposit railway, prr-controlled.

jacob tome

jacob tome, banker, philanthropist, , politician, arrived in port deposit penniless man. @ death, tome 1 of richest men in united states. comment on character of port deposit rose become cecil county s first millionaire greatest philanthropist. tome mansion (built in 1850 no longer standing) largest house in town. founded tome school, on main street in port deposit, in 1889. died on march 16, 1898 in port deposit, leaving substantial endowment jacob tome institute. after 1898 jacob tome school boys built series of beaux arts granite buildings on bluffs above port deposit, overlooking susquehanna river. cp-tome interlocking on railroad line through downtown port deposit named in honor.

damming susquehanna

the susquehanna river drops 167 feet (51 m) passes through region above port deposit, cuts though hard rock of region. characteristic, had long been port deposit, attracted power companies in boom period after world war i. conowingo dam, built in 1927, permanently changed character of town terminating river traffic , decimating left of shad , herring fishery once found there. port deposit benefited dam well; destructive accumulations of ice (referred ice gouges) no longer accumulated in conowingo rapids or passed through port deposit, had terrible effect in 1907.

other industry

formerly major industry in port deposit, wiley s manufacturing, fabricated fort mchenry tunnel sections. floated , towed baltimore construction site using tugboats. construction completed in 1985.

the immersed tubes of 63rd street tunnel fabricated @ shipyard in port deposit , towed new york city.

national register of historic places listing

washington hall viewed washington section of amtrak s broadway limited in 1974.

the entire town of port deposit listed historic district on national register of historic places on may 23, 1978. starting bainbridge road on south, district extends 1.4 miles north along 222 quarry @ north end of town.

the town has several impressive older buildings, many built of local granite or brick. oldest structures in historic district date 1725, majority built 1830 through 1890s.

the town remained largely unspoiled new construction until late 20th century, since there little room construction. bulk of older buildings line main street , the, until recently, single side street built in narrow space between bluffs , river. bluffs have been terraced , stairways lead between streets. adams hall, formerly part of tome institute, became town hall; remains of tome institute s former washington hall granite doorway separates main street parking lot today.